If you’re thinking about taking your dog to Great Smoky Mountains National Park to enjoy the fresh mountain air and open space, you might want to think again.
Dogs and pets are only allowed in limited areas of the popular park, according to the park’s website.
Only two of the 150 official trails in the Smokies
allow dogs. In fact, many large national parks that have extensive backcountry areas prohibit dogs on trails.Here’s everything you need to know about dogs and other pets in the Smokies, including where they’re allowed and why it’s advised not to bring them to the park.
Where are dogs allowed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
The national park advises visitors to “consider leaving your pet at home” because bringing them will limit the activities you can do.
Pets, including dogs, are allowed in frontcountry
campgrounds, picnic areas and along roads, but must always be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
However, there are only two dog/pet-friendly trails:
- Gatlinburg Trail (Tennessee)
- Oconaluftee River Trail (North Carolina)
What are the rules for bringing a dog to Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
In addition to keeping dogs leashed, there are guidelines visitors must follow if bringing a pet to the national park.
You must clean up after your pet, never leave them unattended in vehicles or RVs, and respect all park rules to help protect the Smokies. B.A.R.K is a helpful reminder for pet care in the park.
- Bag your pet’s waste.
- Always leash your pet.
- Respect wildlife.
- Know where you can go.
If you do have a dog in the park, avoid distractions like music or phones and carry bear spray. Never let your dog bark at, chase or corner a bear. Turn around immediately if you see a bear. And if your dog confronts a bear, do not intervene.
Dogs are involved in most bear-related incidents with people, according to the park. If your dog runs after a bear, it might lead the bear back to you. And in these situations, there's a 50% chance your dog will be injured or killed, and an even higher chance you'll be hurt if you try to help, according to the park.
Is there a fine for having a dog in a prohibited area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Rules and regulations that visitors must follow while in the park are stated in the Superintendent’s Compendium.
A person who violates any provision of the regulations stated in the Compendium is subject to a fine up to $5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding six months. The fine goes up to $10,000 for organizations.
Are service dogs allowed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Only dogs classified as service animals are legally permitted everywhere that visitors can go. These dogs are individually trained to perform a specific task that assists a person with a disability, according to the park.
Examples of some of these specific tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications or calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, according to the park.
Emotional support, therapy, companion animals and service animals in training are not classified as service animals and must follow all pet regulations the park has set.
Why are dogs prohibited on most national park trails?
Dogs have been prohibited in the backcountry areas of Great Smoky Mountains National Park since the park was established in the 1930s. Bringing a dog into the park can have serious consequences for wildlife, your pet and other visitors.
Some of the reasons dogs are prohibited include:
- Dogs can carry diseases that may spread to native wildlife and vice versa.
- The scent of a dog can signal predators such as bears and coyotes, causing wildlife to flee or alter their natural behavior.
- Dogs might bark or react unpredictably to unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells.
- Dogs might encounter biting insects, poisonous plants or painful thorns and burrs.
- Dogs can pose a threat to other visitors, affecting their park experience.
Alternative hikes you can do with dogs
There are other public lands just outside of the Smokies where you can hike with your dog.
- Big South Fork (Tennessee, Kentucky)
- Chattahoochee National Forest (Georgia)
- Cherokee National Forest (Tennessee, North Carolina)
- Nantahala National Forest (North Carolina)
- Pisgah National Forest (North Carolina)
- George Washington and Jefferson National Forests (Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky)
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Where can you hike with dogs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
