Dog Friendly Vacations Arkansas – For many of us, our dogs are part of our family. Why don’t they go on vacation too? Skip these sorrows
Fayetteville is the perfect weekend getaway for you and your canine companion. In fact, Arkansas has been named the most dog-friendly state in 2022! The American Veterinary Medical Association also named us the most beloved dog breeder, and a trip to Fayetteville will show you why.
Dog Friendly Vacations Arkansas
Located in the Boston Ozarks, Fayetteville has nearly 50 urban parks covering more than 3,000 acres. You’ll also have 40 miles of nature and paved trails, three lakes, and plenty of open space to roam! We’re sure you’ll have no problem choosing a puppy picnic or a long-awaited game of fetch with your canine best friend to enjoy the beautiful views.
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You don’t have to look far to find a friendly yard or pet store in Fayetteville. Throughout the city, and especially in the historic center square, you will find many businesses that will welcome and maybe even your pets. Start by visiting the Fayetteville Visitor Center before heading out to explore the rest of our dog-friendly city.
Whether you’re dining or drinking craft beer on Fayetteville Ale Street, you’ll find plenty of options at bars and restaurants. In some places you can even find menus made especially for our skinny friends! Brighten your dog’s day with a puppy cake from Bliss Cupcakes, a yappitzer from Apple Blossom Brewing, or free-range chicken broth from Pedal Pops.
Fayetteville hosts many family events throughout the year, where pet visits are encouraged almost every day. Some items are also dedicated to our four-legged friends! A visit to Fayetteville and your pup will beg you to come back to the University of Arkansas Dickson Street Pup Crawl or Bark in the Park.
If you need a place to stay while you’re here, choose one of our many fine dining hotels in our Fayetteville Visitors Guide. There are also short-term stay options for guests to help you accomplish that dog-friendly activity on your bucket list!
Doggy Daycare For Fayetteville Visitors
Whatever you and your best friend want to do, Fayetteville has it and we’re open to everyone.
Here is a list of several dog friendly centers in town, according to our friends at Dog Friendly Fayetteville:
Check out the Fayetteville Visitors Guide, full of tips and guides on hotels, restaurants, entertainment, arts, and more. Skip to main content Paws Down Best place to travel with pets: Hot Springs, Arkansas | Arkansas National Hot Springs Park
Hot Springs offers many pet-friendly shelters and outdoor activities to enjoy with your fur babies!
Visiting Pet Friendly Hot Springs National Park
After spending most of 2010 traveling with our 40-pound dog, my husband and I have come to love and appreciate kitchens, dog parks, and day care. So we were excited when we got home and discovered that Hot Springs was opening its first off-leash dog park. Since then, the city has grown by leaps and bounds, rolling out the welcome mat for all kinds of visitors, including four-legged ones. Below are some of the best social activities for you and your partner, along with recommendations for places to stay and eat. When booking your stay, be sure to let the front desk know you’re bringing a dog and ask about their pet policy so you’re not surprised by any fees or rules.
Take a walk to the waterfall, mountain view, or factory! The Ouachita Mountains surrounding Hot Springs are home to hundreds of miles of trails that lead to some amazing places. In addition to being a national park, Hot Springs is bordered by the Ouachita National Park and has many recreational areas nearby. Hot Springs National Park allows dogs on all 26 miles of trails and has trails leading to and from downtown. I like to start from Fountain Road and go up North Mountain to Gulpha Gorge Campground. There you can rest with your dog and relax with a dip in the stream. Upon your return, enjoy a snack or an ice-cold beer at one of the downtown restaurants. Depending on your route, the hike is just over three miles. The routes are well marked and there is a map here.
Choose one of the dog friendly hotels in town for easy access to the park and its trails. Happy Hollow is a modern hotel that opened under new ownership in 2015 after extensive renovations. It’s near the Fountain Trailhead, which connects to trails that go up and down the mountain. Before you leave, fill up your water bottles at Happy Hollow Cold Spring near the hotel.
Downtown has a variety of restaurants with outdoor patios and dog-friendly beer gardens. Choose from the President’s Pizza Oven thanks to the Beer Garden, Rolando’s Restaurant or Steinhaus Keller. And be sure to visit the Great Bathhouse Brewery. It is the first factory based in an American resort and the first in the world to use hot water as the main ingredient. In addition to delicious beers on tap, Superior serves root beer and delicious farm-to-table food made with local ingredients. Best of all, dogs are allowed inside! You can also eat outside on the lawn.
Pet Friendly Arkansas: Your Complete Dog Friendly Travel Guide!
Let your dog enjoy playtime at Hot Springs Bark Park. Open year-round, from sunrise to sunset, the park has different areas for large and small dogs, exercise equipment, bag dispensers, benches, and even an old-fashioned fire pit. The dog park is located next to Hollywood Park, which enjoys pleasant shade. Both are located on the Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail, a scenic trail that runs 4.7 miles from the Hot Springs Transportation Center to its current terminal near the Golf Links Trail. In addition to Bark Park, the route passes by the Sculpture Garden, Market Pavilion, Skate Park and Majestic Park Baseball Complex. If your dog is well and tired, you can enjoy a delicious dinner while he sleeps under the table.
Bark Park is centrally located, making it convenient to most of the city. Best of all, Winner’s Circle is a short drive away, right across the street from Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, which has a dog park. Here, your four-legged friends can use all their extra energy on a leash, just a few steps from your room! You can stay downtown and walk to the park on the Hot Springs Creek Greenway. (It’s about 1.5 miles from the Plaza shuttle to the park.) Or book a vacation home in one of the neighborhoods and get a taste of what it’s like to live here.
Taco Mama is located on Malvern Ave., a short drive from Bark Park. (There is another location on Ouachita Avenue.) The restaurant is owned and operated by Diana Bratton and her husband, Shane. I recommend the fish tacos and margaritas. Both places have good dog parks to eat.
Your dog’s olfactory system will be overwhelmed by the sweet scent of Garvan Woodland Gardens. One of Hot Springs’ most popular attractions, the 210-acre Botanical Garden sits on a plot of land on Lake Hamilton with views of the lake, lush vegetation and wildlife, and tall pine trees. There are 4.5 miles of trails, including a 1.7-mile loop through the nature preserve, and thousands of flowering plants. Paths wind over stone bridges, lakes and streams with waterfalls, and through giant flowers. Dogs must be on a six-foot leash and can be rented if you arrive off the leash.
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Garvan Gardens is located near Catherine’s Landing RV Resort and Lake Catherine State Park. Both are located on the shores of Catherine Lake and showcase the beauty of Arkansas nature and are ideal for camping or RVing visitors. They also all have pet-friendly cabins and yurts, as well as lake access, boat rentals, and hiking trails. (Dogs are not allowed in rental boats at the state park.) Catherine’s Landing also features two fenced off-leash parks, a swimming pool, a zip line, and an aerial adventure trail.
Located near Garvan Gardens, Red Oak Field Station is a friendly, Southern-style restaurant that serves barbecue, burgers, fried fish and more with homemade sides and sauces. There are a few tables outside, as well as a drive-thru window if you want to pick up an order to enjoy on the campground.
Nothing beats “dog days of summer” like spreading around
