Dog Friendly Vacations In Kentucky – Want to take your dog to the most famous rock climbing destination on the east side of the US? Kentucky’s Red River Gorge is known for its rock climbing, but it also has an endless supply of dog-friendly national forest trails to hike with us!
Rock climbing gets the thrill at #RedRiverGorgeous. But hiking trails, beautiful outdoor spots like Miguel’s Pizza, and the area surrounded by a national park and national forest also offer plenty of excursion options. And almost all of them are dog friendly! (Natural Bridge and Whittleton Arch are two that are not.)
Dog Friendly Vacations In Kentucky
It is a right to take your dog for walks in public areas. Make them when the environment calls for it, clean them and be careful. And while we’re at it… leave no trace and pack your 10 essentials :)!
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My dog Cotopaxi is a B.A.R.K. Ranger and if you choose to take the world’s best hiking companions, consider this.
Located in Kentucky, the Red River Gorge is within a few hours’ drive of Lexington, Cincinnati, Columbus, Nashville, Knoxville and more. It is also the second or third largest rock climbing site in the entire United States. (Probably second only to California’s Yosemite National Park, maybe California’s Joshua Tree.) It’s a climber’s mecca, but the great location and funky atmosphere (for rural Kentucky) also make it a great place for hiking, camping, and more. forms of outdoor recreation.
My two favorite hikes to take the dog are Swift Camp Creek Trail and Bridge of the Rocks.
The Swift Camp Creek Trail has several start and end locations in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Rock Bridge has a nearby trailhead for Swift Camp Creek if you want to combine the two for a full day hiking adventure.
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Both walks are perfect for dogs in my opinion. They are allowed to be on the tracks and the terrain supports them.
Skybridge station is close for food, although I’ve never eaten there. Especially since I only visited the Red River Gorge during the off season. So they had limited working hours.
2. Miguel. The pizza is good, and so is the basketball court. It is a place for experience. This is East Four Camp and a destination for hikers from all over the world!
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We loved staying in our RV with our dog Cotopaxi in Lego Linda. (We beat him in a contest and took a trip for our friends Van Rental and the Road Trip app at the time.)
The crowd and atmosphere is a bit more laid back and grown up than Miguel’s. There we stayed with experienced climbers and a group from Quebec who had been climbing the Red River Gorge for several months.
The campground has plenty of space and miles of actual hiking trails. We usually hiked the rest of the trails in the morning, had lunch, and returned in the afternoon to hike the grounds. They have their own restaurant, but it is only open on weekends during the low season.
Miguel has cheap dispersed camping and I loved staying there. But with a dog and being older, I’d lean towards Lago Linda now. (while spending the afternoon with Miguel!)
Best Pet-friendly Hotels
The climbing talk seems to be pushing this Kentucky spot away as a great outdoors spot for things other than rock climbing. And yes, the climb is epic, I climb every time we go.
But the trails aren’t that busy, the area is dog-friendly, accessible from several major cities, and has spectacular views. Plus, all the places we tried to visit (restaurants, campgrounds, etc.) had great dog-friendly options for us.
Kentucky’s Red River Gorge has been in my backyard most of my life and it took me a long time to visit there. But when I finally did, I came back and considered it my favorite outdoor adventure destination in the US Midwest/Upper South.
Thanks for reading and supporting Happy People Crusaders, comment below with any questions about Kentucky’s dog-friendly Red River Adventure.
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Want more dog-friendly hikes in the US Midwest? Check out our list of dog-friendly hikes in Ohio’s state parks here!
Wanderer, uncle father, lover of the planets. Hashtag59 and Happy People The Crusader Leading Intern. Freelance writer and content creator. Nurture health and quality of life. We drove through the Midwest, with a few days to spare, and set our sights on the land of Kentucky among the lakes. If you love the outdoors and want to reconnect with nature, this is the place for you!
Early settlers in southwestern Kentucky called the area “Between the Rivers” because the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers meander within a few miles of each other. When the two rivers were dammed to aid navigation and Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley were created, the remaining strip of land stretching between them became a National Recreation Area. Now 170,000 acres wrapped in 300 miles of undeveloped coastline offer all the nature worship opportunities you can imagine!
More than 200 miles of trails and country lanes run through the park, and your dog is welcome on any of them! Stop by the Golden Pond Visitor Center to pick up maps and get advice on which trails are hike-only so you don’t get surprised by mountain bikers. Whether it’s an afternoon stroll or an overnight trip that takes you from one side of the park to the other, there are plenty of places to explore. And if you prefer larger pets, there are also 100 miles of horse trails and roads, as well as camping facilities with horse accommodations.
Dog Friendly Hopkinsville, Ky
Pet options aren’t just limited to hiking! How about a visit to The Homeplace, a 1950s farm/living history museum with rare and endangered breeds of pets and costumed actors performing daily chores? The farm consists of 16 original and restored wooden buildings, and the houses are complete with antique furniture and artefacts. Many of the buildings were moved from 6 miles from their current location, but one house was loaded onto a barge and floated up the river! The farm is open March through November and admission is $4 per person – free tools.
From there you can hike through the Elk & Bison Prairie. As you drive along the winding road, you look at the landscape as it was seen more than 200 years ago – minus the road, of course. Before the forests took over, this area was a prairie where herds of bison and elk roamed. Using carefully controlled burns, just like the Native Americans, this 700-acre reserve has been restored to its original habitat, including animals that had long since disappeared from the area. Your dog is welcome to help you identify wildlife from your vehicle.
From canoeing, bird watching, fishing and camping, this place has it all. You can easily stay a week and not have time to do everything. When your pup is ready for a nap, head over to the planetarium and observatory at the visitor center. Programs and shows are scheduled throughout the March-December season, so be sure to plan accordingly.
There’s one more place you’ll want to make sure your dog doesn’t go: The Woodlands Nature Station. They have many animals on display, including a great horned owl, a coyote and a red wolf. They also host special water events such as moonlight canoe trips, afternoon nature walks, and seminars on wildlife, gardening, and nature photography.
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There are plenty of pet-friendly campgrounds to choose from in the Land Between the Lakes and the surrounding area, but if you’re looking for the ultimate pet experience, visit the folks at Prizer Point Marina & Resort. The resort is located a short distance from the park on 101 acres and is surrounded on three sides by Lake Barkley – you won’t find a place without a view! And if you’re lucky, some locals will love you.
Don’t have a trailer? No problem! You can rent a three bedroom cabin, cabin, cottage, condo or log cabin – all pet friendly! Looking for something more adventurous? Try chartering one of the houseboats; and they are pet friendly!
The resort has an off-leash dog area and a dog swimming area, as well as plenty of activities to keep the kids busy!
We loved that the dock was there… not only was it fun to watch the boats come and go, they also have pet friendly rentals! We had our first experience on a pontoon boat and Buster and Ty were excited to spend an afternoon on the water – they turned out to be pretty good
