Woof woof! Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a pet-friendly park! In order to promote responsible recreation with pets, we have the BARK Ranger program. These rules are here to help protect you, your pet(s), other park visitors, and the land itself, long after your visit. What lucky dog wouldn't want to be a BARK Ranger?
BARK Ranger Lennox sits on the dock at Loch Lomond ready to spread the word about responsibly recreating with pets in the park! What a good girl!
NPS Photo / A. Grismer
B - Bag Your Pet’s Waste
Help keep Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail clean by collecting and disposing of all pet waste. Be sure to carry pet waste off the trail and don’t leave it in the woods. Public waste receptacles are located throughout the park.
Dog feces are not a natural fertilizer. Dogs can carry disease such as parvovirus, giardia and roundworms into the park's wildlife populations. Water sources may also be polluted by dog feces which can be harmful to the park’s many different ecosystems.
A - Always Wear A Leash
Dogs must be restrained on a leash no longer than 6 feet (2 m); retractable leashes extended beyond this limit are prohibited.
Unleashed dogs can get lost, cause stress or injury to wildlife and are more likely to have dangerous encounters with animals such as bears or bobcats. Keeping them on a leash is important for their own safety.
Not everyone is a dog person, no matter how friendly and well behaved your dog may be. Many people, especially children, are frightened by dogs, even small ones. Leashes also protect the experience of other visitors who may be allergic or who do not want a dog approaching them.
Unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells can disturb even the calmest, friendliest, and best-trained dog, causing them to behave unpredictably or bark excessively.
R - Respect Wildlife
Dogs can chase and threaten wildlife, scaring birds and other animals away from nesting, feeding and resting sites.
The scent left behind by a dog can signal the presence of a predator, disrupting or altering the behavior of park wildlife. Small animals may hide in their burrow the entire day after smelling a dog and may not venture out to feed.
Please keep your dog at a respectful distance from any animals you may encounter. Always stay at least 100 yards away from bears and 50 yards from other wildlife that you may encounter on your visit.
K - Know Where You Can Go
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is very pet friendly, and we enjoy seeing pets on the trails, but there are a few locations in the park where pets can not go. These locations are:
Dingmans Falls Visitor Center and Recreation Site, including the boardwalk trail
George W. Childs Park (closed until further notice)
Kittatinny Point Picnic Area
Rivers Bend Group Campsite
Turtle Beach, Smithfield Beach and Milford Beach (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)
Valley View Group Campsite
Earn this tag by following the rules of BARK
NPS Photo / C. Buta
How Do You Become a Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area BARK Ranger?
The best way to be a BARK Ranger is to demonstrate to other visitors that you know how to explore the park safely and help protect special places like Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Stop by the open visitor center to pick up your official BARK Ranger pledge card with the rules of BARK on it, or read the rules on this webpage.
When recreating in the park, follow the rules and document your activities through pictures and videos.
When you are done adventuring, stop back at the visitor center to show a ranger or email us to send pictures of your pet following the rules of BARK!
After earning your badge, you will sign your agreement card and you are officially a BARK Ranger!
While the BARK Ranger program is mainly geared towards dogs, any pet is welcome. If you have a cat who thinks they are a dog and walks the trail with you, we will absolutely let your trail-hiking kitty earn a BARK Ranger tag.
Spike the MEOW ranger hiking the trails with his family
NPS Photo / J. Vidrio
Do You Want Volunteer As A Delaware Water Gap BARK Ambassador ?
If you live near the park and are looking for a way to volunteer with your dog, then becoming a BARK Ambassador could be the perfect opportunity for you!
BARK Ambassadors rove popular pet-friendly trails and are stationed at sites with park rangers to educate visitors on the proper ways to have pets in national parks. While roving trails or educating visitors, BARK Ambassadors will be able to swear in new BARK Rangers (visitors with their pets following the rules).
The goal of the BARK Ambassador program is to facilitate good relationships between pet owners and national parks.
