I’ve always been a fan of bucket lists. I like the idea of writing things down that I aspire to do so I don’t lose sight of them and have a reminder to work towards making them happen. I’m sure it’s my Type A personality, but I also have this fear of just letting life pass by and not making the time to do these epic things that some people only see on TV.

I also believe that pets are family and they deserve to see as much of the world as we do. That’s why when we got Ruby I started a new dog-friendly bucket list of all the travel adventures I wanted her to experience. It’s always evolving and something that I never want to be complete, but even if you don’t enjoy traveling as much as we do I hope that by sharing our adventures we do inspire you to do more with your dog. Whether it’s one family vacation a year or an epic cross-country road trip, our dogs deserve a big world filled with fun experiences just like us.

Below I’ve started documenting all our bucket list adventures that we’ve crossed off so far and that I think are list-worthy for you and your dog to experience too. Several of these experiences were planned around a trip, so we also have helpful guides linked throughout to help you make the most of your time in each of these areas. I’ve also included a list at the bottom of experiences on our bucket list that we haven’t crossed off yet.

Dog-friendly bucket list experiences in the United States

Play in the snow at Tahoe

There is nothing quite like playing in the snow in Lake Tahoe. The powder just hits differently here and playing in the snow here is actually fun. It’s never as cold as you think it’s going to be and the snow is just so soft. Not to mention the scenery is epic when it’s covered in a blanket of snow. There are SNO Parks, snowshoeing trails, and plenty of sledding hills to hit with your pup for an epic day in the snow. Check out our Tahoe winter guide to plan your perfect snowy adventure.

Stay at a Clydesdale Ranch

Clydesdale Outpost is probably one of the most unique properties we’ve ever stayed at. This one-of-a-kind guest ranch is located in Whitefish, Montana. The property provides an upscale ranch experience and is home to six 800-square-foot homes. Each house features a similar 2-bed, 1-bath floor plan. The first bedroom is on the main floor near the front door while the second is on the second floor. Our cabin provided great views of the Clydesdale pasture and Rue loved sitting on our bed and watching them outside our window. Off the living room towards the back of the house is the kitchen with all the essentials you need for a weekend getaway. These vintage-inspired timber frame cabins are nestled amidst untouched fields where the Clydesdale horses roam and you can enjoy the scenic views from your deck near the fire pit or from the cedar hot tub. For a full tour of our stay watch our video on Instagram.

Visit the dog-friendliest National Park Yosemite

Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, lush meadows, giant sequoias, historic granite rocks, and much more. Yosemite is not just a paradise for nature enthusiasts; it's also a haven for dog lovers. With plenty of dog-friendly activities in and around the park, your four-legged companion can join in on the adventure. First and foremost, exploring the numerous dog-friendly trails is a must. Some popular options include the Bridalveil Fall Trail and the Mirror Lake Loop, offering stunning views while being accessible to dogs on leashes. Additionally, you can take your pup to the Wawona Meadow for a leisurely stroll or enjoy a family picnic at one of the designated dog-friendly picnic areas. If you're looking for a bit more excitement, enjoy a scenic drive through the park's beautiful roads with your pup as your co-pilot up to Tunnel View or beyond to Glacier Point. Beyond the park, nearby dog-friendly towns like Mariposa and Groveland offer pet-friendly accommodations and dining options in addition to hikes like Tuolumne Grove, Hite Cove Trail, and Hetch Hetchy to complete your unforgettable Yosemite experience with your beloved furry companion by your side. Check out our dog-friendly guide to Yosemite National Park to help plan your getaway.

Bark in the Park for your favorite baseball team

I love how sporting arenas are becoming more and more welcoming to dogs. I’m not really a sports fan per se where I root for a particular team, but I appreciate the athleticism and social aspects of them as I played sports the first 20 years of my life. I think the first major league sport to start embracing dogs was the MLB and their Bark in the Park program has grown quite a bit over the years. It used to be one game a year where some teams would participate and now 21 teams host dog-friendly game days and many even have multiple games throughout the year where they welcome your furry bestie. The events of the day vary by team/stadium, so I highly encourage you to check your local team’s website to learn more about their dog-friendly game(s) and what you need to do to participate. To get an idea of what a visit to the stadium could look like, here are our recaps from visits to watch the SF Giants and Oakland A’s.

