Colorado’s Dog-Friendly National Parks

Alice at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Colorado has four national parks, and three of them have many areas where dogs are allowed! Unfortunately, the most popular national park in the state (Rocky Mountain National Park) does not allow dogs on any trails at all. But the three lesser-known parks - Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison are definitely worth visiting with your pup! All three of these parks are in southern Colorado, and could be combined into one awesome road trip (Ultimate Dog-Friendly Colorado Road Trip post is in the works). If you do plan on hitting multiple parks in the same year, consider getting a National Parks annual pass! The annual pass is $80, but entrance to each individual park would be $25 or $30 each.

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Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes is about a four-hour drive south of Denver. Although it’s a lot of driving, it is possible to make this a day trip - that’s what Alice and I did! Dogs are allowed on the first set of sand dunes and on some of the trails. I was in awe as we drove up to these massive dunes, with massive 14ers behind them. Weather can definitely make or break your time at this park. We were there the first week of April, on a sunny, not-too-windy day, not-too-hot day and it was absolutely perfect! It gets very cold, with snow, in the winter, but very hot in the summer. Some roads in the park are closed in winter (and most of spring), so you won’t be able to reach the higher-elevation trails. If it’s too windy, sand can get into your pup’s eyes. If it’s too hot, the sand can burn their paws. We saw other dogs with booties and goggles to combat this! Colorado weather is rather unpredictable, but I would aim to go in April, May or October, or get there around sunrise before the heat hits. Make sure you stop to hike Zapata Falls on your way - you’ll see signs for it between the highway and the park entrance. Bring waterproof shoes, or at least a change of socks.

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Mesa Verde National Park

Located in the southwest corner of Colorado, Mesa Verde is full of cliff dwellings created and inhabited by the Ancestral Pueblo people in the 1200s. While dogs are not allowed to do the tours that bring you down into the cliffs, they can join you on the Park Point trail, Nordeskold Site #16 trail, and on the paved road and paths around Mesa Top Loop with many viewpoints of the canyon and cliff dwellings. It gets very hot in the summer, but the park is closed in winter, so May or September/October might be the best time to visit. Bring lots of water, and be aware there is basically no shade anywhere in the park. Be sure to catch sunset at Montezuma Valley Overlook.

If you’re looking for a place to stay, this VRBO is about a five-minute drive from the park entrance, and it was lovely!

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Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Controversial opinion… I like Black Canyon of the Gunnison better than the Grand Canyon! The park was not very crowded when I was there in July, and the views of the canyon walls are incredible. The marble design in the rock is amazing, and the layers of rock created by the canyon looks so cool. Dogs are allowed pretty much everywhere above the rim, though this isn’t made totally clear on the map. The rim trail is definitely dog-friendly. Other look out points with small trails, like Painted Wall, Sunset Point, and Chasm View, have small signs indicating leashed dogs are allowed. Definitely watch the sunset from Sunset Point, it was beautiful! Weather can be an issue here - the main road is closed in winter, but it gets very hot during the day in the summer.

If you’re looking for a place to stay nearby, the Holiday Inn Express in Montrose is about a twenty-minute drive from the park entrance and everyone here was super friendly. I would also recommend stopping at Museum of the West while you’re in the area. It’s basically a miniature old western town filled with artifacts, and dogs are allowed!