Strap up those hiking boots and prepare for an adventure of a lifetime, as granite cliffs, strikingly beautiful and gushing waterfalls, vast meadows overlooking the mountains and lakes, and epic stargazing await you.
Imagine walking on America’s most famous forest trails and taking a respite in nature away from the hustle of your busy, mundane life. So, what are you waiting for? The great outdoor adventures await you.
Whether you want to conquer the great Appalachian Trail, which offers a scenic route between the oak, maple, and pine forests, and extends to almost 2,200 miles between Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, passing through America’s 14 states and being the world’s longest hiking-only trail.
Or want to channel your inner Reese Witherspoon, aka Cheryl Strayed, by taking on the most challenging yet epic hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail that follows the crest of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges in the U.S through Washington, Oregon, and California, passing through seven national parks and plenty of wilderness and national forests to tick that ultimate bucket list goals.
These pups are always ready to go the distance with you and make great hiking companions amidst the rocky paths and uneven terrain.
Dog Breeds That Love Exploring Forest Trails Daily
1. Australian Shepherd
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, this rodeo star and MVP of the dog park are well-suited for your extended hiking itinerary. This medium-sized merle puppy knows the trail etiquette like the back of his hand.
It is a great, loyal pooch who you can trust with off-leash activities. It is enthusiastic, speedy, robust, and enduring in diverse weather conditions, and has a natural curiosity and bubbly personality that will keep you entertained.
These Australian shepherds are true-born herders who will be found rounding off unsuspecting children from time to time. Hence, if you are someone who needs constant motivation for completing tasks, then this beautiful puppy is the right fit for you.
Because Aussies are not only smart, sturdy, and fast canines, but they wonderful motivators who need a high level of physical and mental stimulation on a daily basis, dislike downtime, and are always looking for ways to blow off some steam. Hence, take these Californian-born citizens on new trails and long distances without thinking about it twice.
Recommended Trail Buddy for Yosemite’s Mist Trail
Beginning at Happy Isles Trailhead, passing through the iconic and breathtaking Vernal and Nevada Falls, surrounded by granite cliffs. A trail that will be a combination of climbing through steep stone steps, passing through cascading waters, a feeling of a cool mist touching your skin on a warm summer day, and ending with a reflective experience at the top with the Merced River’s serene pools.
2. Standard Poodle
This strikingly smart water dog and retriever is a great outdoor champion who also excels in performing tricks and winning at a thousand different dog sports. These energetic dogs love to play in the water and breathe in the fresh forest air.
Hence, another excellent hiking companion equipped with high energy, endurance, and a lot of funny antics, whom you and other hikers will enjoy.
Continental Kennel Club notes that these hypoallergenic, fashionable dogs seem like they have just been transported from the French couture runway into the great outdoors. But don’t underestimate this beautiful puppy’s talent and capability to work outdoors. These pooches are powerhouses who’ll run, jog, and walk beside you with an unending enthusiasm.
Hence, take this easy-to-train, self-confident, and independent thinker out in the cooler climate or warmer sunny days, and they’ll love the change of scenery on America’s most scenic and alluring forest trails.
Recommended Trail Buddy for Zion National Park’s Narrows
Let us say you’ll feel like a million bucks after you get through this hike, because this hike is not only the most unique experience but also a great adventure through a water-sculpted wonderland (your water-loving poodle is going to be ecstatic after seeing the serene and clear blue water).
The narrow hike takes you through the Virgin River that is present between towering canyon walls, giving you and your poodle the opportunity to wade and swim. Starting at the temple of Sinawa, this adrenaline boosting bottom day trek is an ever-changing interplay of light and shadow, passing through the riverbed and peaking at the view of the hanging gardens.
This hike is so engaging for all your senses and encapsulates the spirit of exploration flawlessly. A perfect trek for hot weather.
