Pets

Russell Cave is a great place to bring your furry friend

NPS

Become a Russell Cave B.A.R.K. Ranger today!

National Parks are great places to bring your four-legged friend for some shared adventures. Russell Cave welcomes pets into the park with open arms. And while visiting, we offer the chance to show us and the other park visitors what a good steward you are by competing the Bark Ranger program.

This program consists of learning what each letter in B.A.R.K. stands for and practicing these lessons during your visit.

 

Ask a Ranger how you can start earning your Bark Ranger badge

NPS

The rules of B.A.R.K. are:
B-Bag your pet’s waste (and throw it away)

• You can keep Russell Cave clean for all visitors by properly disposing of your pet’s waste. And if you forgot a bag, visit our cleanup station outside the visitor center.

A-Always leash your pet

• We know that many dogs are friendly, but not every person, animal, or other dog at our park enjoys dogs. We know that you value your dog’s safety while exploring the park and making sure you keep a leash no longer than 6 feet on them helps maximize that safety.

R-Respect wildlife

• Dogs can be very curious when they are in new places, especially if they see an animal that is unfamiliar to them. However, the animals at our park are not all friendly to dogs. By letting your dog walk off trail, this not only damages resources, but can possibly lead to your furry friend step on something that could hurt them, ingesting harmful plants, or being harmed by an animal.

K-Know where you can go

• The boardwalk trail and the hiking trail are both open to dogs and their human visitors. Pets should not be left unattended. Summer sunshine poses a threat to pets in vehicles. Don't leave pets alone in a car while hiking.

By following these steps, you can be a conscious park visitor, as well as earning your very own Bark Ranger tag so you can show off to your other pet owning friends. To complete this program, request a handout from a ranger in the visitor center, complete your visit by following the rules of BARK, and snap a photo with your long tongued best friend. These photos can be found in our bulletin board on the right-hand side as you walk toward the visitor center as well as in our Photo Gallery page on our website.

 

Walking around Russell Cave is a great way to spend time with your four-legged friends

NPS

Other important Things to Know:

• Ticks are prevalent at Russell Cave, and can be active for most of the year. Be sure to check yourself and your dog thoroughly after visiting the park. We recommend walking in the middle of the trail, away from tall vegetation and spraying your shoes and clothing with repellent to help protect yourself. Also look for repellant, vests, and bandanas to help protect your pup.

• Be sure to bring enough water for yourself and your dog, but also look for our Dog Station outside the visitor center for a cool drink and extra waste bags.