6 Top Things To Do With Your Dog at Mt Hood
Posted by Tiffany Quillan | Saturday, June 5, 2021
If you’re a dog-person, you know the amount of work that can go into planning a pet-friendly vacation. You need to find lodging that your dog will be comfortable in, and you also need to plan activities so that your pup isn’t just sitting at the rental all day. Your furry friend is part of your family, and as a good dog mom or dad you want them to be involved in the fun as much as possible. As dog people ourselves, we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else besides Mt Hood, Oregon. This vacation destination offers four magical seasons and plenty of pet friendly activities that the whole family can participate in. Here are some of our favorite things to do with our furry companions in beautiful Mt Hood – we hope you enjoy!
- Mt Hood Dog Friendly Hikes
- Dog Friendly Sno-Parks at Mt Hood
- Dog Friendly Restaurants at Mt Hood
- Mt Hood Dog Friendly Lodging
- Teach Your Pup Some New Tricks
- End the Day with a Special Treat
Your Guide to Enjoying Mt Hood with Your Dog
#1 – Mt Hood Dog Friendly Hikes
Guests who rent our pet friendly cabins frequently ask us where they should hike with their furry friends. Luckily, the answer is that there are many dog friendly trails at Mt Hood. These trails have gorgeous views, and many of them lead to streams or lakes that Fido is welcome to swim in. Be sure to bring a portable water bowl on your hike and please remember that dogs must be on leash on trails. And most importantly, bring a poop pickup bag and pack it out. We do not have poop bag patrol to pick up the bags left behind on the trails.
- Mt Hood National Forest: Mt Hood National Forest is a mecca for pet friendly hiking trails.
- Trillium Lake Loop Trail: The 1.9 mile loop around Trillium Lake is pet friendly and offers excellent views and refreshing dip in the lake after your hike.
- Bennet Pass Trailhead: This 5.1 mile hike offers splendid wildflower viewing.
- Burnt Lake Trail: This 8-mile round-trip hike in Rhododendron offers a beautiful lake for swimming at the top.
- Ramona Falls Trail: This 7.1 loop in Rhododendron is definitely worth the hike. You’ll be rewarded with a waterfall.
#2 – Dog Friendly Sno-Parks at Mt Hood
Mt Hood is a year-round destination, and when hiking is out of the question it’s time to take your dog to a sno-park to snowshoe or cross country ski! Dogs are welcome to enjoy winter fun with you at many of our local sno-parks.
- White River West Sno-Park: Located in the Mt Hood National Forest, White River West Sno-Park is great for snowshoeing and cross country skiing with your pup.
- Barlow Pass Sno-Park: 2 miles north of US 26, Barlow Pass Sno-Park offers the perfect snow play opportunities for you and your dog.
- Pocket Creek Sno-Park: Pocket Creek Sno-Park is a bit longer of a drive, but you will be rewarded with plenty of space for Fido and you to play.
#3 – Dog Friendly Restaurants at Mt Hood
After a long day of adventure with your pup, you might be ready to let someone else do the cooking. Mt Hood is very pet friendly, and many of our restaurants offer outdoor seating where your dog can join you. Some restaurants even have special treats on the menu just for Fido!
- Mt Hood Brewing Co: This pet friendly pub in Government Camp offers patio seating where your dog can join you. You’ll enjoy fresh brews and pub fare like fish-n-chips and burgers.
- Ratskellar: This pizzeria in Government Camp offers outdoor seating where your dog can join you for lunch, dinner or drinks.
- Barlow Trail Roadhouse: Enjoy historic sites and delicious eats at the Barlow Trail Roadhouse in Welches. Fido is welcome on the outdoor patio.
- All Natural Wraptitude: Enjoy gourmet wraps, burgers, sandwiches, beer, wine and more at the outdoor tables at Wraptitude in Welches! Wraptitude also offers live entertainment in the summer.
- Altitude Restaurant & Lounge: Altitude Restaurant and Lounge offers casual upscale dining and welcomes dogs at their outdoor tables.
- Dairy Queen: Dairy Queen in Rhododendron offers the usual classics like hamburgers, fries and ice cream treats. Dogs are welcome to join you in the outdoor seating section and you can even ask for an ice cream treat for your furry friend.
- Pub 26: Fun tavern for hand-crafted cocktails and local beer. Bar menu with amazing fried chicken sandwiches, burgers and grilled cheese with housemade tomato soup. Covered all-weather outside dining. Open 4 – 10 PM daily.
- Koya Kitchen: Asian-inspired food cart with large outside dining area serving cocktails, beer and saki.
#4 – Mt Hood Dog Friendly Lodging
There’s nothing like kicking back with a glass of wine while you watch the sunset and play fetch with Fido. The sense of joy you get from seeing them run around to their heart’s content is really fulfilling. Some vacation planning experiences can be stressful when you’re trying to figure out where to stay and what to do with your dog – but Mt Hood makes it easy. We offer a great selection of pet friendly rental cabins at Mt Hood. Find a secluded cabin where your dog can have the lay of the land, or choose a riverfront rental if your pup loves the water.
#5 – Teach Your Pup Some New Tricks
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day noise that can distract us from working on obedience with our pets. That’s why vacation is the perfect time to break out the treats, tennis ball, or clicker and work on some training techniques. You might want to work on some advanced skills if you’ve already mastered the classics like “sit”, “lay down” and “heel”. Can you teach your pup to rollover? What about telling them to “wait” as you walk a few feet in front of them? Connecting with your dog and checking in on their obedience skills will make hiking, running, and snowshoeing with them much more enjoyable.
#6 – End the Day with a Special Treat
All of our Mt Hood cabin rentals have full kitchens, so you can whip up something sweet for your awesomely good doggo! It’s surprising how easy it is to make homemade dog treats, and you might even get some bonus cuddles for all of your hard work. Here is one of our favorite treat recipes, perfect for a weekend with your pup. If you have two dogs consider doubling it!
Spot’s Peanut Pumpkin Sweet Treats
- 4 T Pumpkin Puree
- 1/2 C Peanut Butter
- 1 Egg
- 1 1/4 C Flour (preferably whole wheat, but white flour is okay too)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Mix pumpkin puree, peanut butter and egg together until well combined
- Slowly add in flour until combined
- Knead the dough slightly then roll it out to a 1/4″ thickness of a floured surface
- Cut into whatever shapes you like (Spot prefers bone shaped)
- Place on baking sheet and bake 20 minutes
- Let cool before serving
Plan Your Pet Friendly Mt Hood Getaway
We’ve got all the details on planning the ultimate pet friendly vacation to Mt Hood, Oregon. Browse our pet friendly cabins and contact us with any questions.
