Imagine this: You bring Fido along with you on your vacation, excited to share your outdoor paradise adventure with him. It was easy to find pet friendly hotels in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, so the rest of the vacation should be a breeze too, right?
Problem is, not even dog friendly Jackson Hole is as enthusiastic about your four-legged friend as you are. “No dogs allowed” signs greet you way too often in parks and at restaurants. In fact, in nearby Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone, strict pet regulations and laws keep man’s best friend off the hiking trails and have ruined or held back many a vacation.
Don’t let that happen to you.
Below you’ll find 10 of our favorite dog-friendly things to do in and around Jackson Hole so your dog-friendly vacation doesn’t go to the birds.
1. Table Mountain dog trek
Where to start: Teton Canyon Trailhead
Round-trip distance: 8-14 miles, depending on route
Difficulty:Strenuous
Leash required
If you want to take your pup to see some spectacular backcountry Teton views, Table Mountain may be the best hike to do it since all park trails are barred to dogs.
It’s also a bit of a drive from Jackson. Plan a little more than an extra hour each direction for travel.
The whole trail is barely outside Grand Teton National Park so you don’t have to abide by park regulations. And you’ll have plenty of water access for your dog as you ascend to big mountain views where you’ll feel on top of the world.
2. Ski Lake day jaunt
Where to start: Phillips Canyon Trailhead
Round-trip distance: 4.4 miles from trailhead
Difficulty: Moderate
Leash or voice control OK
Gain your elevation in the car on Teton Pass and enjoy the high country with your furry friends.
Ski Lake is one of the best-known hikes in Jackson Hole that both dogs and people love. Take an easy hike through aspen groves, wildflowers, evergreens and mountain meadows to a cliff-ringed jewel frequented by moose.
If your dog’s a swimmer it will love Ski Lake.
3. Cache Creek/Game Creek dog walk
Where to start: Cache Creek Trailhead or Game Creek Trailhead
Round-trip distance: Multiple, Cache to Game is about 10 miles one-way
Difficulty: Easy to strenuous
Leash required in winter, voice control OK in summer
If you aren’t up for an epic wilderness trek but want to get your dog out for a brisk walk in a beautiful area, Cache Creek or the connecting Game Creek could be your go-to.
Enjoy unique mountain views, a blanket of wildflowers and a vast network of trails and boardwalks that weave through the forest and along the pristine Cache Creek and Game Creek. All within a couple minutes of downtown Jackson.
Watch for mountain bikers in the summer, cross-country skiers in the winter and wildlife all year.
4. Emily’s Pond and Snake River Levee dog walk
Where to start: Emily’s Stevens Park
Round-trip distance: Up to 4.4 miles round-trip
Difficulty: Easy
Voice control OK
Take your dog for a flat walk along a gravel path on the braided Snake River with a distant view of the Tetons. A popular destination for dog walkers.
Trail description.
5. Grand Teton National Park Road dog walk (November - April only)
Where to start: Signal Mountain Lodge or Taggart Lake Trailhead
Round-trip distance: As long as you want (dozens of miles of road)
Difficulty: Easy road walk
Leash required
From November 1 to April 30, Grand Teton National Park shuts down its inner road — the one right by the gorgeous mountains — to all motor vehicles.
That makes it one of the best places to walk a dog in the valley (with a leash.) In November and April only, the road’s even plowed so you don’t have to bring along snowshoes.
6. Jackson Peak and/or Goodwin Lake hike
Where to start: Goodwin Lake Trailhead
Round-trip distance: 6 miles to lake, 10.4 miles to peak
Difficulty: Strenuous
Voice control OK
Head across the National Elk Refuge and into Curtis Canyon for a pretty ridge trail that takes you straight to Goodwin Lake.
This wilderness gem is a great place to rest up, fish and/or swim before bagging Jackson Peak with your four-legged companion.
Trail description.
7. Rendezvous Park (R Park) Loop dog walk
Where to start: 4270 River Springs Drive in Wilson
Round-trip distance: 0.9 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Leash required
Rendezvous Park is the only park in Jackson partially opened to dog walkers. The park built a special-use perimeter trail in 2017 to allow dog owners to enjoy the park along the Snake River.
The trail leads to the Snake River, where you’ll be able to chill on a bench and unleash (literally) the doggy beast. Warning: you’ll probably get some wet dog smell as a result.
Trail description.
8. Slide Lake dog swim
Where to start: Slide Lake
Round-trip distance: 0.9 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Voice control OK
Slide Lake is named for a historic slide that interrupted the flow of the Gros Ventre River and built a natural dam that was later knocked out by high flows and pretty well wiped out the small town of Kelly.
History aside, it’s a great place to relax by a lake, fish and watch your pup happily playing in the mountain water. And if you care to explore, the Gros Ventre Wilderness has tons of dog-friendly terrain.
9. Josie’s Ridge dog hike (and other trails on Snow King)
Where to start: Park on the road by the post office
Round-trip distance: 5 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Voice control OK
Snow King, the Jackson Hole ski area that looms above downtown, packs a punch in the summer months for a quick morning hike, jog or walk with the dog.
Climb through surprisingly lush forests to the summit at Josie’s Ridge for a spectacular view of Jackson Hole, Flat Creek and the Tetons.
Then let the pup cool down in Flat Creek once you’re back on the valley floor.
Trail description.
10. Explore a vibrant pathway system
Where to start: Varies, see map
Round-trip distance: Varies
Difficulty: Easy
Voice control OK
Jackson has more than 50 miles of paved pathways where you can unleash and let your dog go to town...as long as it’s under voice control.
Routes follow the pristine Flat Creek and cross through lush meadows perfect for your pup.
Don’t pause your trip for the paws
As you can see, Jackson Hole offers plenty of pet-friendly activities and there’s plenty more where that came from.
And the more you do these, the more you’ll feel like a local and get off the highly trafficked park paths.
Ready? Unleash your Jackson Hole vacation!
