Can your dog actually hike here?
Every park and public land on this trip, plus the ones I cut or passed on, sorted by whether a leashed dog can use the trails. 62 yes, 17 partly, 24 no. 8 more, the places we sleep, show up once we've been. 8 parks have a five-minute history: look for the headphones.
National parks are mostly strict; national forests, BLM land, and state parks usually aren't. The rules here came from each park's pet page before we left, and I correct them as we go. Rhea is never boarded or kenneled. Where she can't go, we find somewhere she can.
| Park | Verdict | Where dogs can go | What we do instead | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia National Park ME | Yes Leashed dogs are allowed on the carriage roads and most hiking trails. | The carriage roads (Jordan Pond, Eagle Lake, Witch Hole Pond), Ocean Path, Great Head, Gorham Mountain and the Schoodic Peninsula. | The iron-rung ladder trails (Precipice, Beehive, Jordan Cliffs) are banned, and not safe for a 70-lb dog anyway. | Before Rhea joins |
| Alabama Hills National Scenic Area CA | Yes Bureau of Land Management land under Mount Whitney, and the granite is hers. | The Movie Road loop and the rocks around it. | No water or facilities: bring hers. | Nov 18 to 29 |
| Arches National Park UT | No Dogs are not allowed on any trail. | Roads, pullouts, parking lots and the campground. | a state park next door, and the BLM land around Moab (not yet confirmed). | Dec 4 |
| Avenue of the Giants, Humboldt Redwoods State Park CA | No The groves along this road are California state park land, where dogs stay off the trails. | The road and its pullouts. | The drive is the point, and the Lost Coast that evening is federal land where she can walk. | |
| Big Bend National Park TX | No Dogs are banned from every trail and the river, but can ride along on any road, paved or dirt. | All roads, including 200-plus miles of quiet dirt, the pullouts, and the campground. | a state park next door, where dogs can hike. | Dec 13 to 14 |
| Bryce Canyon National Park 🎧 UT | Partial Dogs get one paved stretch of the rim and every drive-up overlook, but no trail into the hoodoos. | The paved Rim Trail between Sunrise and Sunset Points, plus the Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration and Bryce Point overlooks. | Grand Staircase-Escalante the next day, federal land where she can hike to Calf Creek Falls. | Dec 1 |
| Bullards Beach State Park OR | Yes Leashed dogs share the beach and trails a few minutes from Bandon's sea stacks. | The beach, trails and campground. | ||
| Canyonlands National Park UT | No Dogs are not allowed on any trail. | Roads, overlooks and campgrounds. | a state park next door, and the BLM land around Moab (not yet confirmed). | Dec 4 |
| Capitol Reef National Park UT | Partial National park rules: roads, campgrounds and a short stretch of the Fremont River trail only. not yet confirmed | UT-24 through the park and the Fruita orchards from the road. | Dec 4 | |
| Carlsbad Caverns National Park NM | No Dogs are banned from the cavern, the unpaved trails and even the visitor center. | Roads, parking areas, picnic areas, overlooks and paved paths. | The cave happens only if a dog sitter is booked in Carlsbad. No sitter, no cave: we drive straight from Alamogordo to Marfa instead. | Dec 12 |
| Crater Lake National Park OR | Partial Most trails are closed to dogs, with a couple of exceptions. | Godfrey Glen Trail, Grayback Drive, roads and parking areas. | The Oregon coast beaches, where she can walk nearly everything. Rim Drive can close for snow by November 1, sometimes earlier. | Day 38 |
| Cuyahoga Valley National Park OH | Yes One of the most dog-friendly national parks, with over 110 miles of trail open to leashed dogs. | Brandywine Falls, the Ledges and most of the park's 100+ miles of trail, on a 6-ft leash. Not in buildings or on the Scenic Railroad. | The Towpath is closed from Boston Trailhead to Lock 29 (Peninsula) through Nov 20, 2026. | Day 14 |
