Walk Your Dog at Fort McHenry

Visitors and rangers alike love seeing dogs following the B.A.R.K. Ranger rules!

NPS/Tim Ervin

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine is a pet friendly park. Visitors often want to take advantage of the beautiful Baltimore weather, open grounds, and scenic riverside trails to get furry friends out and moving. The National Park Service encourages visitors to walk their pets as part of the Healthy People Healthy Parks initiative. When walking pets at Fort McHenry, make sure to keep in mind the principles of B.A.R.K.:

• Bag your pet’s waste. Fort McHenry has several trashcans on site for waste to be properly disposed of once bagged.

• Always leash your pet. Pets are required by law to be on six-foot leash under control of their owner.

• Respect wildlife. Fort McHenry boasts several species of ducks, geese, snakes, foxes, etc. Make sure pets do not disturb these animals in their natural habitats. 

• Know where you can go. Pets at Fort McHenry are welcome on the open grounds and trails, however pets are not allowed in any park buildings or the star-fort historic zone (designated by the wooden fence).

Details

Activity

Hiking

Pets Allowed

Yes

Activity Fee

No

There is no fee to walk your pet at Fort McHenry because pets are not allowed in the fee area of the park.

Reservations

No

Season

Year Round

Time of Day

Day

The Fort McHenry park grounds are open from 9am - 5pm.

Accessibility Information

The park grounds are open for pets to walk. This includes grass lawns and the paved path that makes up the Sea Wall trail.