Glacier NP Camping & Dogs

[Boothill]

i know there is another thread going about camping in glacier but didn't want to hijack RedStix thread

sodakgrrl and i are planning on visiting glacier next year the first week in august (sturgis motorcycle rally is gong on here at home and they are expecting 1,000,000 people to show up for the 75th anniv.) and we both want nothing to do with it! so we are leaving for the week

the problem i foresee us having is we have 2 dogs that need to go with us, which from what i can tell eliminates us from renting a cabin, unless we make the dogs stay in the car all the time, and also eliminates us from any back country hiking and camping

the research i have done looks like the dogs are fine in the regular campgrounds as long as we keep them leashed and and off any sort of trails, says they can't sleep outside but hoping having then tied up to the hammock for the night with us will be ok, if not then i guess they would have to sleep in the car

i guess my real question is, should we even take them along, it looks like it limits our options quite a bit, but leaving them at home isn't really much of an option either, i also think i could probably find a camper to borrow and take which also limit us to the campgrounds but would allow us someplace to leave them if we wanted to day hike

anyone taken their dogs to glacier and what would your advice be? thanks for the help and advice

boot

[OCDave]

I consider the cost of a dog-sitter or kennel to be part of the vacation. While I enjoy the company of my dog, having her along would really interfere with getting the most out of the trip.

I promise, there will be trails you'll want to hike and leaving the dogs in the car will weigh on you. Do yourself a favor and leave the dogs behind.

Good Luck

[Montexan]

NPS doesn't actually allow you to leave dogs in the car. If parked next to your camp then ok, but not to leave behind. *some* car-camping/RV campgrounds allow dogs on a short leash, like you said, but you won't be getting any hikes in since they are restricted to the parking lot area. I often take another path down to the beach and miss signs around the Olympic NP coastline. Never had any issues, but I'd get rocked by a fine if in the rainforests.

Depending on your dogs temperament and their needs, maybe leave them at a doggy day-care or use Rover.com (my friend used to run a house full of happy labbies through Rover). Rover is awesome. Then for backcountry hiking/camping just go elsewhere with the pups. There are lots of other great places directly in the vicinity. One of my all time favourites is Mt. Aneas. Anywhere in the Jewel Basin will be spectacular with views of Glacier and the entire Flathead Valley. Lots of lakes with fishing (a 3-day out-of-state lic. is like $30) and since it's a bear area (lots of huck on the slopes), you can open carry without rangers and REI-hippie$ giving you any grief, but you won't have any problems with a canister or hanging your food (PCT method please).

Department of Ag = Resource management
Department of Interior = Land nazi politicos

Maybe when the NPS turns 100 in a couple years they'll surprise us with a change in the rather Draconian policy they have now.

[Boothill]

I consider the cost of a dog-sitter or kennel to be part of the vacation. While I enjoy the company of my dog, having her along would really interfere with getting the most out of the trip.

I promise, there will be trails you'll want to hike and leaving the dogs in the car will weigh on you. Do yourself a favor and leave the dogs behind.

Good Luck

thanks for the advice, if we did take the dogs we would go outside the park for hikes if we had to (which is the case), would never leave the pups in the car and go hiking without them for multiple reasons

NPS doesn't actually allow you to leave dogs in the car. If parked next to your camp then ok, but not to leave behind. *some* car-camping/RV campgrounds allow dogs on a short leash, like you said, but you won't be getting any hikes in since they are restricted to the parking lot area.
Depending on your dogs temperament and their needs, maybe leave them at a doggy day-care or use Rover.com (my friend used to run a house full of happy labbies through Rover).

didn't mean to imply that we would leave the dogs in the car, that would never happen, just trying to figure out how we could take them along and still enjoy the trip and do some hiking, if we had a camper with a/c we might consider leaving them there for an hour or two but no longer, the only time they would be in the car would be at night to sleep if we took hammocks instead of a camper and couldn't leave them attached to the suspension during the night

thanks for the info on rover i will definitely check it out

boot

[IRONFISH45]

Excellent discussion. For one thing I am sure you know that dogs attract bears, bait the bears if given the chance. Kenneling is good if you are able to find a suitable spa for your K9's. Do your research carefully, a lot of what is available is not desirable. Research, check references, pay a surprise visit if possible. If you must leave your pals with your Veterinary Clinic.

My dog is a Medical Alert Dog, she goes everywhere with me. Until recently, she did not like sleeping without solid walls around her. Now, since our elderly dog passed on, she wants to sleep under my hammock. She hates tents, guards me all night, then gives a grunt and goes to sleep when the sun comes up. I do not put gear on her that lets people know she is a Service Dog, I have seldom been challenged. However, here in Oregon, almost everyone travels with some sort of shaggy K9, I always have a tether of some sort on her to protect her from unexpected challenges. I broke that rule earlier this Summer, let her run after we left the car, we were on a beach on the Columbia River near the mouth. Dog went running for the river, oops, cliff, major cliff, dog went over, luck for both of us she did not break anything, just hurt her dignity. My daughter and I had a heck of a time getting her back up the drop off. I knew better, been traveling with dogs all my life. Get complacent and boom, something negative happens.

Kennel or go someplace else. Have your dogs gone through the K9 Good Citizen Program? If not you might want to look into it, just basic good manners, it is free to be tested and the certificate is free. I found the certificate opens doors to "NO DOGS ALLOWED". My daughter hauls out her dogs certification as a K9 Good Citizen when she uses hotels and motels, even some campgrounds. The requirements are: Sit, Stay, be nice while meeting new dog and people, sitting calmly while human hands leash to stranger and walks away, lastly laying down for 3 minutes without any corrections.

[Montexan]

However, here in Oregon, almost everyone travels with some sort of shaggy K9, I always have a tether of some sort on her to protect her from unexpected challenges. I broke that rule earlier this Summer, let her run after we left the car, we were on a beach on the Columbia River near the mouth. Dog went running for the river, oops, cliff, major cliff, dog went over, luck for both of us she did not break anything, just hurt her dignity.

Glad to hear that story ended well. Last Winter my dog also jumped off a big, but luckily sandy, berm at Ocean Shores. Missed the a nice log with an impaling branch by about 5 feet. Also why I tether him to his life vest, because he's way too overconfident around the North Jetty. Turns out surf fishing confuses retrievers. Dogs..

Glacier NP is wonderful and something everyone should experience, but if you're set on bringing your pups I'd skip that area. There are tons of other dog-friendly treats Montana, or Central-Eastern/North Idaho, have to offer. Better fishing too if you're into that.

[DanglingModifier]

As has been noted dogs + brown bears don't mix well. I've seen a small dog tree a black bear before. A brown is much more likely to get upset with your dog or you if challenged. It's been a while since I was in Glacier, but my vague recollection is that it didn't have much to do directly outside/around it, it has spectacular hikes and views inside it (although many of the easily accessible glaciers have melted away since I was last there), and there are a lot of bears. In fact, the last time I was there my intended backpacking trail had been temporarily closed because of a bear mauling death on it the day (week?) before. To date it's the only park where I've been nervous enough to sing and talk loudly to myself when I parted ways with my buddy and was hiking solo. Seeing enormous fresh tracks in the mud on the trail near your campsite that weren't there the day before will do that to you.

I'd second the idea of kenneling the dogs, either at home, or someplace reputable closer to the park. Alternatively, can any family or friends house sit for you?