Dog friendly Zion National Park

We broke up our long Yellowstone-bound road trip with two nights near Zion National Park. The first night we stayed at The Dwellings — a comfy, welcoming stay that gave us a perfect base to arrive, unwind, and enjoy a night with the pups after a long day on the road.

The Dwellings is a short 22 min drive to Zion National Park and honestly we still talk about our stay here years later. It felt like the perfect place to land after driving — close enough to Springdale for dinner and views, but quiet enough to relax and recharge. What I loved the most is each unit has a private, fenced little yard where the dogs could sniff and explore and right below the hotel there is a trail, we had such a lovely time walking the dogs down there. National parks in general don’t have a ton of dog friendly trails so what a wonderful way to begin our trip with a hike the dogs could join us on.

The next night we slept under canvas at Under Canvas Zion, which was the perfect outdoor-meets-luxury experience before hitting the trail north (think big tents, soft beds, campfire s’mores, and starry skies). To be honest this is the reservation I looked forward to the most and probably enjoyed the least. Don’t get me wrong, it was stunning, memorable, I got amazing photos but at night… the wind… sounded like someone was beating the sides of our tent with baseball bats. I was so glad we only booked one night here, it was an experience to say the least.

• Dogs are absolutely welcome here with a pet fee (usually around ~$35 per tent per night).
• There’s no Wi-Fi or TVs — which means evenings are all about soaking up the stars, fireside chats, and nature vibes with your loved ones and dogs.
• The site feels tucked into nature, so your dog will love the open spaces for morning walks and fresh air.

Whether you’re tent camping pros or glamping newbies, this could be a perfect stay… if it’s not too windy or hot. I cant imagine staying here in the middle of summer, we came here in the end of July but it wasn’t hot yet.

Want more options? Many hotels in and around Springdale, the gateway town for Zion, and St. George welcome dogs.

If you’re looking to stay in the park there is only one hotel, Zion Lodge, which is not dog friendly. You’ll need to look at the campsites, some of which like like Watchman and South Campground are dog friendly – must stay on leash.

Zion National Park is easy to navigate once you know the basics. You’ll need a park entrance pass to enter (or an America the Beautiful pass) which you can buy at the entry gate or prepurchase ahead of time, but there is no timed-entry reservation required just to get into the park.

During most of the year (roughly March-November), private vehicles (aka your car) are not allowed in Zion Canyon, and visitors use the free park shuttle to access the main stops, trailheads, and viewpoints. The shuttle runs frequently and is included with your entrance fee. Dogs, except service dogs, are not allowed on the shuttle.

When the mandatory shuttle, that goes along the main Zion scenic drive, is in operation you can still drive your personal vehicle in Zion to the Visitor center, Watchman Campground, Human History Museum and along the Easy Side (Kolo Canyons/ Canyon overlook area) on route 9.

There are multiple entrances to Zion:

• South Entrance (Springdale) – the main and most popular entrance, with shuttle access
• East Entrance – via the Zion–Mt. Carmel Highway (great scenic drive)
• Kolob Canyons Entrance – a quieter, separate section of the park with its own fee station
• Kolob Terrace Road – access road with no entrance booth (fees still required if entering the park proper)

Parking in Springdale is limited, so many visitors park in town and walk or shuttle into the park. Overall, Zion is very well organized, but planning around the shuttle system and entrances will make your visit much smoother — especially during busy seasons.

If you plan on doing some hiking without your dog, you don’t need reservations just to visit Zion or do most hikes — but some of the most iconic hikes require permits (that work on a lottery system) if you want the full experience; this includes doing the full Angeles Landing and doing the whole Narrows trail.

Zion National Park is not one of the most dog-friendly national parks when it comes to hiking, but it is still doable — and worth visiting — with dogs if you plan accordingly and set your expectations.

Pets are not allowed on most trails or on the park shuttle, but they are welcome on the paved Pa’rus Trail, along park roads, in developed campgrounds, and in many nearby areas like Springdale. While you won’t be hiking the iconic trails with your dog, you can still enjoy scenic drives, riverside walks, and breathtaking canyon views together. For us, Zion was more about soaking in the landscapes at a slower pace with the dogs by our side — and it absolutely delivered.

Zion National Park also offers the BARK rangers program, just go to the vistor’s center (which dogs are not allowed in) take the pledge and you can buy them a BARK rangers tag.

Where dogs are allowed:

Pets are only allowed in developed areas on leash– roads, parking lots, dog-friendly beachs, day-use and picnic areas, and paved paths within the campgrounds.

Here’s the deal (like most national parks):

Dogs are allowed on road walkways and in campgrounds but not on the shuttle buses — so plan ahead for parking or walking in with your pet if you want to be in the park.

Zion does allow dogs, but trails and wilderness areas are off-limits for most pets.

Even with those trail rules, there’s so much to enjoy together without leaving the pups in the car:

• The Pa’rus Trail is the main paved, dog-friendly walk inside the park. It’s a great spot for views of the canyon and river without leaving your pup behind. It’s easy, 3.5-mile round-trip paved path
• Scenic drives through the canyon and surrounding red rock landscapes — stunning views from every direction. You can drive your personal car on the Zion mount carmel highway (state route9) year round, and on the main zion canyon scenic drive only during the winter off-season (December through February)
• Morning strolls around Springdale to grab coffee and stretch leash muscles before hitting the road.
• Late afternoon drives to quieter overlooks where pups could lounge and soak up the sun.

Dog friendly trails nearby outside the park:

• Beck Hill Trail – 4.6 mi, can be hot and dry.
• Zen Trail – 6.5 mi loop

Dog friendly Campgrounds:

• Watchman Campground – is located by the park’s South Entrance. Reservations are required and can be made up to six months before your visit.
• South Campground – is also located next to the South Entrance.  At the time of this post it is closed for a rehabilitation program.
• The grounds of Zion Lodge – dogs are not allowed at the hotel, but are allowed to walk around the grounds outside the hotel.

Where dogs are not allowed:

Not allowed on the trails in Zion National Park.

Most of the famous overlooks like Angels Landing, Observation Point, The Narrows, and other steep viewpoints are only accessible by trails and shuttle that don’t allow pets — so those incredible vistas are off-limits to dogs within the park itself.