See which National Park Service site matches your favorite dog breed!
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah.
Public lands provide unique experiences with their different characteristics—just like dogs! So we thought it would be fun to match up our favorite National Park Service sites with our furry friends this summer. Want to see which park we think matches your favorite dog breed?
Choose a dog breed from below:
- Australian Shepherd
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Labrador Retriever
- Pit Bull
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Samoyed
- Corgi
- Pomeranian
- Greyhound
Australian Shepherd
Photo: Andrew Mace, flickr.
Australian Shepherds are smart, dynamic and full of surprises—the perfect temperament for exploring South Dakota’s Badlands National Park! The ever-changing landscape is a perfect foil for Aussie’s quick minds and curiosity. These dogs are high-energy, rough-and-tumble companions, who would be perfect for a romp through the rugged beauty of the Badlands's 244,000 acres, where you can find bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets.
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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Photo: Louise McLaughlin
Looking for a tried-and-true companion who is loyal to a fault? Look no further than the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel! These easy-going dogs are a great match for New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, where visitors can take in the breathtaking canyons and the New River, which is one of the oldest rivers on Earth. There’s more than meets the eye for both New River Gorge National Park and its canine match—and they’re both real lookers, too!
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Labrador Retriever
Photo: Anela Ramos Kopshever, NPS
Labrador Retrievers and water go hand-in-hand, so we had to pair Labs with a seashore! At Point Reyes National Seashore in California, you can find ocean breakers crashing against rocky seashores, gorgeous sand beaches, the stunning Alamere Falls waterfall and grassy hillsides perfect for drying off after a dip with your water-loving canine companion.
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Pit Bull
Photo: Brent McGuirt
Pit bulls are athletic, energetic dogs with great physical stamina who are perfect companions for hitting the trails—and what better trail than the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, which spans over 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine? This trail has some of the richest biodiversity in the entire National Park system, and that also makes us think of a pit bull’s adaptability. They’re happy on an outdoor adventure, but also content snuggling on the couch with their families. (And, like the trail, the breed “pit bull” encompasses a lot! “Pit bull” is an umbrella term that generally refers to dogs who share physical characteristics, like a blocky head and muscular build.)
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Bernese Mountain Dog
Photo: Mason Cummings
Big and broad, strong yet serene, with stunning colors… the similarities between the Bernese Mountain Dog and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado are striking. These dogs were built for mountains (originating in the Swiss Alps), and we can’t think of a better companion for checking out the park’s hundreds of miles of hiking trails, towering mountain peaks and glistening lakes than a Bernese Mountain Dog. (You’ll also probably run into snow and ice here, and for these dogs? No problem, they are made for snowy mountains!)
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Samoyed
Photo: Howard Ignatius, flickr
Samoyeds are known for their stunning white coats, which are thick, fluffy and remind us of the pure white gypsum sand dunes that stretch across miles of pristine terrain in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park. While Samoyeds originate from the Samoyede people of northwest Siberia for hunting, herding reindeer and pulling sleds in the cold climate, as long as you visit White Sands when it’s not too hot (they can overheat in their coats if they’re out in the heat for too long), these unique dogs would make a perfect companion for exploring a national park that’s truly one-of-a-kind.
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Corgi
Photo: NPS
The favorite dogs of the late Queen Elizabeth II (and her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother), corgis are dogs of distinction…and herding dogs! That makes them perfect for a visit to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, where you can visit the great author’s home in North Carolina and also see dairy goats descended from Mrs. Sandburg’s famous herd!
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Pomeranian
Photo: Mitch Smith, NPS
Pomeranians are lively, curious, and confident. Hot Springs National Park nestled in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas has a ton of activities, from historic bathhouses to ancient thermal springs to creeks and dining and shopping destinations in town. These pups aren’t known for their athleticism, and let’s face it, they’re a little bit bougie too, so the mix of old and new, nature and creature comforts at Hot Springs National Park are a perfect fit for them!
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Greyhound
Photo: Mobilus In Mobili, flickr
Full disclosure: we’re going mostly by looks here! But don’t the long, lithe, lean legs of Greyhounds resemble these iconic cacti at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona? But, aesthetics aside, Greyhounds are also known for their grace and agility, and the beautiful, sweeping views and towering cacti of the Sonoran Desert seem like a match made in heaven.
Want to protect our nation's most vital lands, like this one? Make a gift here now.
Public lands deserve to be protected
While these national parks are protected, many vital public lands and waters across the nation are under threat from drilling, mining, logging and other harmful development.
In fact, right now, only 14% of public lands in the U.S. are permanently protected—that’s why we need your support. Make a gift right now to help The Wilderness Society defend the public lands we all depend on from corporate polluters.
