How dog friendly is Oregon? VERY PET FRIENDLY
The Pacific Northwest is a dog friendly paradise. Oregon has so many dog friendly activities wherever you look. It is time that we finally write about the wonderful spots we have visited up north. In our most recent visit, we packed up the car and drove 12 hours with both boys. As always, the boys handled traveling with grace – this was Samson’s first major trip and he spent the entire time napping (being cute is hard work). There were so many pet friendly activities in the Portland Area and along the Oregon coast. The Oregon coast is especially pet friendly.
We arrived in Silverton, OR around 3am and crawled into bed for our 6am sunrise wakeup – yes, we travel like lunatics. Life is too short! We spent each morning visiting the Wooden Shoe Farm Tulips for sunrise before heading off to our next stops. We met up with our Instagram friends in Portland, went on a few hikes, and then made our way back down the Oregon Coast towards home. Overall, we drove over 1600 miles and hit up the coast in 4 days. We’re excited to check out other parts of the coast next year. This post focuses on the areas we visited outside of the city. For our trip to Portland, see our Portland Blog here.
Map of Dog Friendly Activities in Oregon:
Pet Friendly Hotel Getaway: Where to Stay in Oregon With your Dog
When to visit Oregon
The earliest we have visited Oregon is at the end of April – Oregon is known for being perpetually covered by a light drizzle for most months of the year. We visited in April for the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, but previously visited during the sunny summer months.
Where to stay in Oregon
On our most recent visit, we were interested in exploring outside of Portland so we stayed 45 minutes outside of the city at the Silverton Inn
On our way back down the coast, we stayed at the Brookings, OR Beachfront Inn. We got a pet friendly beachfront room for less than $100 per night!
Pet Friendly Things to do: Taking your dog to the Oregon Countryside
Pet Friendly Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm
Woodburn, OR
The number one reason we drove up to Oregon in April was to attend the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. The festival runs from end of March through end of April but the exact dates vary by year. For the best blooms, it’s best to visit during the later half of the festival season. The festival is dog friendly and takes place on over 40 acres of blooming flowers. On weekend mornings, rainbow hot air balloons are released to bring additional colors to the scene.
Pet Friendly Swan Island Dahlias
Canby, OR
If you missed out on the Tulip Festival, don’t fret – the Swan Island Dahlias are similarly beautiful and pet friendly. The fields are open to the public from August through September. The Dahlia farm includes over 360 varieties of colorful flowers on 40 acres of land. We visited in late summer and were pleasantly surprised at how quiet and peaceful the fields were.
Taking Your Dog to the Oregon Coast
We didn’t make it to Cannon Beach but it is on our list of dog friendly beaches for next time and should def be on any Oregon Coast bucket list. This beach is easily identified by “Hay Stack Rock” overlooking the sand. After fun at the beach, head over to the town for a taste of art and culture.
Pet Friendly Newport’s Historic Bayfront
Newport, OR
The town of Newport mirrors the coastal towns of New England. We walked down the main strip and got some food. During most of the year, the echoing sound of Sea Lions resonates through the town. We ate on the outdoor patio of Clearwater Restaurant patio for a front row seat to the noisy Seals. The food was great and the seal’s quirky antics were mesmerizing. For outdoor fun, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is a pet friendly excursion nearby
Pet Friendly Seal Rock State Park
Seal Rock, OR
If you are pressed for time, you can skip this stop. We stopped at Seal Rock to stretch our legs and let the dogs run on the beach. Think: big rocks, sand, and beach.
Pet Friendly Cape Perpetua Lookout
Yachats, OR
We took a pit stop to take in the views at Cape Perpetua lookout – the dogs stayed in the car but there were plenty of well behaved pups This stop can take as short or long as you’d like depending on if you want to walk the trails – we just took in the view, and were on our way.
Pet Friendly Beachfront Brookings
Brookings, OR
The Beachfront Inn is a hidden gem in Brookings, OR. We stayed in an oceanfront room for less than $100 per night and breakfast was included. The Inn is located on Sporthaven Beach – a rocky beach on the Pacific Ocean. The pebbles resembled the types of beaches you find in the south of France and Spain. We had the beach to ourselves in the early morning.
Take Your Dog to the Oregon Dunes
Pet Friendly Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area
Reedsport, OR
We finally crossed the Oregon Dunes off our bucket list! The dunes can be accessed at many different entry points but not all are pet friendly and some are used extensively for ATVs. We researched the best place to see the dunes with dogs and found the Tahkenitch Dunes Trail If desired, you can follow the trail for an entire loop that includes forest, dunes, and beach all in one visit. The trailhead has two entry points and both eventually get to the dunes. We chose the trailhead on the right side of the parking lot to start our loop (NOT the one with the picnic tables). This trailhead was only about a mile to the dunes. On our visit, there was only one other car in the parking lot and we didn’t see anyone on the trail. The dogs played in the sand for about an hour and then we headed back down the coast.
PNWonderland Awaits!
-Your Pal Cal
