Grand Teton Dog Friendly Activities at Jenny Lake

7 Grand Teton National Park Dog Friendly Activities

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So you just learned that Grand Teton National park is not the most dog friendly place for pets, but your dog is traveling with you. Now what? No worries! We hung out in the Grand Teton and Jackson Hole area with our pup Huey and found plenty of fun Grand Teton National Park dog friendly activities to do. From pet-friendly hiking to campgrounds, hotels, and restaurants, there is actually a decent amount of fun to be had with your furry four-legged friend!

Visiting Grand Teton With Your Dog

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Are Dogs Allowed in Grand Teton National Park?

The short answer is yes, but the “yes” comes with a lot of restrictions. Per the Grand Teton National Park website, pets are not allowed in the following places:

  • Hiking trails
  • Park backcountry areas
  • Beaches
  • Swimming in all waterways within in the park
  • Park’s multi-use pathway (aka the biking and walking path)
  • Inside visitor centers or other facilities

We know what you’re thinking, “yikes, that’s a lot of places my pet can’t go”. So where are pets allowed in Grand Teton National Park, you ask? We’ll get to that in a minute, but some other important things to mention are just below…

  • Pets must be on a leash (6ft or less) at all times
  • Pets are prohibited from riding in boats on park waters, except for Jackson Lake.
  • A pet can go anywhere a car goes such as on road shoulders and turnoff’s but must stay within 30 feet of any roadway

Check out our Grand Teton Multi-Day Itinerary to plan one unforgettable trip!

Why Aren’t Dogs Allowed In National Parks?

So what gives? My dog is a tame, good boy/girl. Why aren’t dogs allowed in National Parks? Again, it’s not that they’re “banned” just access is restricted, and in all honesty, it kind of makes sense. Sure, having a dog blaze hiking trails or walking paths with you is amazing. We get it, you want to share the fun with that fur-baby of yours, but let’s face it, some people are just bad pet owners.

From not picking up after their pet to allowing their aggressive or territorial pet around other animals, you have a lot of pet owners that could be a little bit more mindful and caring. Pet owners aside, the National Parks limit pet access for safety. Be it protecting sensitive floral and rehabilitation growth from getting trampled by your curious pup to protecting you and your pet from encountering predators like bears, wolves, mountain lions, etc. the National Parks has good reasons.

TIP: If you’re exploring the great outdoors with your pup, if they haven’t already considered getting them a Lyme disease vaccination for ticks and the leptospirosis vaccine to help combat bacterial infections dogs can get from smelling or drinking wild animal urine.

Dog Friendly Activities Near and In Grand Teton National Park

1. Cruise The 42 Mile Scenic Loop

Roll that window down for Fido and cruise the 42 mile scenic loop through Grand Teton National Park. The scenic drive through Grand Teton takes you through the best places in Grand Teton National Park. Perfect for those who only have one day, the 42 mile loop allows you to pull over to let your pup out of the car while you take in stunning views of the Tetons.

2. Visit Jenny Lake

Along the scenic loop, you’ll pass by Jenny Lake. Jenny Lake is an amazing place to take your dog! The paved paths around its visitor center and lake allow you to walk your leashed dog through the grounds. As you can see, Huey loved Jenny Lake!

3. Go Kayaking on Jackson Lake

Another stop on the scenic loop is Jackson Lake. This is the only lake where dogs are allowed on the lake. To clarify, that means in a vessel, not swimming. Weird, we know. For us, we rented a few kayaks from Rendezvous River Sports in Jackson. However, Colter Bay Marina located on Jackson Lake also offers canoes, kayaks, and motorboats for you to rent.

Spend a few hours kayaking the lake and having lunch on the picnic grounds close by! In our opinion, this is the best outdoor activity to do with your dog in Grand Teton National Park.

Huey's Dog Friendly Activity on Jackson Lake

4. Take In the Views From Signal Mountain

A third stop along the scenic loop is Signal Mountain. Because the path up to the viewpoint is paved, your pup-peroni can venture up there with you. A short but sweet stop, Signal Mountain provides lovely views of the valley below. A perfect spot to snag a photo for the memory books!

grand teton dog views from Signal Mountain

5. Take Moose-Wilson Road to Explore Teton Village

A fun little afternoon jaunt is to take Moose-Wilson road from Grand Teton National Park and head over to Teton Village. You can plan to grab a bite to eat at one of their on-site restaurants and just walk around to check out the place. While dogs are not allowed on the running gondolas, in the summer, you can sit in the grass and watch dirt bikers cruise down the mountain.

