Dog Friendly Places to Visit in Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City has plenty of dog friendly hiking trails for you and Fido to explore. Additionally, there are many dog friendly hotels near Salt Lake City. Even if you aren’t visiting Salt Lake City with a dog, be sure to check out all the great Utah hiking trails. If you have extra time, Park City is also pet friendly and a fun ski town to explore.
We recently took the dog to Salt Lake City & Park City in Utah. We had a great time exploring the great outdoors and met lots of friendly people and dogs throughout the weekend. Although the outdoors are extremely dog friendly, there are some extra regulations for bringing dogs to certain parts of the city that are important to keep in mind. Overall, we definitely recommend visiting Salt Lake with your Dog, especially in the spring time when the tulips are blooming throughout the city. The city is pristinely clean and well maintained and the people are very friendly!
When to visit Salt Lake City with your Dog
We visited Salt Lake City in May unknowing to the fact that the entire city is blooming with tulips! We hear the tulips start wilting by the second week of may so we would recommend visiting in April or early May. The sun was shining all weekend and shorts were a must! The last snow had been a few weeks before we arrived so definitely wait until April if you want to enjoy your time outdoors!
Pet Friendly Hotels in Salt Lake City
Many hotels in salt lake city allow pets so there are lots of options when traveling with your pet.
Pet Friendly Kimpton Hotel in Salt Lake City – 10 minutes from Temple Square and right in the center of downtown. Higher price point than an Airbnb, but great service. Check it out here
Pet Friendly Sheraton Salt Lake City – Walk to temple square and stay in downtown! Check it out here
Pet Friendly Airbnb- We stayed at an Airbnb because we just wanted a place to sleep at a very cheap price. Our host had the cutest collie named Violet who was very friendly with Calvin. To search pet friendly Airbnb, add “pets allowed” as an additional filter. You can get $40 off your first booking if you book through this link.
Dog Regulations and Patio Laws in Salt Lake City
The law requires restaurants in Utah to receive special “Paws on the Patio” permits to allow pets onto their outdoor patios and they do officially enforce this. Most restaurants do not have this permit. As of 2017, only 12 eating establishments in the city had successfully filed for the permit. Once on the patio, the restaurants do not allow dogs to sit on chairs (obviously duh!), to eat any food from the table, or to be touched by restaurant staff. For patios that are not pet friendly, you are always welcome to sit on the patio and keep your dog away from the “general vicinity” of the restaurant. We successfully used this method for a few meals and kept Calvin about 10 feet away from the restaurant – people are very nice there so no one bothered him! Additionally, restaurants ask for proof of rabies vaccinations (a photo will do) before entering the patio. Of course, trained Service Dogs (ESAs are not trained service dogs) are allowed access. There are a yummy variety of pet friendly establishments to choose from! Here they are….
“Paws on the Patio” Establishments in Salt Lake City
Here are some restaurants with pet friendly patios.
Pet Friendly Breweries in Salt Lake City
Campfire Lounge – lots of friendly dogs, they check vaccine records at the door. Game day type food.
Fisher Brewing Company
Uinta Brewing Company
Wasatch Brew Pub Sugar House
Collie’s Sports Bar (in Park City) – very dog friendly and amazing cheeseburgers! Their mascot is a Border Collie.
Wasatch Brew Pub (in Park City) – call in advance to make sure the patio is open. The patio was closed when we visited.
Pet Friendly Breakfast/Lunch in Salt Lake City
Eggs in the City – get your egg fixing.
Alchemy Coffee – get your caffeine boost before starting the day.
The Park Café – 45 minute wait but put your name down and then walk through the park across the street. Sip coffee while you wait. Service is extremely fast and friendly once you are seated.
Pig and a Jelly Jar – good quality southern style breakfast (biscuits, chicken & waffles ect).
Pet Friendly Restaurants in Salt Lake City
Flatbread
Log Haven
Taqueria 27
The Copper Onion (No dog permit, but Fido can wait beyond the patio fence) – totally worth it for the amazing dinner food!
Map of Dog Friendly Activities in Salt Lake City
Hiking near Salt Lake City: Dog Friendly Hiking Trails in Salt Lake City
If you visit Salt Lake City with your dog in the spring or summer, there are unlimited trails for you and Fido to explore. Salt Lake City hikes are easy to find on All Trails but we will include some of our favorites below.
