Bark Ranger

Give your dog the best treat and go for a walk in your favorite national park! See what special treats, programs, and adventures await, for you and your best friend.

National Parks are exciting places to explore with a pet.

NPS/Mary Lewandowski

Becoming an awesome B.A.R.K Ranger means you work hard to:

• Bag your pet’s waste

• Always leash your pet

• Respect wildlife
• Know where you can go

Bark Ranger volunteers help every visitor have an enjoyable visit.

NPS Photo

BARK Ranger provides a healthy and fun experience that engages and benefits pets and their owners in our national parks. By encouraging dog walking, BARK Ranger can help improve the health of people and reduce the prevalence of obesity in their pets.

This initiative provides opportunities for volunteering and ambassadorship both in the parks and on social media. #BarkRangerNPS

Who can benefit from BARK Ranger in our parks?

People of all ages and abilities can benefit from parks. This is especially true for populations who use parks infrequently including:

• minorities

• low-income populations

• people with disabilities

Other priority populations who can benefit include:

• youths

• seniors

• active military and veterans

The National Park Service has identified BARK Ranger as a Healthy Parks Healthy People promising practice. Healthy Parks Healthy People promising practices are science-informed programs and policies in parks that can help people lead happier, healthier, more productive lives.