Your dog wants you to read this article
Celebrate the dog days of summer with a canine-friendly day out in seven destinations across Pennsylvania.
Did you know that August is National Dog Month? It’s the perfect excuse to plan a day out with your favorite pup, whether that means gobbling down doggy ice cream at a dog ice cream parlor (yes, they exist) or barking along (read: cheering for your team) at a dog-friendly baseball game.
We’ve put together a guide to a tail-wagging good time for you and your canine companion in seven spots throughout the state. Just remember: no matter what you do together, your dog’s favorite part of the day is spending time with you.
Pittsburgh
Dogs love to walk, especially when they can frequently stop to get some good sniffs in, and Pittsburgh has no shortage of urban trails and city parks to tire out your pup. Frick Park, an urban forest that’s also the city’s largest park, is a popular destination for dog parents looking to explore the park’s numerous hiking trails as well as the large dog park hidden within the trees. You can also walk with your dog along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, a mostly flat rail trail that parallels Pittsburgh’s rivers.
After your hike, reward your best friend with some ice cream at Lawrenceville’s Salty Paws, Pittsburgh’s first—and only—dog ice cream parlor. The healthy treat is available in some of dogs’ favorite flavors, like maple bacon, pumpkin, and peanut butter. Then, hop across the river to the North Shore and grab your own treat at Southern Tier Brewing Company, where leashed dogs are welcome to enjoy the outdoor beer garden. Finally, Southern Tier is located within walking distance to PNC Park, where you and your dog can check out a Pirates game if you can score tickets to one of the baseball team’s Pup Nights!
The Pocono Mountains
The Pocono Mountains are a dream vacation for any dog, and not just because of the numerous hiking trails in the region that promise new smells and other critters to bark at. The Poconos are also home to pet-friendly resorts and unique experiences your dog has likely never tried.
You can plan a getaway focused on your dog by booking a weekend at Big Valley Resort in Sciota via Good Dog Vacations. All dog breeds are welcome at this resort, where each unit is outfitted with a fenced-in yard, a fenced-in deck, and a dog pool. There are also nature trails to explore outside your accommodations. Keen Lake Camping and Cottage Resort is another dog-friendly place to stay and relax in the mountains. The Waymart campground and cottage resort is even home to a pet beach specifically reserved for guests’ dogs to swim. Finally, you can book a jaunt on Jim Thorpe’s Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway and bring your pup along! Dog passengers are free—just try to sit near a window so your dog can enjoy the view of the passing landscape!
Central PA’s Knoebels Amusement Resort – Elysburg
The country’s largest admission-free amusement park is also dog-friendly! You can plan a day trip to Knoebels Amusement Resort to wander the amusement park and take in many of the rides—all with your dog! Knoebels doesn’t charge admission; instead, you pay for the specific rides and activities you want to experience. But you don’t have to wait with your dog while your friends and family take part in the rides—Knoebels actually has dog-friendly rides! Your pet is allowed on the amusement park trains, motorboats, antique cars, and carousel, provided they meet the size requirements. But don’t take our word for it—look at how happy Akira the pit bull is on the carousel.
The Lehigh Valley
Dogs are welcome at numerous businesses and activities throughout Allentown, Bethlehem, and the rest of the Lehigh Valley. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Retriever Brewing Company is a great place to enjoy a cold one alongside your pup, retriever or otherwise. Dogs can hang out with you in the outdoor beer garden and other outdoor spaces, with water bowls provided. If you prefer wine, Kutztown’s Setter Ridge Vineyards welcomes your well-behaved dog, setter or otherwise. The winery even has a small dog park for your pup to run around off-leash!
For more fun, you can bring your dog to Tail Waggin’ Tuesdays with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, where dogs can watch the minor league baseball game with you in a dog-friendly area of the ballpark. Finally, be sure to visit The Dining Dog and Friends in Allentown, a specialty pet market with its own kitchen and bakery. The whole foods market has an expansive menu including cakes, peanut butter cups, miniature pies, cheesesteak cookies, soups, meatloaf, and more.
Gettysburg
Your dog need not be a history buff to enjoy some time in Gettysburg. For instance, while you take in the solemn significance of Gettysburg National Military Park, your pup will be just as moved (by all the open space he can mark!). Don’t miss the monument to the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry, which honors the regiment and its regimental dog, Sallie. You and your dog can continue learning about history at the Eisenhower National Historic Site, where dogs can become park rangers—I mean, B.A.R.K Rangers—by completing special activities at the 34th president’s farm to earn a badge.
Once you’ve worked up an appetite with all your learning, head to one of many pet-friendly Gettysburg restaurants, where dogs may even be able to order off their own menus! You can order burgers for yourself and your furry friend at The Gettysburger Company or Irish fare for you and some grilled chicken for your dog at O’Rorke’s Eatery & Spirits.
Philadelphia
It’s great to be a dog in Philadelphia, where four-legged friends love roaming the city streets as well as Philly’s beautiful, forested trails. Start the day with a walk through the woods at Wissahickon Valley Park, which has plenty of gorgeous trails as well as a creek your dog can cool off in. Afterward, grab a drink and a water bowl at Craft Hall, which has its own hybrid dog park/beer garden called Unleashed: Bark & Beer, or The Boozy Mutt, which is an indoor-outdoor bar and restaurant built especially for dogs and their people. For something a little different, you can even take your dog with you to experience the cool vintage cars at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum or the colorful mosaics of Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens.
And if you want to focus the fun even more on Fido, stop by the pet swimming pool at Philadelphia Animal Hospital, where dogs young and old can enjoy splashing in the year-round pool, reservable for an hour at a time. Finally, you can end the day with a treat—for your dog, of course. Check out Pet Friendly Dog Bakery for pupcakes and other baked goods, or try Salty Paws Rittenhouse Square—that’s right, the dog ice cream parlor has multiple locations—for doggy ice cream and other snacks.
Erie
Adjacent to its namesake of Lake Erie, the city of Erie is a great spot to bring Spot if he loves water. As Pennsylvania’s only “seashore,” Erie’s Presque Isle State Park is home to beaches where you and your pup can splash in the shallows. While dogs are not allowed at state park beaches with lifeguards, they are free to play in the sand and surf at any unguarded beaches. Dogs will also enjoy trekking the Karl Boys Multi-Purpose National Recreation Trail, a paved nature trail that circles the state park.
Additionally, while dogs are welcome on most outdoor patios of restaurants and breweries, a few even let dogs inside, like Poverty Knob Farmhouse Ales in nearby Waterford and Black Monk Brewery. Poverty Knob even has a Mutt Club, where for $30 your dog will donate to an animal rescue, get a brewery-branded bandana, and enjoy a spent grain treat during every visit. Don’t forget to end your day in Erie with a pup cup—they’re free at Pulakos Chocolates!
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