For some, it’s not a family vacation unless the entire family is involved – including the 4-legged family members! While taking your pet along will relieve the stress (and expense) or boarding your dog or hiring a dog sitter, traveling with your dog will require a bit of extra pre-planning, including finding accommodations where your pet is welcome to stay.

Other pre-vacation tasks that you may want to complete will include making sure that your pet’s identification/microchip information is up to date with your mobile phone number, scheduling a vet appointment to make sure that vaccinations are in order, and packing the food and toys that your pet is used to. But most importantly, you’ll want to make sure that your dog-friendly room is reserved. Here are some of our favorite pet-friendly lodges and destinations in the Nation’s Vacation portfolio!

Lake Powell & Puppy Lake Pals

Lake Powell is a very dog-friendly location. Your pooch can enjoy lake swimming, boating, and hanging out on the miles of beaches with you. You have several options for lodging when staying at Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas – you can stay at Lake Powell Resort or Defiance House Lodge in a hotel room, at Wahweap Campground in your own tent or RV or you can rent a houseboat and enjoy your own floating home on the water.

Pet-Pointer: even if your dog is a competent swimmer, it’s always recommended to have your pooch wear a dog life jacket when on the water. Good swimmers can still tire easily and struggle (especially when they haven’t been swimming in a while) and some breeds aren’t as naturally suited to stay afloat.

Togwotee With Your Puppy

Looking for some room for the whole family to stretch out? Togwotee Mountain Lodge offers cabins that are 400 sq. feet and include a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and equipped kitchenette. There are two main travel seasons at Togwotee – during the winter it is snowmobile central with a riding area the size of Delaware and in the summer, you’ll enjoy proximity to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. There are plenty of trails around Togwotee and your dog is sure to enjoy exploring the forest with you.

Pet-Pointer: Togwotee Mountain Lodge is located about 45 minutes away from Jackson, Wyoming. Be sure to pack your pup’s essentials such as food and toys so that you don’t need to drive into town for supplies.

Olympic National Pup… We Mean Park

Lake Quinault Lodge is located very close to Olympic National Park, but the lodge itself is located in Olympic National Forest which has over 250 miles of dog-friendly trails. The dog-friendly rooms are located in The Boathouse and have been recently renovated. When hiking with your dog in Olympic National Forest, be sure to keep your dog on a leash. The kid and dog-friendly Falls Creek Loop is close to the lodge and the entire loop is only 2 miles, making it a great place to begin your adventure.

Pet-Pointer: well-behaved dogs (and their people) can become official Olympic National Park Bark Rangers! Once you’ve completed the activity at the Kalaloch Ranger Station and have taken the official pledge you can even purchase an official Bark Ranger tag to be displayed proudly upon your canine’s collar.

Let’s Play at Zephyr Cove

Zephyr Cove is another great dog-friendly location on the lake. Dogs and their people can choose from either a family-friendly cabin at Zephyr Cove Resort or at the Zephyr Cove RV Campground right across the street. While dogs aren’t allowed on Lake Tahoe’s Zephyr Cove Beach, they are allowed on the USFS land that is adjacent to the resort at the north end of the beach.

Pet-Pointer: bring an extra bottle of water and a microfiber towel to wash any sand from your dog’s face after they’ve played on the beach so that they don’t irritate their eyes or snout with their sand-covered paws.

Bonus Doggie Destination: Bushkill Falls

Pennsylvania’s Bushkill Falls doesn’t offer lodging, but it is a great day trip to the Delaware River Gap from the tri-state area. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome to enjoy the hiking trails, all of which offer amazing views of the waterfalls. If you visit, be sure to post a dog photo on Instagram and tag @BushkillFalls – you may be rewarded by having your dog featured in one of their well-loved #FurryFriday posts!