| Death Valley National Park CA | No Dogs stay on roads and in campgrounds, but the headline sights are roadside anyway. | Roads, dirt ones included, campgrounds, and the roadside stops at Badwater, Artist's Palette, Zabriskie Point and Dante's View. | The Alabama Hills on the drive in, federal land where she can roam. Arrive with her water full; the Furnace Creek store is limited. | Nov 28 to 29 |
| Deception Pass State Park WA | Yes Leashed dogs on the trails, except in the Kukutali Preserve and the tide pools. | The bridge walk and the Goose Rock and Lighthouse Point trails. | Day 32 | |
| Devil's Lake State Park WI | Yes Leashed dogs can hike the bluff trails, though not the main beaches or the nature trails. not yet confirmed | East and West Bluff, Tumbled Rocks, the Grottos and Steinke Basin trails on an 8-ft leash, plus a pet swim area at the southwest corner. | Not on the North and South Shore beaches, in picnic areas, or at Parfrey's Glen. Bluff trails have steep rock steps. | Day 16 |
| Factory Butte and the Bentonite Hills (BLM) UT | Yes BLM land: dogs welcome, leash where posted. | The pullouts and dirt roads around Caineville. | Dec 4 | |
| Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park 🎧 ND | Yes Leashed dogs are welcome in the campground and on the grounds, though not in the camping cabins. | The campground and the trails above the Missouri, on a leash. | Water and the comfort station shut off Oct 18. | Day 18 |
| Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim) AZ | Partial Dogs can walk the 13-mile Rim Trail above the canyon but no trail below the rim. | The Rim Trail, the Desert View Drive overlooks, the campground and roads. | Petrified Forest the next day, where she is allowed on every maintained trail. 7,000 feet: nights in the 20s. | Dec 6 to 7 |
| Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument UT | Yes Bureau of Land Management land, so she can hike nearly all of it. | Calf Creek Falls (6 miles round trip), Devils Garden off Hole-in-the-Rock Road, the Burr Trail, and Head of the Rocks Overlook. | Dirt roads turn to grease after rain and flash floods are real. Check road reports first. | Dec 2 to 3 |
| Griffith Park CA | Yes Over 4,000 acres of city park where leashed dogs can hike. | Park trails on a leash, up toward the Observatory. | Nov 18 to 27 | |
| Guadalupe Mountains National Park TX | No Dogs stay on roads and in the campground, with no trail access at all. | Pine Springs Campground, roads and pullouts. | A morning drive past the highest point in Texas; her next real hike is a state park. | Dec 12 |
| Harris Beach State Park OR | Yes Leashed dogs are welcome on the beach and trails at Brookings, the last Oregon night. | The beach, trails and campground. | Day 39 | |
| Huntington Dog Beach CA | Yes Miles of off-leash sand in Huntington Beach. | The dog beach, off leash. | Nov 18 to 27 | |
| Icicle Gorge (Okanogan-Wenatchee NF), Leavenworth WA | Yes National forest trail; leashed dogs allowed ($5 day fee). | The Icicle Gorge loop. | Nearby, Day 29 | |
| Indiana Dunes National Park IN | Yes Leashed dogs are allowed on every park beach year-round (the West Beach swim area only in summer) and on most trails. | The Lake Michigan beaches and most trails, on a 6-ft leash. | Not on Pinhook Bog Trail or the equestrian Glenwood Dunes trails. The state park inside it bans dogs from its beach. | Day 15 |
| Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park CA | No California state parks keep dogs off most trails, so the old growth here is seen from the road. | The campground, paved areas, and the truck on Howland Hill Road. | Howland Hill Road: 10 unpaved miles through old growth, with her riding, windows down. | Day 41 |
| Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park OR | Yes Leashed dogs are welcome at this park on the edge of the Oregon Dunes. | The campground, park trails and the dunes behind them. | Day 36 | |
| King Range National Conservation Area (Lost Coast) CA | Yes Bureau of Land Management land, where dogs are allowed, unlike the state parks on either side. | Mattole Beach, Black Sands Beach, and the walk to the Punta Gorda lighthouse. | Very remote: no cell service, no services, and a steep, often wet road in. | Day 42 |
