Where dogs are allowed
- Specific trails, including Peabody Creek, Madison Falls, and the Spruce Railroad Trail
- Rialto Beach to Ellen Creek (about a half mile)
- Kalaloch-area beaches between the Hoh and Quinault Reservations
- July Creek Loop Trail on Lake Quinault
- Drive-in campgrounds, picnic areas, and paved or dirt roads
Where dogs are not allowed
- All trails not on the allowed list
- Wilderness and backcountry areas
- Public buildings and interpretive walks
- Tidal rocks (barnacles and mussels can cut paws)
The exceptions
Specific places inside the park where dogs are permitted:
-
Spruce Railroad Trail (Lake Crescent)
A nearly flat, lakeside trail on the north shore of Lake Crescent where leashed dogs (max 6-foot leash) are permitted — one of Olympic's signature dog-friendly walks.
-
Rialto Beach to Ellen Creek
Leashed dogs may walk the beach from the Rialto Beach parking lot to Ellen Creek, about a half mile. Beyond that, and on other coastal stretches, pets are not allowed.
-
Peabody Creek and Madison Falls Trails
Two short, easy walks near Port Angeles and the Elwha area where leashed dogs are welcome.
Olympic National Park is unusual among U.S. national parks: it is genuinely more dog-friendly than most, but only on a specific, short list of trails and beaches. Per the park’s pets page (checked July 2026), leashed dogs (six feet or less) are welcome on the Spruce Railroad Trail along Lake Crescent, on Rialto Beach to Ellen Creek, on the Madison Falls and Peabody Creek trails, on the July Creek Loop, and on the Kalaloch-area beaches — plus in campgrounds, picnic areas, and on roads.
Everywhere else — the backcountry, the wilderness, the Hoh Rain Forest, Hurricane Ridge’s trails, and most of the coastline — pets are not allowed. That still leaves dog owners with far fewer options than the park’s size suggests.
The smart move: head to Olympic National Forest
As the National Park Service itself notes, Olympic National Forest is a separate entity where leashed dogs are welcome on trails. The forest wraps around the park and holds some of the best dog hiking on the peninsula — Lower Lena Lake, Murhut Falls, Mount Ellinor, and more. If you are planning an Olympic trip with your dog, spend less time hunting the park’s exception list and more time on the forest trails below.
Dog-friendly hikes near Olympic National Park
Just outside the park boundary — on national-forest and state land where leashed dogs are welcome.
Murhut Falls
A short, easy walk to a 130-foot tiered waterfall in Olympic National Forest — one of the gentlest dog-friendly waterfall hikes on the Olympic Peninsula.
1.6 mi · 250 ft
Lower Lena Lake
A moderate climb through old-growth forest to a classic Olympic Peninsula lake on national forest land, where leashed dogs are welcome up to the wilderness boundary.
6.4 mi · 1,300 ft
Mount Walker
A steep, year-round climb to two sweeping viewpoints over Hood Canal and the Cascades on dog-friendly Olympic National Forest land near Quilcene.
4 mi · 2,000 ft
Frequently asked questions
Can dogs visit the Hoh Rain Forest?
No. The Hoh is backcountry and wilderness, where pets are prohibited. The surrounding Olympic National Forest has dog-friendly alternatives instead.
Are dogs allowed at Hurricane Ridge?
Not on the trails. Leashed dogs may be on paved roads and in parking and developed areas, but the meadows and trails at Hurricane Ridge are off-limits to pets.
Is Olympic National Forest dog-friendly?
Yes. Olympic National Forest is a separate entity from the national park, and leashed dogs are welcome on its trails — which is where the best dog hiking on the peninsula happens.
Sources & research
Read our research methodology and editorial standards →
- Government Pets — Olympic National Park