Gnp & Yellowstone
 

Planning on traveling to Montana in early Sept with my dog, for 7-10 days. I'd like to do some daily hiking, fishing, and see the usual tourist sites. Need some suggestions for traveling, lodging, and the best base for traveling with a dog. Is it safe for pets on the hiking trails? Thanks for the feedback in advance!

I don't like to be negative, but . . . dogs are not allowed on hiking trails in any national park. You will need to plan your hiking and fishing in the national forest and other areas. As for safety, if bears are around, your dog is vulnerable to attack (and could cause you to be attacked as well).

Glacier and Yellowstone don't allow dogs on trails. You can have them in some developed areas as long as they're on a leash. You cannot leave them unattended for any length of time. I think state parks would have the same restrictions. Not sure on the national forests, but probably similar rules.

I guess the best advice is either leave your dog at home, find a kennel in the area, or be prepared to stay off the trails. As enzian said, having your dog with you on a trail, or even just while fishing, makes you and the dog more vulnerable to a bear attack.

National forests are your best bets.

If your goal is a hiking trip with your dog, you might consider traveling a day's drive further west to Washington---we have many lovely national forest trails that are open to doggy hikers (and bears are not an issue). The Seattle Mountaineers have published a guide on the subject. There is also one for the inland Northwest, including western Montana, that I assume would address the bear issue.

You don't have to take our word on it. Here are the: Rules Regarding Pets in Yellowstone:

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planvisit/rules/petregs.htm

You can also find the local kennels in the area on this website.

Utahtea