6. Hike Ski Lake Trail in Bridger-Teton National Forest

If you’re wanting to go on a hike with your dog, you’ll have to leave Grand Teton National Park. Thankfully, an amazing National Forest, Bridger-Teton National Forest, sits right next to Grand Teton National Park. Ski Lake Trail is a fantastic little hike located about 28 minutes from Grand Teton National Park and 20 minutes from Jackson. Plus, getting there is a gorgeous drive! You’ll drive Teton Pass Highway and see great views of Jackson below.

The trail itself is a 5 mile, out-and-back trail and is rated as moderate. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a moose snacking in a field like we did! The best part about this hike is there is a beautiful mountain lake at the end for your pup to swim in. It’s a great hike and a must for you and your pup if you want to get a hike in.

7. Enjoy Downtown Jackson

Last but not least is the town of Jackson itself! Jackson is a great place to explore with your pup. Walk around the downtown blocks to take in the sites and scout some potential souvenir shops you want to stop in. All in all, it’s a great way to kill an hour. Or swing in town to grab a bite to eat and take a walk around after your meal is wrapped!

Dog Friendly Restaurants in Jackson

Since we’re talking about Jackson, we might as well tell you our favorite places we ate at with Huey. All of these places have great patio’s or outside seating that are dog friendly.

More Dog Friendly Hikes Near Grand Teton

If you’re looking to get an additional hike in outside of Ski Lake Trail, Bridger-Teton National Forest has many dog friendly hikes for you to check out. Full disclosure, we did not get a chance to hike the below, but they look great and are dog friendly!

  1. Jackson Peak
  2. Goodwin Lake Hike
  3. Sheep Mountain
  4. Phillips Pass Trail
  5. Lower Green River Lakeside Trail
  6. Long Lake via Long Lake Trail
  7. Blue Miner Lake Trail
  8. Clear Creek Trail
  9. Breccia Peak
  10. Phillips Canyon to Phillips Pass

Tip: For more information on the above trails and for additional dog friendly trails, check out alltrails.

Pet Friendly Hotels in Jackson

If you’re looking to stay in Jackson, there are a handful of pet friendly hotels you can call home for a few days. The below range in price and “luxury level” so check each out to determine which is the best for you and your pet.

Grand Teton Dog Friendly Camping

While we did not stay or camp in Grand Teton National Park we can confirm that dogs are allowed at all seven campgrounds within the National Park. With staying in Teton area for a month, we moved around to a few different dog friendly campsites like….

  • Gros Venture Campground
  • Shadow Mountain Dispersed Camping
  • Upper Teton Dispersed Camping
  • Atherton Creek Campground

We absolutely loved all four campgrounds and recommend each to any pet owner looking for some place nice to stay with their pup. If you are looking for a few more pet friendly campgrounds, below are a handful that were recommended to us.

  • Curtis Canyon Campground
  • Sheffield Creek Campground
  • East Table Campground
  • Turpin Meadow Campground
Grand Tetons Dog Friendly Camping

Dog Boarding Near Grand Teton National Park

One word, DogJax. Our pup Huey spent many-a-days here while we were off in the parking hiking. The people at DogJax were so friendly and kind and Huey loved every second there! Located South of Jackson, DogJax’s offers half days for $25 and full days for $35. You can book online or make a reservation over the phone.

So don’t fret, if there are things you want to do in Grand Teton National Park that are not dog-friendly, you always have the option of taking your pup to DogJax for the day.

NOTE: While temperatures are cool in the morning and evenings in the summer months, please avoid leaving your pet in your RV or Camper. Temperatures rise drastically in the afternoon causing your temperature inside your rig to get blazing hot. Opt to take your pooch to DogJax or look into a dog sitter on Rover.

WANT MORE ADVENTURE?!

Multi-Day Grand Teton Itinerary

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Grand Teton Dog pin

For more travel tips, guides and awesome travel shots, be sure to poke around our site, follow us on Instagram @wanderingstusPinterest and on Facebook. Oh and if you have any questions, let us know in the comment section. We’re happy to answer. Or, just leave us a positive note!

Happy Travels,

– Lauren & Jesse Stuart (The Stüs)


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