THE 46← Back to the list

Lower 48 · windows down

Six drives, one dog.

Every dog-friendly stop on the list lives in the continental US, so they can all be driven. Here's how they string together — and what's worth pulling over for in between.

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~1,500 miles · 7 stops

The Pacific Run

Rainforest to the border, with saltwater the whole way.

  1. 1Olympic National Park Hoh Rainforest · Olympic, WA
  2. 2Oregon Coast Cannon Beach · Cannon Beach, OR
  3. 3Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden · Mendocino, CA
  4. 4Coastal Botanic Walk · Monterey, CA
  5. 5Big Sur Coastline Walk · Big Sur, CA
  6. 6Santa Barbara Wine Country · Santa Barbara, CA
  7. 7Balboa Park Gardens · San Diego, CA

Along the drive

  • Olympic → Cannon Beach

    Astoria Column

    164 steps up for the river mouth, then a paved dog loop at the base.

  • Cannon Beach → Mendocino

    Redwood National Park's Newton B. Drury Parkway

    Ten slow miles of old growth with pull-offs and leashed-dog picnic areas.

  • Mendocino → Monterey

    Point Reyes & Tomales Bay

    Oyster shacks on the water and a beach stretch where dogs are allowed.

  • Monterey → Big Sur

    17-Mile Drive

    The Lone Cypress, harbor seals, and a dozen legal places to pull over.

  • Big Sur → Santa Barbara

    Elephant Seal Rookery, San Simeon

    A boardwalk over hundreds of very loud seals. Keep Luna on the leash.

  • Santa Barbara → San Diego

    Huntington Dog Beach

    A full mile of legal off-leash sand — the best halfway stop in California.

~1,200 miles · 5 stops

Red Rock Loop

Desert arches, canyons, and Luna's least favourite hot sand.

  1. 1Joshua Tree Dog Hike · Joshua Tree, CA
  2. 2Sedona Red Rock Trails · Sedona, AZ
  3. 3Grand Canyon South Rim Trail · Grand Canyon, AZ
  4. 4Zion National Park Pa'rus Trail · Zion, UT
  5. 5Moab Arches National Park · Moab, UT

Along the drive

  • Joshua Tree → Sedona

    Route 66 in Oatman, AZ

    Wild burros wandering the main street and a very good burger shack.

  • Sedona → Grand Canyon

    Slide Rock State Park

    A natural sandstone waterslide in Oak Creek Canyon — cool off early.

  • Grand Canyon → Zion

    Horseshoe Bend

    A three-quarter-mile walk to the most photographed bend of the Colorado.

  • Zion → Moab

    Capitol Reef fruit orchards

    Pick your own apricots in a pioneer orchard, then pie at the Gifford House.

~900 miles · 3 stops

High Country

Wildflowers, dunes, and bison — all above 6,000 feet.

  1. 1Great Sand Dunes Play Day · Mosca, CO
  2. 2Colorado Wildflower Hike · Crested Butte, CO
  3. 3Yellowstone Lamar Valley · Yellowstone, WY

Along the drive

  • Great Sand Dunes → Crested Butte

    Salida hot springs

    A soak on the Arkansas River, and a main street built for wandering.

  • Crested Butte → Yellowstone

    Grand Teton's Jenny Lake

    Turquoise water under the sharpest peaks in the country, an hour before the gate.

~700 miles · 6 stops

Leaf Peeper

Covered bridges, cold ocean, and maple in everything.

  1. 1Hudson Valley Farm Stay · Hudson Valley, NY
  2. 2Vermont Fall Foliage Drive · Stowe, VT
  3. 3Franconia Notch Granite Trails · Franconia, NH
  4. 4Acadia National Park Trails · Acadia, ME
  5. 5Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens · Boothbay, ME
  6. 6Cape Cod Dog Beach · Cape Cod, MA

Along the drive

  • Hudson Valley → Stowe

    Kingston Stockade District

    Stone streets, a good bakery, and the Hudson river walk for legs and paws.

  • Stowe → Franconia Notch

    Ben & Jerry's Factory, Waterbury

    The flavour graveyard out back is genuinely charming. Cones to go.

  • Franconia → Acadia

    Portland Head Light

    Clifftop lawns, a lighthouse, and the best lobster roll detour in Maine.

  • Boothbay → Cape Cod

    Portsmouth, NH

    Brick waterfront, a Sunday market, and dog bowls outside every café door.

~800 miles · 4 stops

Southern Squares

Blue Ridge ridgelines down to Spanish moss.

  1. 1Shenandoah Skyline Drive · Shenandoah, VA
  2. 2Asheville Blue Ridge Parkway · Asheville, NC
  3. 3Savannah Historic Squares · Savannah, GA
  4. 4Magnolia Plantation Gardens · Charleston, SC

Along the drive

  • Shenandoah → Asheville

    Blue Ridge Parkway's Linville Falls

    A shaded mile to a two-tier waterfall, with overlooks every few miles before it.

  • Asheville → Savannah

    Congaree National Park boardwalk

    Two and a half miles of elevated boardwalk through champion bald cypress.

  • Savannah → Charleston

    Beaufort & the Lowcountry loop

    Waterfront park swings, shrimp boats, and oaks over every side street.

~1,000 miles · 2 stops

Big Country

Texas hill country to the desert, plus a Midwest cherry run.

  1. 1Barton Creek Greenbelt · Austin, TX
  2. 2Big Bend River Road · Big Bend, TX

Along the drive

  • Austin → Big Bend

    Fredericksburg peach stands

    Roadside peaches, a lavender farm, and German bakeries in hill country.

  • Austin → Big Bend

    Balmorhea State Park

    A spring-fed pool the size of a lake in the middle of nowhere. Bring a towel.

  • Austin → Big Bend

    Marfa at dusk

    The Chinati installations, then the mystery lights viewing area after dark.