| Lake Carlos State Park 🎧 MN | Yes Minnesota state parks allow leashed dogs on trails and in the campground. not yet confirmed | The campground and the park trails on a 6-ft leash. | Not in buildings or on the beach. | Day 17 |
| Letchworth State Park NY | Yes Leashed dogs are allowed on every trail, including the Gorge Trail along the rim. | All trails and day-use areas on a 6-foot leash, as a midday stop on the drive to Niagara. | Not allowed in buildings or on boardwalks. The Gorge Trail runs along the rim: keep the leash short at the edges. | Nearby, Day 13 |
| Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument 🎧 MT | No The park's pet page bars pets outside vehicles anywhere in the park, parking areas included, so she sees the battlefield from the truck. | Nothing on foot: the 4.5-mile tour road to the Reno-Benteen site, from inside the truck. | Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area's North District at Fort Smith takes leashed dogs on its trails. Rattlesnakes in warm weather. | Nearby, Day 20 |
| Manzanar National Historic Site CA | Partial Leashed dogs across the grounds and in the Block 14 exhibits; not in the visitor center or inside the fenced cemetery. | The driving tour and Block 14. | Nov 18 to 29 | |
| Montaña de Oro State Park CA | Partial Dogs are fine on the beach, but this California state park keeps them off most trails. not yet confirmed | The beach and the campground. | Pismo State Beach, just south, where she can walk the sand. | |
| Mount Hood National Forest OR | Yes National forest land: leashed dogs on the trails, including the Trillium Lake loop. | Trillium Lake loop (open to Dec 1) and the Timberline Trail toward Zigzag Canyon. | Timberline Lodge bans dogs except in its pet rooms. Early snow is possible at 6,000 ft. | Nearby, Day 36 |
| Mount Mansfield State Forest and Smugglers' Notch State Park VT | Yes Vermont state parks allow leashed dogs in the campground (not beaches or day-use areas), and the state forest trails through the Notch allow leashed dogs. not yet confirmed | The campground, and the Sterling Pond trail from the top of the Notch. | Before Rhea joins | |
| Multnomah Falls and the Historic Columbia River Highway OR | Yes Leashed dogs can walk the paved trail to Benson Bridge and up to the top; no timed permit after Sep 7. | Benson Bridge, the upper viewpoint, and the Historic Highway waterfall pullouts. | Tom McCall Preserve in the eastern Gorge bans dogs. | Nearby, Day 36 |
| Niagara Falls State Park NY | Yes New York's state parks let leashed dogs walk the falls overlooks and the gorge rim trails. | Prospect Point for the nightly illumination, and the Niagara Gorge rim trails at Whirlpool State Park if there is a spare morning. | Day 13 | |
| Olympic National Park 🎧 WA | Partial Dogs are banned from nearly every trail, so for her this park is mostly beaches. | Rialto Beach to Ellen Creek, the Kalaloch beaches, Spruce Railroad Trail, Madison Falls, Peabody Creek, and the campgrounds. | The Oregon coast, two days on, where she can walk nearly every beach and state park trail. | Nearby, Day 35 |
| Petrified Forest National Park AZ | Yes One of the rare national parks that lets dogs on all maintained trails and into the wilderness. | Every maintained trail, including Blue Mesa and Crystal Forest, plus the Painted Desert. | Dec 8 to 10 | |
| Point Lobos State Natural Reserve CA | No Dogs are not allowed anywhere in the reserve. not yet confirmed | Nowhere inside the reserve. | Bixby Bridge and the Highway 1 pullouts a few miles south. | Nov 15 to 16 |
| Point Reyes National Seashore CA | Partial Dogs are allowed on a few beaches but not on the trails. not yet confirmed | Designated beaches such as Kehoe, Limantour and Point Reyes Beach, on a leash. | The beaches are the visit; the headland trails wait for another trip. | Nov 14 |
| Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park CA | No Another California state park where dogs stay off the trails. | Elk Prairie Campground, paved areas and roads. | The Newton B. Drury Parkway and the elk herds on Elk Prairie, watched from the truck. Rutting Roosevelt elk graze right by the campground. Keep her well back. | Day 41 |
