Dog Friendly Hiking Trails in Indiana

Bring Fido to hike the dog-friendly trail winding through Holliday Park in Indianapolis, IN. This beautiful 94-acre park gives access to the White River and is popular with families, photographers and walkers.

Dogs are welcome at the pet-friendly Clifty Falls State Park in Madison, IN. You and Fido will discover Clifty Canyon, offering stunning scenery that can be viewed on one of the hiking trails that weaves around the park. There are 10 pet-friendly trails in total, varying from steep to easy and all offering a different adventure. Although the canyon is incredibly beautiful, the main attraction are the falls themselves. Dogs must remain on a leash under six feet and owners are reminded to clean up after their pets.

Leashed dogs are welcome on pet-friendly trails and select campsites within Brown County State Park in Nashville, IN. Nicknamed the “Little Smokies” because of the area’s resemblance to the Great Smoky Mountains, Brown County encompasses nearly 16,000 acres of rugged hills, ridges and fog-shrouded ravines.

Fort Harrison State Park is dog-friendly. Formerly the site of Fort Benjamin Harrison, the park features a Citizen's Military Training Camp, Civilian Conservation Corps camp and a World War II prisoner of war camp. As well as being a wander back through time, there are plenty of trails you can actually wander with Fido to enjoy the natural beauty of the park. Pups are welcome on all of the trails, as long as they are on a leash under six feet and you clean up any mess after them.

Dogs are welcome at Spring Mill State Park, a pet-friendly recreation area in Mitchell, IN. Back in the day, pioneers built gristmills, a wool mill, a saw mill, and a distillery in the area using the water flowing from cave springs to power them. You and Fido can enjoy wandering around the regenerated forest on the eight pet-friendly trails in the park, some of them leading to caves in the Spring Mill State Park and Cave River Valley Natural Area.

Dogs are welcome at pet-friendly Pokagon State Park in Angola, IN, where Native American heritage can be seen around every corner. Lake James and Snow Lake are next to the park and they provide great spots for pooches who love boating, swimming, and fishing. There are nine trails to enjoy in the area as well, varying from easy trails through pine trees, hardwood forest, and rolling land to rugged pathways through swamps and forests.

Leashed dogs are welcome at Mounds State Park, a pet-friendly historical park in Anderson, IN. This popular park is constructed around the sites of ten unique earthen mounds constructed by the Adena-Hopewell people. The largest is the Great Mound, which is said to have been constructed all the way back in 160 B.C. and was once used for religious ceremonies. There are also many trails you and Fido can explore throughout this park.

Bring your dog along to explore the Monon Trail, a converted railway that winds for 26 miles through Indianapolis, connecting Sheridan, Carmel and other smaller communities along the way. The paved, dog-friendly trail welcomes Fido on a leash, as long as they are cleaned up after. The trail can be accessed from sunrise to sunset.

Ox Bow Park is a pet-friendly natural park in Goshen, IN, with camping shelters, an observation deck, sports courts, disc golf, and nature trails. Your pooch can join you on the trails and throughout the park located on the banks of Elkhart River. The pretty park is a lovely place to have a stroll with your leashed dog. A small entrance fee is required to gain access to Ox Bow Park.

Dog-friendly Prophetstown State Park is Indiana’s newest state park and located where the Tippecanoe River meets the Wabash near the town of Battle Ground northeast of Lafayette, IN. The park's landscape has been shaped by ice from glaciers, moving water, fire, and human hands that helped maintain the vast tall prairie grass. Leashed dogs can accompany you along 13 miles of hiking trails.

Located in southern Indiana, the dog-friendly Charlestown State Park boasts stunning vistas of the Fourteenmile Creek valley and the Ohio River, featuring rugged hills and deep ravines. Hikers can explore Devonian fossil outcrops and karst sinkhole topography while observing 72 species of birds, including bluebirds, black vultures, and occasional bald eagles. The park offers eight hiking trails, picnic areas with shelters, fishing lakes, a children's playground, and a campground. Please remember to keep your pet on a 6-foot leash and clean up after them.

Leashed pets are welcome to hike along dog-friendly trails within Muscatatuck Park in North Vernon, IN. This spacious forested park offers river access and features hiking trails, a campground and picnic areas.

Connect with nature and Fido on the dog-friendly trails at Gabis Arboretum & Gardens in Valparaiso, IN. The Arboretum is part of the Purdue Northwest University and serves as a place for education, conservation and engagement. Please leash and clean up after your pets on the trails.

Westwood Park in New Castle, IN, is a pet-friendly destination open year-round, offering scenic trails and outdoor activities. Visitors can enjoy hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, fishing and wildlife viewing. Please ensure Fido remains on a leash during your visit. An entrance fee is involved.

Leashed dogs are welcome at Hummel Park, a pet-friendly outdoor space in Plainfield, IN. You and Fido can explore over 3-miles of paved trails, or head down to White Lick Creek or one of the other 5 bodies of water in the park so your pup can enjoy the water.

Turkey Run State Park in Marshall, IN is dog friendly. You and Fido are welcome to come and explore the sandstone ravines, aged forests, and scenic views of Sugar Creek. There are a number of popular trails dotted around the park that give lots of different perspectives of the beauty of the place, including a number that go through the old quarry. Dogs must be leashed and cleaned up after.

Unleash your adventurous side and take on the Diana of the Dunes Dare. This pet-friendly hiking challenge follows the path of Chicago native Alice Mabel Gray, who left behind a career at the U.S. Naval Observatory to live in what is now Indiana Dunes National Park. This unusual lifestyle earned Alice the nickname Diana of the Dunes. Fido can tag along as you follow in Diana's footsteps, but dogs must be kept on a leash.

Metea County Park is a 250-acre, dog-friendly recreational area in Fort Wayne, IN. The park includes the 120-acre Meno-aki State Nature Preserve and has five miles of hiking trails. Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times.

Leashed dogs are welcome at Echo Hollow Nature Park, formerly known as Sodalis Nature Park, a pet-friendly natural space in Plainfield, IN. This scenic park offers nice walking paths around the catch-and-release pond. You and Fido can also enjoy the lovely picnic areas.

Leashed dogs are welcome at Pioneer Park in Mooresville, IN. This pet-friendly, 152-acre community park is the main park in the area. Features include a covered bridge over a creek, rentable picnic shelters, horseshoe courts and more. Enjoy exploring the over 3-miles of multiuse trails with your pup.