Traveling with dogs in Yellowstone

While planning your trip to Yellowstone, if you’re a dog person, you’ll naturally want to bring your friend with you. I understand that. I traveled to Yellowstone for many years with a small pack of Samoyeds (usually five, but occasionally six if a rescue dog tagged along). In this post, I’ll share what the regulations are concerning pets in Yellowstone. I’ll also share what you can do to make travel with your pet to Yellowstone work and boarding kennels that I’d feel comfortable using.

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Is Yellowstone Dog Friendly?

In a word, no. You can’t just take your dogs with you everywhere you go. Dogs are only allowed in the front country area within 100 feet of roads, parking areas and campgrounds while caged, crated or on a leash not to exceed six feet in length. They are not allowed on the boardwalks, walking paths/trails/old roads.

It seems a bit harsh compared to other parks you might be used to, but there are reasons for these decisions in Yellowstone.

Yellowstone has wildlife – predators in particular.

Wildlife reacts to dogs in a more pronounced way than most people expect. While watching a grizzly sow and two cubs near Fountain Flats Drive one spring, a small group of us were enjoying watching the cubs cavort around while the sow ate the fresh green grass. A van pulled up, and the people did what they naturally do – get the leash on their Jack Russell Terrier and walk him. What they didn’t realize was that the sow keyed in instantly when the scent reached her almost a fourth of a mile away. She stopped what she was doing to sniff and stare in our direction. This was the first time she paid us any attention. Within a few minutes, she and her cubs headed over the hill and out of sight.

The park service states “park visitors should be able to enjoy native wildlife in their natural environment without the disruption of other people’s pets.” To accommodate for this, when we watched wildlife with our pets, we’d never walk them in a wildlife jam, but instead waited until we could use a pullout with nothing in sight. It’s a small thing that has a positive impact.

While dogs are not allowed on trails in Yellowstone, they are allowed on trails in the National Forest. If you’re used to taking your dog hiking with you, know that in grizzly country, if they roam a bit and come upon a bear, their instinct will be to run back to you – perhaps with the bear close behind.

Pets can get loose.

Every year some dogs get lost in Yellowstone and are never found. Smaller dogs may become prey for the predators in the park as well as the raptors. It always breaks my heart to hear of a loose dog. Owners come back repeatedly to look for them only to have it break their hearts. It’s not a vacation memory you want to have. Also, know that if your dog gets loose and molests or kills wildlife, in most places, law enforcement can shoot your dog. Luckily, that doesn’t happen often. But it’s for public safety and protection of the wildlife.

Thermal areas and dogs don’t mix. Pets don’t understand pools of water being hot. Far too often, dogs die in hot springs. If you read the first chapter of Death in Yellowstone, it graphically tells how a dog jumped into a hot spring, and a man tried to save the dog. Both died. Again, not a memory you want to have.

Veterinarians are not close.

If your pet has an issue where they need to see a veterinarian, know that this will take at least a day of your trip to address (ask me how I know). There are vets in Cody, Jackson, Bozeman, and Livingston. In past years, a vet from Ennis would visit West Yellowstone once or twice a week, but I’m not sure if this is still the case. While most of us “experienced” dog owners know how to deal with many issues, things do arise, and you might need a vet. There is an emergency vet in Bozeman (P.E.T.S. – Pet Emergency Trauma Services), and a couple of vets in Cody take emergencies (Advanced Veterinary Care Center).

How you can travel with your dog in Yellowstone

So, with all these warnings, how do you make it work to travel with your pet in Yellowstone?

Motorhome – Our solution to traveling with five Samoyeds in Yellowstone was to bring their yard with them. We had a set of ex-pens with outdoor mats to create this. On one stay at Slough Creek, the campground host was fascinated watching them. The five were a wide range of ages, from a puppy to seniors. He realized we indeed had a pack with us that showed the same behavior as in wolf packs. On that trip, in the middle of the night, a grizzly must have come through. Our dogs were used to black bears and didn’t react to them. But with the grizzly, all five silently crawled up on the bed with us and did not want us to move.

Traveling by Car – In the motorhome, keeping the temperature cool wasn’t a problem. But it’s harder when traveling by car. To solve this issue, dog-lovers I know handle it the same way we did. We took turns waiting in the car with the dogs and alternating with travel companions to see the sights in Yellowstone.

Boarding – The easiest and safest solution for all is to board your dogs. The park service can give you a list of kennels in the greater Yellowstone area (listed below). You will need to have your pet’s vaccine records.

In Cody – I’ve checked out and planned to use Cody Country Bed & Biscuit with my corgi before he unexpectedly passed away from cancer. I checked them out thoroughly and feel very comfortable recommending them. (You can find vaccine requirements on their website). As I have time, I will check into other boarding facilities and add links to the ones I would feel comfortable using.

2019 Boarding Kennel List (courtesy YNPS)

Bozeman, Montana

• All West Veterinary Hospital
• Animal House Pet Lodging
• Bark City Doggy Day Care
• Doggie Daycare & Motel
• Dogs on Wheels
• Faithful Companions Bed & Breakfast for Pets
• Kennels West Dog Boarding
• Montana Veterinary Hospital and Boarding
• Tail Waggin’ Ranch
• Valley View Veterinary Boarding (no website)

Cody, Wyoming

• Cody Country Bed and Biscuit (RECOMMENDED)
• Lifetime Small Animal Hospital

Gardiner, Montana

• Cottonwood Kennels (10 miles N. Of Gardiner)

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

• Bark n’ Call
• Happy Tails Pet Resort
• Teton Animal Hospital

Livingston, Montana

• Absaroka Pet Ranch Inc.
• Camp Tiffani
• Querencia Kennels (Emigrant)
• Livingston Veterinary Hospital

Be Outside • Take Notes