Is Zion National Park Dog-Friendly?

The straight answer on where dogs can and can't go in Zion.

By Chris Hayworth, Nestward

Let's not bury the lede: Zion is one of the least dog-friendly national parks in the system. Dogs are banned from every trail in the park except one paved path, and they're not allowed on the shuttle that reaches Zion Canyon. You can absolutely bring your dog to Zion, but you need realistic expectations about what you'll be able to do together.

The one trail dogs can walk: the Pa'rus Trail

The Pa'rus Trail is the entire menu for leashed dogs in Zion. It's a 3.5-mile round-trip paved path that runs from the South Campground and Zion Canyon Visitor Center alongside the Virgin River, with open views of the Watchman and the Towers of the Virgin. It's flat, stroller-friendly, and genuinely pretty, but it's the only trail in the park where pets are allowed.

• Dogs must stay on a leash no longer than six feet.
• Never leave a dog unattended or tied up, and don't leave one in a parked car. Zion regularly tops 100°F in summer.
• You're responsible for cleaning up after your dog, even out on the trail.

Where dogs are NOT allowed (almost everywhere)

This is the part worth reading twice. Dogs are prohibited on every other trail and natural area in Zion. That includes essentially all of the park's famous hikes:

• The Narrows and the Riverside Walk that leads to it: no dogs.
• Emerald Pools (Lower, Middle, and Upper): no dogs.
• The Watchman Trail and Kayenta Trail: no dogs.
• Scout Lookout and the West Rim toward Angels Landing: no dogs.
• The Kolob Canyons trails, including Taylor Creek and the long haul to Kolob Arch: no dogs.

Dogs are also not allowed on the free Zion Canyon shuttle, which is the only way to reach most of the canyon for much of the year. So even if your dog can't hike, you can't park them on a bus to a viewpoint either.

So where can dogs actually go?

Outside the Pa'rus Trail, pets are allowed in developed areas only: campgrounds, picnic areas, parking lots, and along roadways. A leashed dog can ride in your car on the parts of the park you can drive yourself, though note the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is shuttle-only for most of the year, so private cars don't reach it. Service animals are the exception to all of this and are welcome park-wide.

Making it work with a dog

Plenty of families still bring their dog to Zion and have a good trip. They just plan around the rules instead of fighting them.

• Use the Pa'rus Trail early. Walk it at sunrise before the heat builds, then base the rest of the day around shade and water for the dog.
• Look just outside the park. The town of Springdale and the surrounding BLM and Forest Service lands have dog-friendly trails where leashed pets are welcome. That's often where dog-owning families do their real hiking.
• Plan a hand-off. If you want to hike The Narrows or Emerald Pools, you'll need a kennel, a pet sitter, or one adult to trade off dog duty. A few Springdale businesses offer daytime dog boarding in season.
• Mind the heat and the monsoon. Summer afternoons are brutal on paws, and mid-July through September brings flash-flood risk along the river, so keep dogs well back from rising water.

Bottom line: Zion welcomes your dog, but as a road-trip companion rather than a hiking buddy. If off-leash trail miles with your dog are the whole point of the trip, a national forest or BLM area nearby will serve you far better. If you just want your dog along for the ride and a riverside stroll, Zion handles that fine.