Visiting Crater Lake National Park with Dogs | Dog-Friendly Guide to Crater Lake

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One of the best sunrises of my life was at Crater Lake National Park.

Juno and I were on our way to Bend, Oregon for the total solar eclipse and decided to camp at Crater Lake for the night. Unfortunately there was a terrible wildfire raging nearby, making the once pine-scented air too smoky for us to sleep well.

I gave up on sleep just before dawn and drove to the lake to see that the smoke had cleared briefly overnight, leaving the view to the crater clear. Distant smoke made the cloud-colors of sunrise even more intense than usual, and we were the only ones to see it! Eventually a few more people came along to share the sight, but I’ll never forget those ~30 minutes of total peace and privacy in what’s normally a touristy, tripod-packed area.

Not five minutes after sunrise, smoke swirled back into the crater and completely blocked it from view. As we drove out of the park, the ranger at the gate hung a sign that said “Smoke covering lake at this time.” Thousands of tourists were disappointed that day, but not us. I’ll always remember my front-row sunrise with Juno, watching the smoky sun poke its head above the rim of Crater Lake.

Are dogs allowed at Crater Lake?

Yes, dogs are allowed inside Crater Lake National Park! They’re welcome on all paved roads, parking lots, and up to 50 feet beyond paved areas. Dogs are also welcome on the paved walkway at Rim Village near the Rim Village Visitor Center, which gives you great views of Crater Lake! All my sunrise photos of Juno in this post are from that paved walkway.

Dogs are also allowed in park campgrounds, like the one we stayed in at Mazama Village, but are not allowed inside any park buildings.

Service dogs are always allowed on trails and inside buildings. This does not include emotional support animals (ESAs).

Dog-friendly hikes near Crater Lake

While there are several dog-friendly trails inside Crater Lake National Park, none of them have views of Crater Lake itself. The dog-friendly trails inside Crater Lake National Park are:

The Lady of the Woods Trail
The Godfrey Glen Trail
The Grayback Drive
The Pacific Crest Trail (not including the “alternate PCT” which follows the rim of the lake)

As mentioned above, you can also “hike” your dog along the paved path near the Rim Village Visitor Center (about 1/4 mile total,) which has great views of the lake.

Dog kennels near Crater Lake

There are no dog kennels inside Crater Lake National Park, so you’ll have to board your pup about an hour away in Klamath Falls, Oregon if you want to hike on a non-dog-friendly trail. Double-C Pet Resort and Cherish K9 House both get great reviews.