Only if you have to…

We booked last minute, and this was the only reasonably priced dog friendly hotel available in the area. I would only stay again out of absolute necessity.

Room was clean, and seemed to be updated, but it sure didn’t smell like the non-smoking room we were promised.

Our room was on the second floor, stairs were a bit of a pain. There’s one tiny grassy area for dogs, with a waste bag dispenser that was empty, and no place else to let dogs relieve themselves unless we wanted to drive down the road. Nothing within walking distance that wasn’t covered with cement or cars, except that one little area.

Thankfully, we got there late and left pretty early, only stayed one night.

Jul. 31, 2019

Dogs love it, great location

We stay here when we visit Blackwater Falls. The rooms are a little outdated, but roomy and comfortable. There’s a good restaurant on premises, and we left the dogs in the room while we ate, with no problems. The dogs are always trying to walk down the hall to the restaurant because they smell food.

Plenty of grass to walk dogs. Mine also enjoy walking around the block and down the street.

Alpine Lodge is only a couple of miles from Blackwater Falls State Park, so when we visit, we make multiple trips to walk the dogs at the park, then come back to the room to rest.

Jul. 31, 2019

Great shade, not great for small dogs

Pros:
- Lots of shade trees
- Separate, ample area for small dogs
- Good parking

Cons:
- No waste bags
- No water (not in the small dog area, at least, didn’t go into the big dog area because it was occupied by at least eight big dogs)
- Only thing in the small dog area was one picnic table with two benches on either side
- No other small dogs, probably because the small dog area isn’t very welcoming compared to the big dog area, so everyone goes to another park

Jul. 31, 2019

Big Dogs Only

This park is maintained by volunteers who love this park, work hard for it, and want it to succeed. I hope it does. My review are for people, like me, who only have small dogs, and it’s a fair, honest review.

This is one of the largest dog parks I’ve ever seen, which is why I was shocked to see such a tiny area for small dogs. I was told on Facebook that there almost wasn’t a small dog area at all, I should just be grateful that Buckhannon’s even trying, that I have “big city expectations” (I’m from WV and lived there most of my life), that if I want it to change I should volunteer or donate, etc. I understand that this park is special to people, but I wish someone had warned me before I spent my time taking my dogs there. That’s why I write this review. I always read reviews of dog parks before we try a new one.

Again, this is for those of you who have small dogs: this isn’t the park for you. Don’t make a special stop here, like I did, unless the small dog area is expanded.

If you have big dogs, bring them here. They’ll love it. This park was definitely designed with big dogs in mind, with no consideration for little dogs, at all. From what I was told on Facebook, the small dog area was an afterthought, and I should be grateful it exists.

We travel a lot, and have been to many dog parks, mostly in Virginia and North Carolina. Some dog parks don’t have small dog areas, which means we have to wait for it to be empty to use it, or just pray that there are only small dogs that day. We never go back to those parks. It would have been better if this one had no small dog area at all instead of having an area that’s so tiny it’s insulting, especially if you look at the rest of the park. It’s probably the largest I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying a lot.

Small dog areas, in my experience, usually occupy 1/4 to 1/3 of the entire park. In Buckhannon, a generous estimate is that the small dog area is about 1/40th the size of the entire park. It’s probably less than that. Also, the small dog area was the only place that had no benches or areas with toys / activities for the dogs. It was just a teeny tiny enclosed area with grass almost as tall as my chihuahuas.

Most dog parks I’ve been to also don’t have grass, they have a wood chip floor. Grass has ticks, ants, other insects. Buckhannon isn’t far from Randolph County, an area famous for lumber, hardwood. If anyone from Buckhannon sees this, please consider contacting Armstrong or other lumber companies for a donation.

I’m glad that Buckhannon’s trying, and that someone put forth the effort to create this park, and that big dogs have a new dog park, but small dog owners should skip this one. The day we went, the grass was so tall, my dogs couldn’t use the small dog area, so we got to enjoy the big dog area by ourselves for a few minutes until some larger dogs arrived, and we had to leave. While my chihuahuas do have some Golden Retriever and German Shepherd friends, it’s not safe for small and big dogs to be in the same area at a public dog park, because the small dogs could get attacked or even killed.

Jul. 28, 2019

Our favorite

We no longer live in NC, but when we come back, we frequent this dog park. I added this spot on Bring Fido, surprised to not already see it. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH BENSON DOG PARK!! That's in Benson, NC. Lake Benson Dog Park is part of Lake Benson Park in Garner, NC.

This dog park has a large section for small dogs under 25 lbs, and is usually pretty busy, great for socialization. The small dogs can sniff the big dogs through the chain link fence. We always have a great time here! We walk the trails around the park, then stop at the dog park for water, and for the dogs to see their friends.

Jul. 28, 2019

Better than expected

This was mostly a sleeping room for me. Stayed for four nights while on a business trip in Bedford.

Things I liked:
- friendly staff
- continental breakfast was decent, as long as I got there early while there was still sausage and yogurt
- had enough of a grassy area outside for dogs (more grass than some hotels where I've stayed, less than others)
- easy access to my room, up maybe 9 or 10 steps

Things I didn't like:
- stayed during a snowstorm, and the parking lot and sidewalk seemed completely untreated. There was a sign up outside, warning "Sidwalk May Be Icy!"
- CNN on the TVs in the lobby and breakfast room. I wouldn't have been happy about Fox News, either, FYI. I don't like politics shoved in my face while I'm trying to relax. The Weather Channel would've been a better option. Especially consider that the breakfast room has a sign that says something like, "all food must be eaten here, not taken to your room," so I had to watch Don Lemon while I enjoyed my waffle. Could've done without that.

I will stay here again, because I'll be in Bedford more often, and this is by far the best pet-friendly value in town.

Mar. 05, 2019

Just okay

I won't stay here again. The room looked updated, but the bed linens had a weird smell, like they needed to be washed. When traveling with my dog, I like to stay in a place where I can walk him comfortably, since he's been cooped up in my car while we travel. This hotel didn't have that, compared to others in the same area where we've stayed.

Jan. 24, 2019

Great for dogs!

The room wasn't fancy, but it was perfectly fine for us. I have a chihuahua who loves to walk and explore, and he loved walking around this hotel. It's not easy to find a good place to stay where you can walk your dog when traveling. This place has a lot of grassy areas. The room wasn't fancy, but it was nice enough that I'd stay again. Enjoyed the continental breakfast both mornings.

Jan. 24, 2019