Dogs & pets
Dogs in Canyonlands: where they can go
Last verified No trails6 ft leash max
Not on the trails. Leashed pets are allowed only on established front-country roads, parking areas, campgrounds and picnic areas; not on trails, off-trail, at overlooks, in buildings, or in the backcountry.
Where pets are allowed
Areas
- • Established front-country roads and parking areas
- • Established front-country campgrounds and picnic areas
- • Inside vehicles driving the Shafer Trail to Potash Road at Island in the Sky
- • Needles district via the Elephant Hill-Devil's Lane/Bobby's Hole roads, only when the road to Beef Basin via Cathedral Butte is closed by snow/mud
Off-limits
- • Any hiking trail
- • Anywhere off-trail, even while in a carrier
- • Overlooks
- • The visitor center or any building
- • The backcountry (including vehicles on backcountry roads)
- • Any river trip
Backcountry: no pets
Rules & services
- Leash
- 6 ft or shorter, at all times
- Kennels
- The page names no kennel; it points to discovermoab.com for a listing of nearby kennels, veterinarians, and other pet services.
- B.A.R.K. Ranger
- Principles listed; no program described
- Service animals
- Service animals trained for tasks tied to a disability are allowed in the park; therapy, companion or comfort animals are not service animals and may not access visitor centers, trails or other non-motorized areas.
In the park's own words
What Canyonlands says about pets
Sentences quoted from the park’s nps.gov pets page, last updated July 5, 2025, captured 2026-10-05.
“Pets are not allowed: on any hiking trails, or anywhere off-trail, even while in a carrier at any overlooks in the visitor center or any building in the backcountry (including vehicles on backcountry roads, and on any river trips)” nps.gov
“Therapy, companion, or comfort animals are not service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act and may not access visitor centers, trails or other non-motorized areas.” nps.gov
“Leashed pets may accompany you in the following areas: Along established front-country roads or in parking areas In established front-country campgrounds and picnic areas” nps.gov
“persons with pets are allowed to cross the Needles district via the Elephant Hill-Devil’s Lane/Bobby’s Hole roads” nps.gov
“Pets may be transported inside vehicles driving the Shafer Trail to Potash Road at Island in the Sky.” nps.gov
“Visit discovermoab.com for a listing of nearby kennels, veterinarians, and other pet services.” nps.gov
Worth knowing
- Two exceptions to the backcountry-road ban: pets may ride inside vehicles on the Shafer Trail to Potash Road at Island in the Sky, and when the Beef Basin road is closed by snow or mud they may cross the Needles district via the Elephant Hill-Devil's Lane/Bobby's Hole roads. Pets must be leashed whenever out of the vehicle and stay on the road surface.
- Pets may not be led by a leash from a bicycle or vehicle, and may not be left unattended and tied to an object other than your own parked vehicle.
- Violations may bring a citation, a fine, and/or a mandatory appearance before the United States Magistrate Court.
- Pet-friendly hiking alternatives named on the page: Dead Horse Point State Park, Bureau of Land Management land, La Sal National Forest.
How we read the rules
Every statement on this page was taken from the park’s own pets page on nps.gov and the quoted sentences are re-checked against our saved copy of that page each time the site is built. Parks change pet rules for wildlife, heat and trail conditions, and superintendents can close areas at short notice, so treat the park’s pets page and the ranger at the entrance as the final word. Service animals are covered by different rules. Compare all 63 parks.
Sources · 2
- 1.Canyonlands National Park — Pets (nps.gov), last updated July 5, 2025 · National Park Service
- 2.Pets pages of each park on nps.gov (62 park units), read and quoted · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
FAQ
Canyonlands pet questions
- Are dogs allowed in Canyonlands National Park?
- Leashed pets are allowed only on established front-country roads, parking areas, campgrounds and picnic areas; not on trails, off-trail, at overlooks, in buildings, or in the backcountry. Leashes must be 6 feet or shorter. (From the park's nps.gov pets page, updated July 5, 2025.)
- Can dogs go on trails in Canyonlands?
- No. Canyonlands does not allow pets on its hiking trails; they can go in established front-country roads and parking areas, established front-country campgrounds and picnic areas, inside vehicles driving the shafer trail to potash road at island in the sky and needles district via the elephant hill-devil's lane/bobby's hole roads, only when the road to beef basin via cathedral butte is closed by snow/mud.
- Can I take my dog backpacking in Canyonlands?
- No. Pets are not allowed in Canyonlands's backcountry.
- Is there a kennel near Canyonlands?
- The page names no kennel; it points to discovermoab.com for a listing of nearby kennels, veterinarians, and other pet services.
- Does Canyonlands have a B.A.R.K. Ranger program?
- The park's pets page repeats the B.A.R.K. principles but does not describe a tag program; ask at the visitor center.
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