| Redwood National Park CA | Partial Dogs are kept off almost every trail, with a few beaches and old fire roads as the exceptions. | Enderts Beach, Crescent Beach, paved areas, fire roads and campgrounds. | Howland Hill Road and the Newton B. Drury Parkway, driven with the windows down. Roosevelt elk in the rut. A bull is as dangerous as a bison, so keep her well back. | Nearby, Day 41 |
| Robert H. Treman State Park NY | Partial Leashed dogs are welcome in the campground and on the Rim Trail, but not on the Gorge Trail. | The campground and the Rim Trail, on a 6-foot leash. | Taughannock Falls the next morning, where she can walk the gorge itself. | Day 12 |
| Rogue Gorge and Natural Bridge (Rogue River-Siskiyou NF) OR | Yes Forest Service day-use sites; keep dogs leashed. Season April to November, no fee. | The Rogue Gorge and Natural Bridge interpretive trails. | Nearby, Day 38 | |
| Rosie's Dog Beach, Long Beach CA | Yes An off-leash dog beach, one of the best in the country. | The whole dog beach, off leash. | Nov 18 to 27 | |
| Runyon Canyon Park CA | Yes A Hollywood Hills hike where much of the trail is off-leash. | The canyon trails, much of them off leash. | Nov 18 to 27 | |
| Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor OR | Yes The best 12 miles of the Oregon coast, and dogs can walk it. | Natural Bridges, Secret Beach, Arch Rock and the trails between them. | Nearby, Day 39 | |
| Santa Fe National Forest NM | Yes National forest land in the mountains above the city, and dog-friendly. | Forest trails above Santa Fe. | Dec 9 to 10 | |
| Shenandoah National Park VA | Yes Dogs are allowed on about 480 of the park's 500 trail miles, one of the best records in the park system. | Nearly every trail, the Skyline Drive overlooks, and Big Meadows. | Dec 18 to 23 | |
| Smith Rock State Park OR | Yes Oregon state park leash law applies; the official page lists no trail bans for dogs. | The River Trail along the Crooked River. | From Nov 1, construction closes parts of the Rim Rock and North Point trails at times. | Nearby, Day 36 |
| Taughannock Falls State Park NY | Yes Leashed dogs are allowed on the gorge and rim trails, so she gets the 215-foot falls up close. | The gorge trail to the foot of the falls and both rim trails, as a morning stop on the drive north. | Nearby, Day 13 | |
| Theodore Roosevelt National Park 🎧 ND | No Dogs are banned from every trail, so she sees this park from the road. | Roads, pullouts, parking lots and Cottonwood Campground, on a leash. | We drive it: the South Unit Scenic Loop, Painted Canyon Overlook, and the North Unit road to Oxbow Overlook. Free-roaming bison walk through the campground. She stays in the truck at wildlife pullouts and on a short leash in camp. | Nearby, Day 19 |
| Toketee and Watson Falls (Umpqua National Forest) OR | Yes National forest trails; leashed dogs allowed. | Toketee Falls trail; Watson Falls (lower-trail bridge status unconfirmed). | Day 37 | |
| Van Damme State Park CA | No A California state park, where dogs stay off most trails. | The campground and paved areas. | Highway 1 pullouts on the slow, winding run south toward Point Reyes. | Nearby, Day 42 |
| Watkins Glen State Park NY | Partial The famous Gorge Trail bans dogs, but the rim trails above it do not. | South Rim Trail, Indian Trail, and the campground. | Taughannock Falls State Park, a few miles north, where she can walk the gorge itself. | Nearby, Day 12 |
| White Mountain National Forest NH | Yes National forest land, where she can hike essentially everywhere. | Glen Ellis Falls, Diana's Baths, Emerald Pool, and the Mount Washington Auto Road from inside the truck. | Black bear country: store food properly. | Before Rhea joins |
| White Sands National Park NM | Yes Dogs are allowed on the dunes and every trail, which almost no national park allows. | The dunefield, every trail including Alkali Flat, and the sunset drive. | The white gypsum throws heat and glare even in November, so the awning is her shade. Missile tests can close the park for a few hours. | Dec 11 |
