Dog Friendly Hiking Trails in Missouri

If your dog likes to ruff it, bring Fido hiking in Missouri. Our dog friendly hiking section includes everything from easy one-hour walks to fantastic overnight trips in Missouri that won’t be soon forgotten. Seriously, go take a hike!

Sam A. Baker State Park

Patterson, MO

Sam A. Baker State Park Sam A. Baker State Park in Patterson, MO is dog friendly. This park has several miles of hiking trails which will provide stunning views of the area. In particular, the Mudlick Trail provides an intimate journey into one of the oldest mountain regions in North America. This looping trail climbs from 415 feet above sea level to 1,313 feet above sea level, so be sure you have plenty of water for the journey! Other activities to enjoy alongside Fido include floating the St. Francis River, camping and fishing. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome in the park. See Details

Knob Noster State Park

Knob Noster, MO

Knob Noster State Park Leashed pets are allowed at Knob Noster State Park, a pet-friendly park in Knob Noster, MO. The park is a tranquil retreat of open oak woodland with a few patches of prairie along both sides of the meandering Clearfork Creek. It’s a place for fishermen to wet a line, for mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders to get some trail time, and for families to spend quality time together. The park also features an oxbow slough, which has been officially designated as Pin Oak Slough Natural Area. Pets are not allowed in any buildings or public swimming areas and beaches. See Details

Echo Bluff State Park

Eminence, MO

Echo Bluff State Park Leashed dogs are welcome at Echo Bluff State Park, a pet-friendly park in Eminence, MO. The park is a year-round outdoor destination that allows visitors to create new memories as they experience all the Ozarks have to offer. Visitors of all ages can fill their days with floating, hiking, swimming or fishing. Echo Bluff has Painter Ridge Trail with two loop trails and Current River Trail, 5.25 miles, which connects users to the park amenities as it travels through the day-use area, across the bridge, past Painter Ridge trailhead, to the campground and ends at the Current River. Dogs are not allowed in the historic buildings or public swimming areas and beaches. See Details

Grand Gulf State Park

Thayer, MO

Grand Gulf State Park Leashed pets are allowed at Grand Gulf State Park, a pet-friendly park in Thayer, MO. The park is one of the natural wonders of the Ozarks, presenting the most spectacular collapsed cave system in the area. The "Grand Gulf" stretches for more than a mile between 130 foot high walls. Visitors can view the gulf from trails on top or from the floor where they can walk under the natural bridge, which spans 250-feet with a 75-foot high opening. There is no official trail leading to the bottom, so visitors should use extreme caution when attempting to access the bottom. Interpretive signs detail the formation of the gulf. Dogs are not allowed in any buildings, or public swimming areas and beaches. See Details

Stockton State Park

Dadeville, MO

Stockton State Park Leashed dogs are welcome at Stockton State Park, a pet-friendly park in Dadeville, MO. The clear waters of Stockton Lake beckon visitors to water ski, scuba dive, swim, or fish. And Stockton State Park is the perfect place to do it. It’s a perfect place for sailing – with a perpetual southwest breeze and a nationally recognized sailing school housed at the marina. Two boat launches make it easy to get in the water, as does a swimming beach. Want to stay on land? The park is great for photographing wildlife, picnicking with the family, or just reveling in the beauty of southern Missouri. The park also offers a range of lodging from campsites to cabins. Dogs are not allowed in buildings or public swimming areas and beaches. See Details

Long Branch State Park

Macon, MO

Long Branch State Park Bring Fido to explore nature at dog-friendly Long Branch State Park in Macon, MO. You and Fido can spend the day hiking trails to see colorful prairie wildflowers and a variety of birds like red-headed woodpeckers, brown thrashers and indigo buntings. There are also three boat ramps which provide access to Long Branch Lake. A modern campground is available for extended stays. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome but are not allowed in historic buildings or swimming areas. See Details

Pershing State Park

Laclede, MO

Pershing State Park Leashed dogs are welcome at Pershing State Park, a pet-friendly park in Laclede, MO. Wander through a slice of a pre-settlement landscape at Pershing State Park. The park includes a boardwalk and hiking trail that winds through a wet prairie near a meandering stream with oxbow sloughs and cutoffs, and into a bottomland forest. The park’s wetlands attract a variety of birds and waterfowl as well as scores of other wildlife species. Locust Creek and four small lakes give anglers a chance to try their skills and a shady campground with electric and basic campsites make the park an ideal overnight location. Dogs are not allowed in the historic buildings or public swimming areas and beaches. See Details

Crowder State Park

Trenton, MO

Crowder State Park Leashed pets are allowed at Crowder State Park, a pet-friendly park in Trenton, MO. The park features 1,912 acres in the rolling green hills of northern Missouri. Visitors can enjoy more than 17 miles of hiking, bicycling, backpacking and equestrian trails in a forested, rugged terrain. The park also offers fishing and boating opportunities on 18-acre Crowder Lake. The family-oriented campground includes modern restrooms and shady picnic sites are scattered throughout the park. Pets are not allowed in any buildings, public swimming areas or beaches. See Details

Dillard Mill State Historic Park

Davisville, MO

Dillard Mill State Historic Park Dillard Mill State Historic Park is a dog-friendly outdoor area in Davisville, MO. Leashed dogs are welcome to join you on the Mill View Trail. The rugged 1.6 mile trail overlooks the Dillard Mill and loops through the forest. Be aware that the trail is steep in some areas and a few sections may be inaccessible when the water level is high. See Details

