Pets

Duration:

1 minute, 5 seconds

Are you visiting the park with your pet? Learn from Bark Ranger Frosty where you can take your pet for a safe and fun visit.

 

Pets in the Park

While visiting Death Valley with your pet, follow the rules of BARK:

B: Bag your pet's poop

Pet owners are responsible for the prompt removal and disposal of pet waste in trash receptacles. Poop can transmit disease to local wildlife populations.

A: Always wear a leash

Pets must be restrained on a leash no longer than 6 feet.

R: Respect wildlife

Pets can harass or harm wildlife by making noise or scaring wildlife away.

K: Know where you can go

Pets are welcome in developed areas; essentially wherever a car can go.

Pets are not permitted on trails (this includes the boardwalks at Badwater and Salt Creek and paved trails such as Zabriskie Point and Harmony Borax Works) or in Wilderness. Pets may not enter park buildings including visitor centers and historic structures and are not permitted on Ranger-led tours. Pets are not allowed in areas closed to pets even if they are carried (in a backpack, purse, etc) or pushed in a stroller.

Some great roads to enjoy exploring with your pet are:

• 20 Mule Team Canyon
• Devil's Golf Course Road
• Father Crowley Point spur road to Padre Point
• Furnace Creek Airport Road
• Lake Hill Road
• Mustard Canyon Road
• Titus Canyon Road
• Cottonwood-Marble Access Road

Pet safety considerations

Be careful where they sniff!

Venomous snakes, spiders, and scorpions use bushes and rocks for shelter and habitat.

Unattended pets

Refrain from leaving pets unattended or leashed out-of-view in your campsite. Coyotes have snatched resting pets from under RVs and inside fenced areas!

Parked cars

Leaving pets in a parked vehicle here is very dangerous. Heat builds up quickly -- even in 70 degree outside air temperature, a car can quickly reach heat high enough to cause brain damage, heat illness, and even death.

Water and food bowls should be secured

Don't leave food or water unattended. This attracts coyotes and ravens. Place food bowls in your vehicle or camper during overnight hours.

Other public lands

Death Valley National Park is surrounded by public lands that have less restrictive rules regarding pets. Contact the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Ridgecrest, CA or Battle Mountain, NV and the U.S.Forest Service / Inyo National Forest in Lone Pine or Bishop, CA for current regulations.