Pets in the Park

Pets are some of our favorite visitors at Ozark National Scenic Riverways. They just need to follow some common sense rules (along with their owners). Read our rules and recommendations below to ensure a safe and stress-free visit!

NPS Photo / Kevin Tarbet / Sydney Curnes

 

 

General Rules/Regulations for Dogs

Dogs are welcome in most outdoor areas where humans can go. While out in the park, pets and their owners just need to follow some basic guidelines.

• Dogs must remain on a 6-foot leash or tether, unless they are in a vessel on the water.
• Just like humans, pets are prohibited from entering springs, spring branches, and caves within the park.
• Pets are not allowed inside federal buildings. This includes Alley Mill and other historic buildings. (Trained service animals are exempt from this rule.)
• Dogs are not allowed on designated horse trails.
• Aggressive or disruptive behaviors, including excessive barking, are not welcome in the park. Dogs exhibiting these behaviors may be asked to leave.
• Pet excrement must be immediately collected and disposed of in a proper trash receptacle.
• Pets must not chase or threaten wildlife in the park.
• Dogs used for hunting must be collared or tagged with the owner's name and telephone number. Dogs that cannot be identified may be taken to an animal shelter at the owner's expense.

Know your pet. If your pet is easily upset or overstimulated by new experiences, busy areas would not be best for them. If they act aggressively with other people or animals, consider letting them stay at home.

 

Service dogs are certified, trained animals who assist a person with a disability.

Adobe Stock / SasaStock

Service Animals

Unlike pets, service animals are welcome in park-owned buildings (that are open to the public). These must be working animals who are specifically trained to provide aid to a person with a disability: National Park Service policy defines a service animal as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

What about emotional support animals?

Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The presence of these animals provides a calming effect for their owners, but they must follow the same rules as any other pet.

 

Know your pet! While some dogs love sleeping in the great outdoors, some do not. If your dog is overstimulated or anxious around other people, they might not enjoy camping.

Image courtesy of Ann Marischen.

Camping with Pets

While some pets love camping outdoors, not every animal is comfortable with the experience. Unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells can excite (or frighten) even the best-trained dogs.

So, while in a camping area, all guidelines still apply as normal. This is for the safety of both visitors and pets within the campground.

• Pets must be on a 6-foot leash or tether, even at the owner's campsite.
• Pets may not be left unattended at any time, regardless of whether they are contained or tethered.
• Excrement must be cleaned up and disposed immediately.
• Excessive barking or noise is not acceptable.

 

Remember the B.A.R.K. principles while hiking with your pet!

NPS Photo

Hiking with your Pet

Pets are welcome on almost all trails, apart from horse trails. Most dogs love hiking through the hills of the Ozarks. However, extra precaution is needed to protect both pets and wildlife.

Dogs must remain on a 6-foot leash, even when the area seems empty. There are often unseen threats to your pet's health and safety:

• Other animals, such as bears or venomous snakes.
• Poisonous plants and substances.
• Dangerous terrain.
• Other visitors and pets who could appear suddenly.

Pets can easily become injured, exhausted, or lost, especially in an unfamiliar environment. Each year, thousands of pets go missing in parks. Without microchips or tags, there is an 85% chance that a lost dog will not be returned to its owner. With that statistic in mind, always maintain control of your pet.

 

Do not tie or lash pets while on the river! The leash could easily get tangled or caught, which is potentially fatal.

NPS Photo

Floating with your Pet

Just like with people, the Current and Jacks Fork rivers can be popular with pets. Visitors will often bring their dogs to ride on a raft or canoe.

For their safety, pets cannot be tied or tethered while on the water. Otherwise, the rules are mostly the same:

• Pets cannot be tied or lashed while floating on the river.

• However, pets must be on a leash as soon as they are back on land or stopped on the river’s edge.

• Remember that pets are prohibited from entering springs, spring branches, and caves within the park. They may only swim in the main river channel.

• Any waste must be carried out and disposed of in a proper receptacle.

• Owners must prevent their pets from chasing wildlife, even while on the water.

 

Visit a ranger station to take the B.A.R.K. Ranger oath! Participants will earn a one-of-a-kind metal B.A.R.K. Ranger tag.

NPS Photo

Take the B.A.R.K. Ranger Oath

National parks are exciting places for pets to visit with their family. Sometimes these new places can be so exciting as to be overstimulating! Take time to learn the B.A.R.K. principles, so you and your pet can have a safe, fun visit anytime you go to a national park. This program is part of the Healthy People Healthy Parks Initiative.

B.A.R.K. stands for:

• Bag your pet’s waste.
• Always leash your pet.
• Respect wildlife.
• Know where you can go.

 

Hunting With Dogs

The use of dogs in support of hunting is allowed in accordance with federal and state laws. The following conditions must also be met:

• Hunting with dogs is not allowed within 300 yards of developed areas. These include camping areas, hiking trails, public use facilities, buildings, and administrative compounds.

• Dogs are only allowed off-leash when actively engaged in legal hunting activities in accordance with state laws. This means hunting dogs are not allowed off-leash within developed areas, as listed above.

• Dogs used for hunting must be collared or tagged with the owner’s name and telephone number.

• Hunting dogs must be within a reasonable proximity to their owner. Dogs running freely without supervision may be collected by park rangers. If this happens, the owner will be contacted to retrieve the dog. If the dog is not wearing a name tag, or if the owner cannot be contacted, the dog may be taken to an animal shelter at the owner's expense. Persistent violations or unresponsive owners may result in citations.

• State law prohibits hunting deer while in possession of a dog.

 

Several trails near Eminence allow for horseback riding.

NPS Photo

Regulations for Horses

The use of horses or pack animals is allowed only on the following trails, routes, or areas:

• State and county unpaved roads

• Two Rivers Loop Horse Trail

• Jerktail Loop Horse Trail

• Shawnee Loop Horse Trail

• Broadfoot Loop Horse Trail

Other conditions concerning the use of horses or pack animals:

• Horse or mule-driven wagons are permitted on unpaved county and state roads.

• Horses may cross rivers only at designated county roads or horse trail crossings.
• Bathing or lingering horses in park waters is prohibited.

• Tying horses directly to trees is prohibited. Cross-tying to opposing trees is permitted.

 

Visit the NPS Pets page here and learn about other opportunities you and your dog can embark upon in some of our other wonderful National Parks!