Things To Do With Your Pets

Two leashed dogs look up at a row of four cannon.
Battlefields are a great place for a hike with your dog.

NPS Photo/Roberta Wendel

Most national parks allow pets in developed areas. This means you can travel to the park with your pet as long as you learn about and understand the limitations of you and your pet. This page provides general information about things you can do with your pets from camping, to hiking, and more, including the B.A.R.K. Ranger Program.

B.A.R.K. Rangers are pets and their people who have pledged to protect themselves and park resources through for simple steps.

Bag your pet's waste.
Always use a leash.
Respect wildlife.
Know where you can go.

Look for events where you can bring your pet.

We hope you join in the fun!

Showing results 1-10 of 52

  • Valley Forge National Historical Park

    Be a Valley Forge B.A.R.K. Ranger

    • Type: Hands-On
    • Locations: Valley Forge National Historical Park
    • Duration: 10-30 Minutes
    • Reservations: No
    • Age: 16 and Older
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Visitor Center at Valley Forge
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time Of Day: Day
    Illustration small dog with tongue out wearing rev war hat with feather and harness with leash

    Learn the four B.A.R.K. principles, complete pages in the activity book, and show your work to a ranger at the visitor center. After you make the B.A.R.K. Ranger promise, you and your doggo will get a Valley Forge B.A.R.K. Ranger dog tag!

  • Become a Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot BARK Ranger

    • Type: Hiking
    • Locations: Montezuma Castle National Monument, Tuzigoot National Monument
    • Duration: 10 Minutes
    • Reservations: No
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time Of Day: Day
    a dog standing on stone steps above a desert parking lot

    Do you think your dog has what it takes to become an official Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot Bark Ranger? Stop by the visitor center to get certified. Certification allows you to purchase an exclusive BARK Ranger badge from the bookstore.

  • Become a Salem Maritime B.A.R.K. Ranger

    • Type: Hiking
    • Duration: 5-120 Minutes
    • Reservations: No
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Salem Maritime National Historic Site
    • Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time Of Day: Day
    A black and white dogs sits by a garden

    Hello four-legged friends! Do you want to explore Salem Maritime with your leash-holding companions? Interested in getting your very own B.A.R.K. Ranger dog tag? We made it easy for your human to help you get one. Just follow the B.A.R.K. Ranger principles!

  • George Washington Birthplace National Monument

    Visiting with Pets

    • Type: Hiking
    • Locations: George Washington Birthplace National Monument
    • Reservations: No
    • Pets: Yes
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time Of Day: Day
    person standing with dog on leash

    Discover where you can go with your pet on a visit to George Washington Birthplace National Monument.

  • Scotts Bluff National Monument

    Help Your Pet Become a B.A.R.K. Ranger

    • Type: Front-Country Hiking
    • Duration: 5-120 Minutes
    • Reservations: No
    • Age: 1-99 years old
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Scotts Bluff National Monument
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time Of Day: Day
    A dog is leashed while standing on a paved trail with sandstone bluffs in the background.

    Learn what it takes to help your pet become a Scotts Bluff National Monument B.A.R.K. Ranger!

  • Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

    Walk Your Dog at Murphy Farm

    • Type: Hiking
    • Duration: 45-90 Minutes
    • Reservations: No
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Murphy Farm
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time Of Day: Dawn, Dusk
    Scene of a farm field with trees and a lane to the left.

    Murphy Farm is one of several places that are great to explore with your leashed dog. The trails offer a walk along the farm lane, through the woods, and along the fields. You also take in the view of the Shenandoah River.

  • Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail

    Become a B.A.R.K. Ranger!

    • Type: Hiking
    • Reservations: Yes
    • Pets: Yes
    A dog wearing a ranger had in edited in front of historic trail map with a wooden badges.

    Become a B.A.R.K and P.U.R.R.K Ranger at Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Routes National Historic Trai.

  • C&O Canal B.A.R.K. Ranger

    • Type: Hands-On
    • Duration: 5-15 Minutes
    • Reservations: No
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Park Visitor Centers
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time Of Day: Day
    B.A.R.K. Ranger Kiri
  • Fort Smith National Historic Site

    Become a Fort Smith BARK Ranger

    • Type: Hands-On
    • Duration: 10-30 Minutes
    • Reservations: No
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Visitor Center
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time Of Day: Day
    A handout titled BARK Ranger and the Fort Smith BARK Ranger dog tag.

    Complete the Fort Smith BARK Ranger booklet so your pet can become an official BARK Ranger!

  • Boston National Historical Park

    Become a Bark Ranger

    • Type: Hands-On
    • Duration: 5-15 Minutes
    • Reservations: No
    • Pets: Yes
    • Location: Charlestown Navy Yard OR Bunker Hill Monument Grounds
    • Season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
    • Time Of Day: Day
    A golden retriever and a light-brown dog looking up at a ranger standing behind a table.

    Bring your furry friend to the National Parks of Boston and take the B.A.R.K. Ranger pledge to become a Bark Ranger!

Tags: pets
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Last updated: March 29, 2019

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