Pomme de Terre State Park

Pittsburg, MO

Pomme de Terre State Park Leashed dogs are welcome at Pomme De Terre State Park, a pet-friendly park in Pittsburg, MO. With locations on both the Hermitage and Pittsburg sides of Pomme de Terre Lake, Pomme de Terre State Park offers a little bit of everything. A marina and boat ramps make it easy to get in the water and fish for bass, walleye, catfish, crappie, or muskie. Two public swimming beaches make for great places to cool off or laze the day away. Two hiking trails satisfy an appetite for adventure. Approximately 240 campsites make the park ideal for multi-day getaways. Dogs are not allowed in buildings or public swimming areas and beaches. See Details

Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site

Ash Grove, MO

Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site Leashed dogs are welcome at the Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site in Ash Grove, MO. The Prairie View Trail is a 2.4-mile, pet-friendly loop that showcases the natural beauty of the historic site. The trail travels through woodlands and grasslands where hikers can experience the diversity of plant and animal life found in southwest Missouri. Dogs are not allowed in buildings or public swimming areas and beaches. See Details

Current River State Park

Salem, MO

Current River State Park Leashed pets are allowed at Current River State Park, a pet-friendly park in Salem, MO. Pets are not allowed in any buildings, or public swimming areas and beaches. Today’s visitors to Current River State Park can enjoy hiking trails, two lakes and picnic sites. See Details

Finger Lakes State Park

Columbia, MO

Finger Lakes State Park Leashed pets are allowed at the pet-friendly Finger Lakes State Park in Columbia, MO, but they are not allowed in any buildings, or public swimming areas and beaches. The roar of ATVs and off-road motorcycles combines with the peacefulness of rolling hills at Finger Lakes State Park, one of two ATV parks in the state parks system. Built in a former coal mining area, Finger Lakes’ trails and motocross track are popular with users who come for the day, but often fall under the spell of the spacious campground, leafy trees and hilly terrain. The park is also the site of the challenging 2.75-mile Kelley Branch Mountain Bike Trail and a 4.5-mile water trail. See Details

Big Lake State Park

Craig, MO

Big Lake State Park Leashed pets are allowed at Big Lake State Park in Craig, MO, the perfect pet-friendly destination for a vacation or family gathering in northwest Missouri. The 407-acre state park offers everything visitors need to create a memorable vacation with a campground, camper cabins, day-use area and access to Big Lake. Pets are not allowed in any buildings, or public swimming areas and beaches. See Details

Wakonda State Park

La Grange, MO

Wakonda State Park Wakonda State Park in La Grange, MO is dog friendly. Located on the border of Missouri and Illinois, the park has numerous fishing lakes, campsites, hiking trails, and plenty of opportunities for bird watching. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome in the park, but are not allowed in historic buildings or swimming areas. See Details

Prairie State Park

Mindenmines, MO

Prairie State Park Leashed dogs are welcome at Prairie State Park, a pet-friendly park in Mindenmines, MO. Tallgrass prairies once covered more than a third of Missouri; today, less than one percent remains, much of it preserved at Prairie State Park. Visitors to the park see panoramic vistas of swaying grass and ever-changing wildflowers. They also may spot an elk or the park’s resident bison herd. The park’s Regal Tallgrass Prairie Nature Center offers exhibits and interpretive programs designed to inform visitors about the special place. Dogs are not allowed in the historic buildings or public swimming areas and beaches. See Details

Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park

Miami, MO

Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park Leashed dogs are welcome at Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park, a pet-friendly park in Miami, MO. The park features remnants of the Missouria Indian village that sat at the Great Bend of the Missouri River, marked on a map by Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in 1673. A hand-dug earthwork -- Old Fort -- and several burial mounds lie within the park’s boundaries. The state’s Indian history is interpreted in displays and exhibits at the park’s Missouri’s American Indian Cultural Center. For outdoor enthusiasts, the park features hiking trails and an 18-acre fishing lake. The boardwalk that leads visitors through the Oumessourit Natural Area takes them over a freshwater marsh and fens, and through bottomland and upland areas. The park’s lofty trees shade picnic sites, picnic shelters and a campground. Dogs are not allowed in buildings or public swimming areas and beaches. See Details

Washington State Park

De Soto, MO

Washington State Park Washington State Park in De Soto, MO is dog friendly. This state park features petroglyphs, hiking shelters and incredible overlooks with views of the Ozarks. There is also easy access to the Big River, allowing visitors to fish. There are three different hiking trails to explore with Fido, ranging from easy strolls to power hikes. Please keep your pup leashed during your visit, and remember dogs are not allowed in the historic buildings or public swimming areas. See Details

Graham Cave State Park

Danville, MO

Graham Cave State Park Bring Fido to explore Graham Cave State Park, a dog-friendly recreational site in Danville, MO. This state park encompasses 350 scenic acres and is known as a prime hiking location, with five different trails you and your pup can explore. Other amenities include access to boating and fishing, and a campground. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome to visit. See Details

Big Oak Tree State Park

East Prairie, MO

Big Oak Tree State Park Big Oak Tree State Park in East Prairie, MO is dog friendly. This spacious recreational site is full of hickory trees and oaks that form a canopy more than 120 feet high. The trees and wetlands make the park a prime location for wildlife. You and Fido can enjoy picnic sites, or explore the self-guided boardwalk trail. Well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome in the park. See Details