Visit the dog-friendliest town in America Carmel-by-the-sea

Rated one of America’s top beach towns and the #1 dog-friendliest town in America, Carmel checks all the boxes for a dog-friendly getaway. Every dog deserves to visit this fairytale town that is so welcoming of dogs. Carmel Beach is definitely a highlight of Carmel, but there are truly so many unique things you can do here with your dog from enjoying a coastal hike, biking or driving down 17-mile drive, dining on the 18th hole of Pebble Beach, shopping in some of the best dog boutiques, and getting lost down picturesque alleyways.

Clear kayak on Lake Tahoe

When visiting Tahoe in the summer, you have to spend a day on the water and what better way to do it than with clear kayaks! Clearly Tahoe runs one dog-friendly tour along their shoreline between Zephyr Cove and Cave Rock or you can rent through Wild Society and go out on your own. If you’re not familiar with kayaking, I would recommend the tour to start. But if you’re comfortable, go for renting a kayak on your own through Wild Society. It offers so much more flexibility for taking videos and photos and I think the rock formations in this area of Lake Tahoe are more epic. We have an entire summer guide for visiting Lake Tahoe with your dog that you can check out for more dog-friendly activities.

Chase Fall foliage in New England

Seeing New England in the fall had been towards the top of my bucket list for awhile. We finally made it happen in 2023 and spent 15 days chasing fall foliage all over NY, VT, NH, and MA. It was of course the rainiest period the area had had in years, but we made the best of it and got to see so many amazing fall colors. My best advice for chasing fall foliage in this area is to plan from north to south vs state to state and be prepared to just pull over when you come across a pretty grove of trees. We found some of the best colors in places that weren’t on my itinerary. To help with planning, visit our dog-friendly Vermont guide.

Kayak Lake powell to explore Lower Antelope Canyon

Visiting Antelope Canyon will probably be one of the coolest and most traumatizing things that we’ve ever done. The only way you can visit Antelope Canyon with your dog is by water to the Lower Canyon. In theory this doesn’t sound too bad, but Lake Powell is an active lake with power boats and we set out on this adventure at the beginning of summer. You have to paddle for two miles to the canyon entrance and hope that you survive getting pounded by boat waves along the way. Now this is not to scare you from doing it. Anyone who is up for it should totally do this adventure, but I want to point out that it’s probably not for everyone. The reward at the end of the paddling is totally worth it though.

The most interesting slots in the lower canyon are along the first 1 to 1.5 miles of the sandy hike. There are a few instances where you may need to assist your dog along the hike, but overall it’s an easy, enjoyable, amazingly beautiful, and unique experience. I promise you’ve never seen rock formations like these before.

Pay homage to the dogs we’ve lost at Dog Mountain

Just an hour and a half outside of Stowe in Johnsbury, VT is Dog Mountain. A 150-acre haven atop a mountain where dogs can be dogs and pet parents can honor their beloved fur babies that have crossed the rainbow bridge. When I discovered Dog Mountain on social media, I knew we had to visit to honor our first Goldendoodle Bama and I’m so glad we did. This property is something really special.

The grounds are made up of a network of dog-friendly trails and lakes for off-leash play and year-round scenery with wildflowers in the spring, leaf peeping in the fall, and snow in the winter. They even host dog gatherings and parties on the property and we had the honor of meeting the property dog Honey. She was just the sweetest and greeted every car that pulled up. If you plan to visit, don’t miss our dog-friendly fall guide to Vermont for other things to do, and here’s a full look at our visit to Dog Mountain.

Romp under the St. Louis Arch

As St. Louis girlies, we had to include the St. Louis Arch. The Gateway Arch and surrounding grounds make up a national park, and while you and your pup can’t ride to the top of the Arch you both can enjoy the grounds around it and take in the unique monument from the ground (which I think is the better view anyways). The Arch stands 630 ft tall and is the tallest monument in the United States that once represented a gateway to the West and national expansion. It’s free to enter and parking charges vary around the city.

