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cyidv2 
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Joined: Sep. 2012
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Posted on: Sep. 03 2012, 12:10 pm |
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Looking for a few good places to go backpacking with my dog. I know a lot of places allow dogs on the day hike trails, but not the backpacking trails. Anyone have any info that could help or a site?
Thanks!
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WiscoHiker
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Posted on: Sep. 03 2012, 6:46 pm |
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I believe dogs are allowed in most state parks with certain restrictions -- look at michigan state park website.
Dogs are normally allowed on backpacking trails and campsites, but not in cabins or yurts, also dogs are not normally allowed on beaches.
My experiences have been in the U.P. - I don't know if there are different rules for the rest of the state.
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| Post Number: 3
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cyidv2
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Posted on: Sep. 03 2012, 11:10 pm |
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Yeah, I have looked at a few and they state dogs allowed on day hiking trails, but not backpacking trails/camping areas.
For example, Picture Rocks.
Just wondering if anyone has actually gone anywhere in or around MI on the backpacking trails/camping areas
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| Post Number: 4
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TigerFan
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Posted on: Sep. 04 2012, 12:48 pm |
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(cyidv2 @ Sep. 03 2012, 11:10 pm)
QUOTE Yeah, I have looked at a few and they state dogs allowed on day hiking trails, but not backpacking trails/camping areas.
For example, Picture Rocks.
Just wondering if anyone has actually gone anywhere in or around MI on the backpacking trails/camping areas
The only parks I know of that don't allow dogs in the backcountry are the federal parks like Pictured Rocks, Isle Royal and parts of Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. Otherwise, in my experience, dogs are generally allowed in the backcountry areas, including national forest areas. The question is more often whether leashes are required or not.
I've backpacked with my dog on the Manistee River Trail, North Country Trail, Nordhouse Dunes and the Porcupine Mountains. Shouldn't be a problem in the Hoist Lakes area either. Also, dogs are allowed in any of the areas in the national forests or state forests that allow dispersed/at-large backcountry camping.
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| Post Number: 5
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Hungry Jack
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Posted on: Sep. 04 2012, 1:58 pm |
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Pix Rox (and any NP or National Lakeshore) only permits dogs in designated areas. I through-hiked the lakeshore trail several years ago and rode the Altran shuttle with some guy who thought he could bring his dog along. He got stopped (fortunately) by a ranger about a mile into the hike from the Sable visitor center, who graciously offered to board his dog during his through-hike. That was some serious trail magic.
IIRC, the national forests permits dogs without any major restrictions, provided they are in wilderness areas or other specially designated tracks. The rules from the NFS web site:
- Leave vicious or unusually noisy dogs at home.
- During the day keep your dog on a leash no more than 6 feet long, or otherwise restrict its freedom to roam at will.
- At night keep your dogs and other pets inside an enclosed vehicle or in a tent.
- Developed campgrounds are for people, not animals. Please do not bring more than two dogs or other pet to any one campsite
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| Post Number: 6
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WiscoHiker
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Posted on: Sep. 04 2012, 3:56 pm |
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I was told by a ranger that there are no dog restrictions, not even a leash requirement in the Otawa Nat'l Forest in the U.P.
I also know that there are no restrictions in the McCormick Wilderness.
I think you're asking about Michigan, so I've restricted my responses to what I know about Michigan only, and the U.P. in particular. Of course, the best best is to call ahead or check the website, if there is one.
NOTE: My experiences have led me to believe that there are two specific reasons for resticting dogs in certain areas. First is to protect people from the dogs. Second is to protect the dogs from the wildlife (or wildlife from the dogs, whichever way you want to look at it). I have a dog that doesn't run after animals, stays with me on or off leash, and doesn't bark at or attack people, but I have to be careful where I go since so many places don't let me bring my dog. I was in a State Park in Wisconsin last year (Copper Falls) and they wouldn't let me take my dog on a short segment of the North Country Trail because it coincided with a nature trail that was for people only.
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| Post Number: 7
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cyidv2
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Posted on: Sep. 04 2012, 5:20 pm |
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Thanks for all the responses!
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| Post Number: 8
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gimp
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Posted on: Sep. 06 2012, 8:18 am |
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Try the Fox River Pathway outside of Seney in the U.P. You would be O.K all the way up to Kingston Lake. Just be aware that you will be walking by animals that may consider your dog to be a potential meal. In the lower U.P. I've day hiked a major portion of the Jordan River trail with one of my dogs in the fall. That turned out to be a bad idea because his long coat picked up a leaves, sticks and burrs and it took me days to get all of that out.
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| Post Number: 9
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Indianabob
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Posted on: Sep. 07 2012, 4:43 pm |
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We don't usually do much backpacking in bear country with our dog. We just are not sure how he would react. We did bring him to Sylvania a few years ago but the forest there is so old, there is not much forage and I have never seen bear sign there. A friend did run into a moose there a few years ago though.
Anyway, we have run across people hiking with their dogs in the north woods quite a bit and no one has ever described any problems. As our pup would say if he could speak:
"Let no dog be left behind."
He is very enthusiastic about camping and is generally well behaved.
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| Post Number: 10
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Bleve
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Posted on: Sep. 11 2012, 10:59 pm |
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I'll summarize all the places I've long - dayhiked / backpacked with my dogs (lots of repeat from above):
Nordhouse Dunes, Manistee River Trail, Jordan River Trail, NCT elsewhere, Hoist Lakes, Shingle Mill Pathway, McCormick Tract Wilderness, Porcupine Mountains, NCT in the Trap Hills, Bruno's Run, and Lake Superior SF.
I would've responded sooner but my wife and I were backpacking with our two dogs up at Lake Superior Provincial Park in Ontario. We found Canada has some great trails that are generally quiet so they make great places to take the dogs - we also hit the Bruce Trail this Spring with our dogs - both places have some similarities to Pix Rocks so that was pretty cool to be able to take the dogs.
Did you have an area of the state you were interested in?
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| Post Number: 11
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Bleve
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Posted on: Sep. 11 2012, 11:00 pm |
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Oops, left out the Mason Tract Pathway we did a couple weeks ago (canoed down the Au Sable then hiked the pathway back).
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