BlogOctober 2022

Best Dog Friendly Campsites in the Fall

Best Dog Friendly Campsites in the Fall

By Jeff Bogle

Oct 20, 2022

There are thousands of dog friendly campsites in America, but these five are especially perfect for camping with your dog in the fall!

Chances are, your furry best friend shares your love of the outdoors. And there’s no better time to be outdoors than the fall! This is why dog friendly campsites are so much fun, they allow you to revel in your passion together with your pup. Whether you want to literally ‘ruff’ it in a classic camping tent, rent a cozy cabin, or hook up your RV at a dog friendly campsite in the fall, your camping experience will be enhanced when your dog is in tow, just make sure you consult our fall camping checklist first! There are thousands of dog friendly campsites in America, but these pawful of them are especially perfect for camping with your dog in the fall!

4 Paws Kingdom Campground & Dog Retreat

Rutherfordton, North Carolina

When it comes to fall camping, few locations are as picture-perfect than the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. That phrase alone smells like pumpkin spice and sounds like the crunch of dried leaves! The 4 Paws Kingdom Campground holds the special distinction of being the first and only of its kind in the United States, in that it is dedicated solely to dogs and their grown-up chaperons! No kids under 18 allowed, but 4 Paws Kingdom does have plenty of RV sites (and even rents RVs for use on site) with 30/50 amp service, cabins, and yurts available to rent for one or multiple nights, and up for 4 dogs in each, but the main reason you will want to book a spot at this dog friendly campsite this fall are the many doggie amenities — swimming pond, several off-leash play parks, an agility park, hiking trails, doggie bathhouse with grooming station, and more. Additionally, all of the parks in the campground have 4-foot-tall fences, and some of the campsites do too. While your puppers is napping, use the free wifi to post photos of your dog at 4 Paws Kingdom on their social media channels!

Sagadahoc Bay Campground

Georgetown, Maine

While most dog friendly campsites will have your puppy’s tail wagging, eager for fresh-air hikes, chil-ly streams to splash in, and sleeping under the stars alongside you, we are focusing on the loca-tions which truly shine in the autumn season. Open from only May to October, this dog friendly campground in Maine was founded by dog-lovers, for dog-lovers, so you can count on a relaxing and fun camping trip with your furry best friend this fall. Located on the southern tip of Georgetown Island, you and your dog will enjoy ocean front camping together at the Sagadahoc Bay Campground. There are lots of tent sites, RV spots, and cabins to call home, and to let the worries of the world slip away this fall as you enjoy beautiful views of Seguin Island Light, a sandy beach for swimming, rocky ledges for fishing, and kayaking with your dog during high tide.

Dark Sky RV Campground

Kanab, Utah

If you want to truly escape the hustle and bustle of work, school, and doggy daycare, this dark sky dog friendly campsite in the Utah desert between the north rim of the Grand Canyon and the south-ern edge of Bryce Canyon National Park is the dreamiest campground in America. With views of the Vermilion Cliffs during the daytime and the unpolluted sky at night, you can park your RV, or take advantage of one of the dog friendly campsite’s van and truck sites with the option of adding a patio with a hammock, chairs, and propane fire pit. Dogs are requested to stay on-leash here, but few lo-cations in the country offer this kind of camping experience to share with your dog in the fall.

Lost River Valley Campground

North Woodstock, New Hampshire

How many dog friendly campsites can say they are nestled into the White Mountains of New Hamp-shire, and surrounded on three sides by National Forest? Lost River is a postcard-perfect retreat for you to go camping with your dog this fall, to feel the chill of the night air, the crunch of leaves under foot and paw, and to take photos of your dog in the vibrant colors of the season. The dog-friendly glamping sites here will pamper you and your dog alike as you camp in six-person cabins with heat and a/c (not that you’ll be needing that in the fall in NH), a kitchen, grill, and more. Of course, if ‘ruff-ing’ it is what you have in mind, Lost River has tent sites that let you snuggle your puppy beside a babbling brook. Full hookup RV spots, with 20, 30 & 50-amp electric service, are an option too. During your camping trip with your dog in New Hampshire this fall, make use of the swimming beach (ensuring first that you’ve got the best dog life jacket), volleyball, tennis, badminton and basketball courts, an arcade, fire pits for making s’mores, kayak and paddleboat rentals, and brook trout fishing in two mountain streams!

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Campsite and Resort

Luray, Virgina

When you want both a dog friendly campsite and a family friend campground to take a much need-ed outdoor vacation this fall, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley is your ideal spot! The town itself is famous for the Luray Caverns, a many walkways, and rock for-mations deep underground, including the Great Stalacpipe Organ, which makes the stalactites “sing.” Located near the Blue Ridge Mountains, this dog friendly campsite sitting on 73 acres offers a mix of true nature attractions, like easy access to The Appalachian Trail, and man-made amenities sure to please your human and fuzzy children alike, like a water park, mini-golf, laser tag, jumping pillows, gem mining, and an outdoor movie theater. Open until the end of November, choose from wooden cabins, tent sites, or an RV site for your dog friendly camping in the fall!

Looking for more activities to do with your dog? Check out these 6 doggy activities to try while at a dog friend campsite this fall!

Jeff Bogle
Jeff Bogle
Jeff is a dad of teen daughters, avid traveler, photographer, and freelance writer. He’s penned stories on family travel, outdoor recreation, the environment, parenting, and more for Fodor’s, Reader’s Digest, Parents Magazine, Good Housekeeping, PBS, and Esquire, among other publications. Find him on his blog, OWTK.com and on Instagram @OWTK. Jeff is also the publisher of the quarterly literary zine, Stanchion