There are over 400 national parks with over 84 million beautiful acres to explore. Each national park has a doggy policy with rules, so be sure to read the rules before you go — and lucky for us that dogs are welcome at many of them! Our friends at Go Pet Friendly have listed what they consider to be the best dog-friendly national parks. This summer we toured five of the parks and we’ll start with our favorite, Glacier National Park in the northwest corner of Montana. In Glacier we were allowed in developed areas including frontcountry campgrounds, picnic areas, boating areas, and scenic lookouts.
Here we are boating on Lake McDonald.
Where we stayed
We stayed in the Best Western hotel in Whitefish, which was a 20-minute drive to the park’s west entrance. The hotel charged a $20 pet fee and allowed up to two pups per room with a maximum weight of 80 lbs. Although nothing special, the hotel did have a very convenient location and friendly staff. Unfortunately pups are not allowed at any of the Glacier Park historic lodging.
Glacier National Park west entrance
What to do in Glacier National Park
We drove the Going-to-the-Sun road and made several stops along the way. The road spans 50 miles through the park, but you should allow several hours to take in all of the scenery. We stopped at Lake McDonald for a boat ride. Dogs are welcome on their tour boats if there is not a sell-out crowd of people. In general, the late afternoon and evening boat tours do not sell out and welcome the pups. We rented our own small motor boat and toured the lake for $23 per hour. Bring a picnic to Glacier because there are several very beautiful dog-friendly picnic areas along the driving route. We stopped at several of the scenic lookout spots and saw mountain goats, bears, waterfalls, lakes, and rivers. We even saw snow!
Snow in Glacier National Park
Where to eat
We recommend bringing a picnic to the park. There are just so many beautiful places to stop and enjoy the scenery. We also enjoyed snacks on the outdoor patio of The Huckleberry Patch a few miles from the park. We stopped at Betty’s Diner outdoor patio on our way up north. And if you are in town for cherry season, be sure to stop at a roadside stand for some of the best cherries you have ever tasted!
the pup diary 
Erika, I’m so glad you, Ginger, and Cubby had a good time at Glacier. We were there last summer and had a fantastic time as well. You had a great idea to rent a boat and take your own tour of the lake – I wish we’d thought of that! Thanks so much for sharing our post on the most pet friendly national parks! Though Glacier didn’t make that cut, we certainly enjoyed our visit.
Thanks so much, Amy! And we hope to visit the parks you recommend this summer!