Walk the southern rim of the Grand Canyon

The Southern Rim Trail at the Grand Canyon is the only dog-friendly trail in the national park and spans 12.7 miles of canyon viewpoints stretching from South Kaibab trailhead to Hermit’s Rest. You can easily park at the visitor center and start the trail near Mather Point. The trail is paved and can get hot in the summer. This is a perfect day trip from Sedona, AZ or Page, AZ.

Catch a sunset at HorseShoe Bend

One of the most photographed sites in northern Arizona is Horseshoe Bend. It attracts more than 2 million visitors every year and is particularly popular for sunset. It’s definitely a crowded experience but the .4 mi path from the parking lot to the viewpoint is wide and there is plenty of space around Horseshoe Bend to enjoy the sunset. We did have to wait for the crowds to clear a bit to get this dead-on shot. There isn’t much else to do in the area, so I’d recommend visiting if you’re already visiting Sedona, AZ, the Grand Canyon, or Page, AZ.

Visit the most Christmasy dutch town in California

Solvang describes itself as one of the most “Christmassy towns in America,” and if you’re a Christmas fanatic like we are it does not disappoint. The town celebrates Julefest all month and the December festival features a light show, a tree lighting, a parade, and other Christmas events throughout the month, including a scavenger hunt to look for a Danish gnome in downtown Solvang. This place is bursting with Christmas spirit and makes for the perfect hygge getaway during the winter season. We visited back in 2021 and assembled a guide of everything we did and where we stayed in Solvang.

Take in the views of the Golden Gate Bridge

Perhaps San Francisco’s most famous landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge was once taller than any building in the city. With millions of visitors a year, you cannot come to San Francisco without visiting one of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge viewpoints. Scattered all along the peninsula on the SF and Sausalito side are amazing vantage points for the bridge. Here are some of our favorites: Crissy Field, Presidio Tunnel Tops, Fort Point, Bakers Beach, Battery East Trail (pictured below), North Vista Point, Cavallo Point, and Battery Spencer. There’s also a cafe Round House that has a prime viewing spot of the bridge that you can enjoy while sipping coffee and connects to Battery East Trail.

Stand out on Devil’s Bridge in Sedona

This is one of the most frequented trails in Sedona, but it’s popular for a reason. The trail is 4.2 miles out-and-back and it leads to a beautiful natural sandstone arch. You can walk below it and then take the stairs to the top of it, and if you choose, you can walk right out on top of the bridge. Typically, there is a line to walk out onto the bridge, but the rule is that the person behind you in line will take your picture while you’re out on the bridge. This spot in the hike gives you breathtaking views of the valley and you’ll feel immersed amongst the red rocks. To learn more about this trail and other dog-friendly things you can do in Sedona, visit our guide for everything we did during our visit.

Drive one of the most scenic stretches of highway in the U.S.

The Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most driven stretches of highway in the U.S. Whether you choose to drive the entire 659 miles or just a fraction thereof, you’ll be rewarded with the most breathtaking views. Certain routes can be done in a day, but we recommend taking your time by starting in San Francisco and slowly making your way to Orange County. The best views are arguably in Big Sur, where you’ll find rugged cliffs against the ocean on one side and redwood forests on the other.

be amazed by all the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon has one main 18-mile road that runs north-south through the park. The first 3-miles of the road are the stretch to prioritize to stop at every viewpoint to see down into Bryce Amphitheater, a hoodoo-filled depression lying below the Rim Trail hiking path, from all angles. For more details on all the viewpoint stops and the one dog-friendly trail, check out our guide to visiting Bryce Canyon.

dog-friendly bucket list experiences Beyond the United States

See the glacial lakes of Banff

Nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, Banff National Park stands as an awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping scene that is quite possibly the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited. It's no wonder that Banff has captivated the hearts of countless travelers seeking solace in the great outdoors. It sure captured ours. But I think what made it even more special was experiencing this beautiful place with Ruby. The fact that we could witness these vibrant turquoise lakes, set against the backdrop of snow-capped peaks, is a sight that will literally leave you speechless and so grateful that you get to do it all with your furry bestie. Getting to Banff can be a bit of a journey for most, so check out our dog-friendly Banff guide for planning your getaway.