| Yellowstone National Park 🎧 WY/MT | No Dogs are banned from all trails, boardwalks and thermal areas and must stay within 100 feet of roads. | Roads, parking lots and campgrounds. Carrying or strollering her past the rules is banned too. | Paradise Valley and the Custer Gallatin National Forest just outside the park, where dogs can hike. | Day 24 |
| Zion National Park 🎧 UT | Partial Dogs are banned from every trail except one paved path along the river. | The Pa'rus Trail (3.5 miles round trip, paved), roads, and the campground. | Bryce's paved Rim Trail the next day, then real hiking in Grand Staircase-Escalante. | Nov 30 |
| Adirondack Park (New York State Forest Preserve) NY | Yes State forest preserve land is far more permissive than any national park, and she can hike nearly anything. | Trails across the High Peaks and around Wilmington Notch. | Bear canisters are required in the High Peaks Wilderness if you sleep away from the car. | Cut from the route |
| Badlands National Park SD | No Dogs are limited to roads and campgrounds. | Roads, overlooks and campgrounds. | The badlands of Theodore Roosevelt, seen the same way, from the road. | Considered, skipped |
| Baxter State Park ME | No Pets are not allowed anywhere in the park, including inside a vehicle. | Nothing: service dogs only. | Katahdin Woods and Waters next door: the same mountain from the east, dogs welcome, and a darker certified sky. | Considered, skipped |
| Beverly Beach State Park OR | Yes A beach campground near Newport where leashed dogs are welcome on the sand. | The beach and the campground. | Cut in the Sep 28 re-route: the Oregon leg now goes inland to Crater Lake and rejoins the coast at Florence. | Cut from the route |
| Blue Ridge Parkway NC/VA | Yes Leashed dogs are allowed on Parkway trails, which makes it friendlier than the parks at either end. | Linville Falls, Craggy Gardens and the overlook trails, on a leash. | Ice closes the high sections with little warning; check the gates each morning. | Cut from the route |
| Cape Arago and Shore Acres State Parks OR | Yes Cliff-top viewpoints over sea lions and storm surf, open to leashed dogs. | The cliff trails and viewpoints, though pets usually stay out of the formal garden. | Cut from the route | |
| Cape Lookout State Park OR | Yes Leashed dogs can walk the beach and the park trails, with Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock on the way in. | The beach below camp and the park trails. | Cut in the Sep 28 re-route: the Oregon leg now goes inland to Crater Lake and rejoins the coast at Florence. | Cut from the route |
| Cape Perpetua Scenic Area OR | Yes The best viewpoint on the Oregon coast, and she can come along to Thor's Well and Devil's Churn. | The viewpoints, Thor's Well and Devil's Churn, on a leash. | Cut in the Sep 28 re-route: the Oregon leg now goes inland to Crater Lake and rejoins the coast at Florence. Sneaker waves at Thor's Well and Devil's Churn: keep her well back from the wet rock. | Cut from the route |
| Cascade River State Park MN | Yes Leashed dogs are allowed on the loops past the stepped falls, right off Highway 61. | The waterfall loops by the highway. | Cut from the route | |
| Flathead National Forest MT | Yes The national forest wraps Glacier on the west and south and allows dogs on its trails. | The Swan Valley along MT-83, Jewel Basin Hiking Area, and trails around Bigfork and Kalispell. | Still grizzly country: leash on, bear spray on your body. | Cut from the route |
| Fort Stevens State Park OR | Yes Oregon lets dogs on virtually every beach and state park trail, and this is where that stretch begins. | The beach, park trails and campground, on a leash. | Cut from the route | |
| Four Mile Creek State Park NY | Yes A quiet New York state park campground on Lake Ontario where leashed dogs are welcome. not yet confirmed | The campground, on a leash. | Cut from the route | |
| Glacier National Park MT | No Dogs stay on roads, pullouts and campgrounds, with no trails and no lakeshores at all. | Going-to-the-Sun Road pullouts, St. Mary and Apgar campgrounds, parking and picnic areas, on a 6-ft leash. | Cut in the Sep 27 re-route: the west leg now crosses Montana after Going-to-the-Sun closes. Yellowstone's north side and the larch valleys took its place. Grizzly country in feeding season. A loose dog is the classic trigger for a charge. | Cut from the route |
