

It’s here – the Ultimate Guide for dog friendly hikes in Escalante, Utah!
These are the questions I get ALL the time, “Where can I take my dog in the Escalante area? What’s a good place to camp, or get a hotel?” “When is the best time of year to visit?” So I decided to compile all the information in one place!
Escalante is one of the most dog friendly areas in Utah – dogs are allowed off leash and the trails are all on BLM land or within Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM). The only trail in the area dogs are banned from is Coyote Gulch, hence it isn’t listed here.
Best time of year to hike here? Spring and late Fall. Summer is incredibly hot and the sand and slick rock has the potential to burn your dogs paws, and there is a risk dehydration and overheating. Winter can be doable if we have a low-precipitation year. I have hiked here in January with no snow, but the winter winds and cold temps make it not as enjoyable. If there is recent snow/rain you will not be able to access most of these trail because the roads will be extremely muddy. Always call the Escalante Interagency Visitor Station before your trip to check road and trail conditions.
As for camping, again, this is all BML/GSENM land so camping is free and allowed along any dirt road or near trail heads, but try to camp at a spot that has been previously used. Don’t camp on cryptobiotic soil that has been untouched. It’s extremely fragile soil. If you plan to backpack in this area, you do need a permit, which is FREE, from the Escalante Interagency Visitor Station. There are no services once you leave Escalante, UT so be prepared with plenty of gas, water, and food. Having a satellite communicator like a ZOLEO is highly recommended due to cell signal mostly being non-existant in case of an emergency, as well as a tracking app like Gaia GPS. I have used this app for over 5 years and have never gotten lost thanks to it! You just have to pre-download the maps.
Now that we have all that figured out, let’s get to The Ultimate Guide – Dog Friendly Hikes in Escalante, Utah!
Green = Easy
Yellow = Moderate
Red = Hard
Purple = Lodging
Also check out this pet-friendly hotel in Escalante!
Or rent this awesome pet-friendly van!
Use the code “GIRLONAHIKE” at checkout to get 10% off your van reservation! Reservations can be made HERE through Outdoorsy.com.