Millcreek Canyon – $3 fee to enter (cash or card). Dogs are allowed off leash on certain days and we ran into lots of friendly pups. We took the Pipeline Trail which leads to a scenic view of the entire city if you head to the “Overlook.” To get to the overlook, turn left when you get to the fork in the road on the Pipeline Trail. If there is any confusion, ask around for where the Pipeline Overlook is. The trail seems intimidating at first but after about a 15 minute uphill struggle, the trail plateaus around the mountain to the overlook.
Although we did not check this out, The Big Water Trail is a 2.5 mile hike to a dog Lake! Check out all the trails to see which would be best for you. See more about the trails here
Freedom Trail & Memory Grove Park – Check out the pet friendly park near the State Capitol Building! Check out the Capitol and then walk down to the off-leash Memory Grove Park and Freedom Trail. The park has a small pond, beautiful flowers, and historic landmarks.
Tanner Park – This park is not officially off leash even though you will see many dogs romping off leash when you get to the trails. Although this is a park, it is more like a hike to a creek. The water access is refreshing after the walk.
Horsetail Falls – This trail is a little more difficult and can get quite steep. It does lead to a beautiful waterfall over the valley. Check out more information about the trails here.
The Living Room Trail – this trailhead is right off the University of Utah. The walk is about 2.5 miles that leads up to a great view over Salt Lake City. The trail is rather rocky and steep but has beautiful foliage and wildflowers. At the top of the hike you will find fun Flintstone like living room furniture overlooking the city.
Salt Lake City Activities with your Dog
City Creek Mall – City Creek Mall is across the street Temple Square. Because the mall is outdoors, you can walk through with Fido. A creek flows through the mall and there are a lot of beautiful fountains sprinkled throughout the mall.
The Temple Square – Temple Square was one of the most breathtaking parts of our visit. We walked through a few times over the weekend because we couldn’t get enough. The temple square is a complex owned by the LDS church and is the most popular tourist attraction in Utah. We visited a few times and found that the best time for a “peaceful” stroll is around 8-9am. The square fills up with tourists groups throughout the day. During April and May, the square is decorated with beautiful tulips. Check out the temple square blog post on what to expect in every season. Please note, you do not have to be a part of the LDS church to visit (we are not), and the members of the community are very welcoming and respectful.
Capitol Hill – Another pristine part of Salt Lake City. Park near the Capitol, check it out, and then take a 5 minute walk to the off-leash Memory Grove Park and Trails. The best time to visit Capitol Hill is first thing in the morning. We visited around 8am and tour groups were already beginning to arrive. By the time we left the area, the plaza was crowded.
Brigham Young Historic Park – This well maintained park offers a peaceful stroll through flowers, historical statues, and a flowing stream. It is a quiet park around the corner from Temple Square. We found that it was less touristy than the square. This is a historical site run by the LDS church so it is important to keep pets on leash.
Gilgal Sculpture Garden – This is a hidden gem of Salt Lake City. It is off-the-beaten-path and therefore very quiet. We went on a Saturday and only one other person (with two doxies) was in the entire park. We kept Calvin on leash while walking through the park but did not see any signs indicating otherwise, and the other pups were off leash.
Liberty Park – Liberty park is across the street from The Park Café. Put your name down for breakfast and then take a walk around the Lake at Liberty Park. This park is on leash but very friendly.
The Great Salt Lake – We accessed the Great Salt Lake through the State Park. Your navigation tools will likely want you to navigate to the “Great Salt Lake Marina” but there is a small CASH ONLY entry fee here and not much to see except to use the restroom. We found that the best way to take a walk on the Salt Lake shore was to navigate to “The Great Saltair.” This appeared to be an abandoned concert venue with free access to walking along the sandy shores of the Lake. No restrooms so head to the marina for that. The photos below are from this location:
Tanger Outlets – half way between Park City and Salt Lake. You’ll get a great deal without having to battle through crowds. The outlet plaza is very pet friendly and so are most of the clothing stores. We didn’t intend to stop here but are glad we did. A restroom break turned into a shopping spree.
Park City – Park City is only about 45 minutes from downtown Salt Lake. It is a quaint ski town with an old western feel. It is worth a visit for strolling through the main street and popping into cute shops.
Happy Travels,
Your Pal Cal