| Gooseberry Falls State Park MN | Yes Minnesota state parks allow leashed dogs on nearly every trail, and these five waterfalls sit right off the highway. | The waterfall trails, on a leash. | Cut from the route | |
| Grand Teton National Park WY | Partial No trails for dogs, though the paved multi-use pathway is open to them. | Roads, campgrounds and the paved multi-use pathway. | Paradise Valley and the Custer Gallatin National Forest, on the route we kept. | Considered, skipped |
| Great Basin National Park NV | No Dogs are held to roads and campgrounds, and the Wheeler Peak road is shut by November anyway. | Roads and campgrounds, including Lower Lehman Creek. | Death Valley, where the dog rules are the same but the big sights are roadside. | Considered, skipped |
| Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve CO | Yes Leashed dogs are allowed in every day-use area, including the dunefield itself. | The dunefield, Dunes Overlook Trail, Medano Pass Primitive Road, and Piñon Flats Campground. | Snow is possible at 8,200 feet by mid-November, and Medano Pass needs real four-wheel drive. | Maybe |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park TN/NC | Partial Only two trails in the whole park allow dogs. | The Gatlinburg Trail and the Oconaluftee River Trail, plus roads, campgrounds, and the Cades Cove Loop by truck. | The Blue Ridge Parkway the next day, where leashed dogs are allowed on the trails. | Cut from the route |
| Green Lakes State Park NY | Yes A flat loop around two unusual green lakes, and dogs are fine on it. | The lake loop trail. | Cut from the route | |
| Half Moon Bay State Beach CA | Partial A California state beach where leashed dogs get the sand and the paved coastal path, and not much else. not yet confirmed | The beach, the Coastside Trail and the campground. | Point Reyes beaches the day before, and the dog-friendly beaches around Pismo two days later. | Cut from the route |
| Itasca State Park MN | Yes Leashed dogs are welcome on the trails, and she can wade across the Mississippi at its headwaters. | The Mississippi Headwaters stepping stones, trails through the old-growth red pine, and the campground. | Cut from the route | |
| Judge C.R. Magney State Park MN | Yes Dogs are fine on the 2-mile round trip to Devil's Kettle, where half the river vanishes into a pothole. | The Devil's Kettle trail. | Cut from the route | |
| Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument ME | Yes Leashed dogs (6-ft leash) are welcome throughout the monument: trails, campsites and the Loop Road. Only the huts are off limits. | The Katahdin Loop Road overlook at mile 6.5, the Barnard Mountain trail, Wassataquoik Stream and the Loop Road campsites. | Cut Sep 28: too far north for the 5-day New England loop. No services and no cell signal inside; the Loop Road is 14 miles of gravel and closes in bad weather. | Cut from the route |
| Lost Maples State Natural Area TX | Yes Leashed dogs share the trails through the canyon maples, good dog hiking in the Hill Country. | Park trails, on a leash. | Cut from the route | |
| Mount Rainier National Park WA | No Dogs are not allowed on the trails, so for her it would be a drive-through. | Roads, parking areas and campgrounds. | Olympic's dog-legal beaches, Rialto and Kalaloch. | Considered, skipped |
| New River Gorge National Park and Preserve WV | Yes Leashed dogs are allowed on nearly all trails, and it sits near the way home. | Nearly every trail, on a leash. | Considered, skipped | |
| North Cascades National Park WA | No No trail access for dogs, and it points the wrong way from Olympic. | The North Cascades Highway and its overlooks. | Olympic's dog-legal beaches, Rialto and Kalaloch. | Considered, skipped |
| North-South Lake Campground, Catskill Forest Preserve NY | Yes State forest preserve land, so leashed dogs can hike the trails, though the beach and day-use areas are off limits and the Kaaterskill Falls rule is unconfirmed. not yet confirmed | The campground and the Escarpment Trail to Artist's Rock, on a 6-ft leash, with her rabies certificate in hand. | Cut from the route | |
| Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area OR | Yes Forty miles of open sand, and she is allowed on it. | The dunes and the beaches beyond them, on a leash. | Dune buggies share parts of the sand; stay in the areas closed to vehicles. | Cut from the route |
| Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park CA | No A California state park, where dogs stay off the trails. | The campground and paved areas. | Bixby Bridge and the Highway 1 pullouts, then the beaches around Pismo the next day. | Cut from the route |
| Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore MI | Partial Dogs get a handful of named waterfall trails and beaches, but not the cliff trails or the boat that make the park famous. | Munising Falls, Miners Falls, the Miners Castle overlook, Miners Beach, Sand Point, Sable Falls, and Twelvemile Beach Campground. Carrying her onto a closed trail is banned too. | Miners Castle is the one drive-up view of the cliffs she can share; the North Shore the next day opens nearly every trail to her. | Cut from the route |
| Pismo State Beach CA | Yes Dogs are allowed on nearly every beach on this stretch, and this long one is hers on a leash. | The beach and the campground. | Cut from the route | |
| Riverside State Park WA | Yes Washington state parks allow leashed dogs on their trails. not yet confirmed | The campground and the trails along the Spokane River, on a leash. | Cut from the route | |
| Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks CA | No Dogs are banned from every trail, including the paths to the General Sherman tree. | Roads, parking areas and campgrounds. | Coast redwoods from the road, on Howland Hill Road and the Avenue of the Giants. | Considered, skipped |
| Sinkyone Wilderness State Park CA | No Dogs are restricted here, as in most California state parks. | Roads and developed areas. | The King Range next door, federal land where she can walk the beaches. | Considered, skipped |
| Split Rock Lighthouse State Park MN | Yes A Minnesota state park, so leashed dogs share the trails around the North Shore's most photographed view. | Park trails along the shore, on a leash. | Cut from the route | |
| Superior Hiking Trail MN | Yes The long trail along the ridges above Lake Superior allows dogs, and any segment will do. | Any segment near Grand Marais. | Cut from the route | |
| Tawas Point State Park MI | Yes Michigan state parks allow leashed dogs in the campground and on trails, though usually not on the swimming beach. not yet confirmed | The campground and the nature trail out toward the lighthouse, on a leash. | Cut from the route | |
| Temperance River State Park MN | Yes Leashed dogs can walk the short, dramatic gorge trail past the river's potholes. | The gorge trail along the river. | Cut from the route | |
| Tettegouche State Park MN | Yes Leashed dogs are allowed on nearly every trail, including the High Falls of the Baptism River and Shovel Point. | High Falls of the Baptism River, Shovel Point, and the campground. | Cut from the route | |
| Whitney Portal (Inyo National Forest) CA | Yes The Forest Service requires pets to be 'in control' on the Mt. Whitney Trail ( whether Lone Pine Lake is inside the day-permit zone). not yet confirmed | The trail toward Lone Pine Lake and the portal falls. | The road closes after the first real storm. | Cut from the route |
| Wind Cave National Park SD | No Dogs are limited to roads and campgrounds. not yet confirmed | Roads and campgrounds. | The badlands of Theodore Roosevelt, seen from the road. | Considered, skipped |
| Yosemite National Park CA | Partial Dogs are barred from the wilderness trails but get the paved Valley paths and several short named trails, the best deal of any big western park. | 12-plus miles of paved Valley bike paths, Lower Yosemite Fall, Bridalveil Fall, Cook's Meadow Loop, and the paved part of Mirror Lake Trail. | El Capitan and Half Dome on foot from the Valley floor, which is most of the point anyway. | Maybe |