Where may I go with my pet?
A good rule of thumb is that a pet may go anywhere a car may go: roads and road shoulders (not snow-covered), campgrounds, picnic areas, and parking lots.
Where are pets not allowed?
Pets are not permitted on any hiking trail, in the park backcountry (including snow-covered roads or trails), in any body of water, or inside visitor centers or other park facilities.
Are there regulations regarding pets in the park*?
- Pets must be on a leash less than six feet long at all times.
- Pets under physical restraint are permitted overnight in developed campgrounds.
- Pets can be left unattended in vehicles. However, if hazardous conditions exist, such as hot weather, owners can be cited for endangering an animal.
- Pets can not be left unattended AND tied to an object, except in designated areas or under conditions which may be established by the superintendent.
- Please clean up after your pet and take responsibility for its behavior.
*The regulations do not apply to Seeing Eye dogs accompanying visually impaired persons or other guide (service) animals for disabled individuals. Emotional support animals do not fall under the definition of a service animal as defined by the ADA. They are considered pets.
Why are activities with pets in the park limited?
As a national park, Lassen afford special protection to wildlife and habitat. Pets can create conditions that may disturb these protected resources.
- The territorial scent dogs leave behind disrupts the behavior of native animals that this park has been set aside to protect.
- Dogs are predators that could chase, scare, kill, and transmit diseases to wild animals.
- Wild animals can transmit diseases including bubonic plague to pets (and then to humans).
- Bears and other predators are curious about dogs and have been known to attack them in wilderness areas.
- Volcanic soils and hydrothermal areas can severely wound a dog's feet; terrain that may be appealing to hikers may be difficult or even deadly for pets.
Are there areas outside of the park where I may take my pet?
Lassen Volcanic National Park is surrounded by Lassen National Forest, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, and numerous wilderness areas. These areas allow pets with limited regulations.
Day Hikes Within the Lassen National Forest | surrounding the park (includes wilderness lands)
Sacramento River Bend Area | Red Bluff
Sacramento River Trail | Redding
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area | Redding
Lake Almanor Recreation Trail | Chester
Bizz Johnson Trail Westwood/Susanville
