Top Dog-Friendly Activities Worldwide

Take Fido for a splash at the pet-friendly Rosie's Dog Beach in Long Beach, CA! While not a fully fenced or officially designated dog beach, dogs are welcome to enjoy the sand and surf during the daily Dog Zone hours from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Be sure to keep your pup leashed on the way in, but once inside the designated area, they’re free to roam and play off-leash. For full guidelines and rules, check out their website.

A visit to dog-friendly James Island County Park is a great way to spend an afternoon in Charleston, SC, with your pup. This park features a dog beach, four acres of open grassy space, a cleaning station, a fenced play area for small dogs and waste stations. A nominal fee is charged to enter the park.

Huntington Dog Beach in Huntington Beach, CA is considered a dog-friendly heaven by most visitors. Dogs come from all over the world to play in the sand and splash in the surf. Visitors are asked to abide by good doggy etiquette which includes properly disposing of pet waste and ensuring that your dog is non-aggressive and under control at all times. Dog Beach amenities include public restrooms, grassy area with picnic tables, and drinking fountains for dogs and humans.

Head out to Crab Island for a day of fun in the sand and surf with your furry best friend aboard a dog-friendly pontoon rental from Crab Island Cruises in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Well-behaved dogs on all their cruises! What makes Crab Island Cruises unique is the fact that a driver is included in your boat rental, meaning that you can focus on having fun while someone else does the driving. Crab Island Cruises provides nearly everything you need for an unforgettable day including: boat and captain, PFDs, fuel, beach towels, float and water toys, bottled water, a case of your favorite beverage, plates, napkins, utensils, cooler with ice, beach towels, a photo book of your excursion, and more.

Fantastic Caverns in Springfield, MO, is dog friendly! Because the beauty of Fantastic Caverns is vulnerable, the cave is toured in jeep-drawn trams. Since you ride all of the way through, you experience the magnitude, the stillness and the splendor of Fantastic Caverns while preserving its natural features. Leashed dogs are welcome to join their humans on tours.

You and your pooch can see the Windy City from the water aboard a Seadog Cruises Chicago by Hornblower speedboat. Departing from Navy Pier, Seadog Cruises offers a variety of dog-friendly event tours throughout the year. Check their website for a current schedule of SeaDog cruises.

Bring Fido to Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, KY for a tour of the distillery. Most of the property is dog friendly, including the tasting area and gift shop. Dogs are not allowed in the bottling building. Tours range from a National Historic Landmark Tour to a Ghost Tour of the paranormal areas featured on "Ghost Hunters." Times, tastings, duration and reservation requirements vary by tour, so dog owners should check the website or call ahead before planning their outing.

Three Bears General Store is a pet-friendly shop in Pigeon Forge, TN, located at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Leashed dogs are welcome inside as long as they are well-behaved, and they even offer pup cups for Fido! Established in 1979, this store has 40,000 square feet filled with souvenirs for every member of your family, as well as a selection of ice cream, candy and specialty foods.

The Tallahassee Automobile Museum is a dog-friendly museum in Tallahassee, FL. You and your leashed pup can explore more than 130 classic, antique, muscle and movie cars on display, along with large collections of motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, pedal cars, antique boats and engines. You can also check out their sports memorabilia, fishing lures, a huge doll collection, antique cash registers, electric fans, antique slot machines, Steinway Pianos and much more.

Red Hills Desert Garden is a dog-friendly attraction in St. George, UT, that welcomes leashed dogs. This desert conservation garden is nestled in the red rocks with easy trails and picnic area. Wander around the 5-acre preserve that is home to more than 5,000 desert plants, a stream, replica slot canyon and dinosaur tracks. The botanical garden has plenty of trashcans for you to preserve the cleanliness of the park. There's a fish viewing area that's delightfully cool for pups who need a break from the sun.

Bowers Harbor Vineyards in Traverse City, MI is pet friendly. Leashed pups are welcome to join you at a table outdoors or on the heated, covered patio. Sit back and relax with a glass of fine wine and a great atmosphere with your furry friend by your side. Reservations are highly recommended. Trails are also on site.

Flippin’ Awesome Adventures is a locally owned and operated boat tour agency in Panama City Beach, FL. They offer private, pet-friendly boat tours that provide the ultimate dolphin, wildlife and snorkeling experience. Led by a marine biologist, they focus on hands-on learning and creating unforgettable memories for guests and their four-legged furry friends.

Isle of Palms Beaches in South Carolina boasts seven miles of pristine coasts that you can access via 57 public paths. These pet-friendly beaches allow dogs to visit off-leash from 5:00 AM until 9:00 AM April 1st through September 14th, and from 4:00 PM until 10:00 AM September 15th through March 31st. At all other times, dogs must be leashed and under complete control, even in the water. Residents are encouraged to obtain a dog permit from the Isle of Palms Police Department when visiting.

Dogs are allowed on the beach, outside of the lifeguard-protected beach area, along the Maryland portion of Assateague National Seashore in Berlin. Pets are not permitted on the nature trails or anywhere within the Virginia portion of Assateague Island, and visiting pups must be on a six-foot leash at all times.

Jupiter Dog Beach is home to one of Florida's best off-leash beach areas. Dogs are free to roam a designated section of the beach running along A1A near Ocean Cay Park in Jupiter, FL. This 2.5-mile stretch of pet-friendly beach is located from beach marker #26 at Marcinski Road, going north to beach marker #57 (at the Carlin Park property line) and welcomes well-behaved, obedient dogs.

Fenwick Island State Park in Delaware has a nice, uncrowded, pet-friendly beach during winter. However, dogs are prohibited from May 1st to September 30th. However, pups are permitted in other areas of the park, provided they are kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet. The area offers three miles of ocean beaches and access to the Little Assawoman Bay. Boundary markers for areas open or closed to pets will typically be designated by signs posted at the seaward toe of the dune.

The Coronado Dog Beach is a dog-friendly, leash-free area on the western part of the shore in Coronado, CA. Parking is available along Ocean Boulevard, but it can be a rather long walk to the beach, so be sure to keep your pup leashed until you reach the sand, as there is a strict zero-tolerance policy for unleashed dogs. Owners are asked to monitor their dogs at all times, clean up any messes, and ensure that Fido has all current licenses before visiting. Make sure to bring a camera and snap some photos of Fido with the stunning scenery! The Point Loma headland and iconic Hotel del Coronado are visible from the shore.

Perhaps the most popular canine hotspot in San Diego, CA is The Original Dog Beach located at the northern end of Ocean Beach. Here, dogs can roam off-leash at any time of the day. Owners should take care to pick up after their pets. After a day at the beach, you may want to head over to the Dog Beach Dog Wash to give Fido a bath.

Brohard Paw Park has a fenced dog play area featuring separate sections for small and large dogs, which leads to Sarasota County's only dog-friendly beach. Located in Venice, FL, pups are invited to enjoy a variety of park amenities, including drinking fountains and showers. There are also water fountains, picnic tables and benches. Please observe the posted signage stating where the dog beach ends.

See Savannah in a dog-centric way on the Oliver Bentleys Historic Dog Walk Tour. Designed and tailored specifically for you and your dog, this tour gives you and your pup the opportunity to sniff out Savannah's historical sites while you hear more about this beautiful city. There is a limit of two dogs per human, and all dogs must be leashed. This dog-friendly walking tour runs approximately 90 minutes and is about a one mile stroll through historic Savannah. As an added bonus, every dog on the tour receives a complimentary bag of Oliver Bentleys own original recipe Ollie B. Biscuits. Tours are by reservation only. Please note the afternoon tour is not offered June through September due to high temperatures.