3. Bernese Mountain Dog
Built for alpine adventures, this robust, muscular dog can not only survive but thrive in a challenging, rugged terrain. The thick double coat of Berners insulates them against the harsh cold weather, and their large sturdy bodies can carry your hiking gear and heavy backpacks with ease.
Moreover, their protective guarding qualities will also give you a sense of security while you conquer challenges and beat your hiking records. Bernese mountain dogs are sweet and gentle dogs with a moderate energy level and high intelligence that helps them stay focused in outdoor activities.
Recommended Trail Buddy for the Continental Divide Trail
Purina notices that the Bernese Mountain dogs are built for endurance and resilience; hence, this epic journey filled with high-stakes risks and thrilling swerves is the perfect challenge to conquer beside this tri-colored puppy. Hence, pack your bags and take all your camping essentials to hike through the diverse ecosystems that this trail offers.
This trail is a 3,000-mile journey from Mexico to Canada, which lets you explore 5 states of America, including New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.
These stable and reliable dogs will accompany you through the desert expanses, lush forests, and alpine tundras, high altitude paths that lead to stunning panoramic views and potential wildlife encounters with elk and bighorn sheep. This trail is going to be a truly transformative and unforgettable experience.
4. Border Collie
Alert, confident, genius bursting with energy, the quintessential go-getter and star athlete, lo and behold, the border collie. A pup that is born to be a part of active families. This dog exudes strength, stamina, along with relentless, speedy zoomies. It is a master of dog sports and a sucker for strenuous activity.
This pup prefers to take his daily dose of caffeine in the form of extremely challenging physical exercise before daybreak. The border collie has a medium-length double coat and high grades in obedience training than most dogs due to which its easy to teach them hiking-specific skills and behaviors quite easily
Recommended Trail Buddy for the Unparalleled Adventure around the Wonderland Trail
It is an excellent companion for a high-energy 93-mile loop encircling Mount Rainier called the Wonderland Trail, which happens to be America’s most beautiful natural wonder. This trail is long, an extended hike going through dense forests, alpine meadows, and rugged ridges with a backdrop of stunning views of Mount Rainier.
It happens to be Washington’s most majestic landscape, filled with cascading waterfalls, pristine glacial rivers, and vibrant wildflowers. This power-packed trail has significant elevation changes that make it physically demanding.
But it gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself fully in the serenity of the wilderness, which is the dream of every seasoned backpacker and ambitious day hiker.
P.S. This highly intelligent and overachieving might try to herd you towards your campsite even after a full day of outdoor activities.
5. German Shorthaired Pointer
These highly athletic and versatile hunting dogs are equipped with agility, speed, and keen senses that make them the best dogs for a highly demanding physical activity, aka a hike.
The German shorthaired pointer can adapt effortlessly to different environments and weather conditions, whether it be hot weather or a cold climate. These highly intelligent dogs are a medium to large breed that can cover large distances without breaking a sweat.
PetMD says that these profoundly loyal, Velcro dogs literally thrive on companionship, interaction, and shared adventures. Hence, if you aren’t looking for a big dog, then the German shorthaired pointer is the perfect fit to accompany you while you experience the intricacy of nature’s artistry amidst a photographic paradise.
Recommended Trail Buddy for the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park
Just imagine stepping into the lush green paradise filled with towering trees, moss-covered branches, and diverse plant life. The Hoh Rainforest is one of the few remaining rainforests in America.
Rich with biodiversity, this enchanting landscape transports you to a world of serenity, with the river’s running water and the calls of rare birds playing as background music. This trail that is accessible all year round is such a magical space where a short stroll or longer trek makes you feel connected with nature in the most beautiful of ways.
6. Siberian Husky
Do you know this smart and sleek dog has a high prey drive and even higher energy level? These arctic sled dogs and the Russian spitz breed have a dense double coat that makes them endure and thrive in cold climates, and with proper training, these active dogs can become great hiking companions.
Chewy warns that the huskies will have to be taught not to wander off leash into the horizon because it is more of an escape artist than a canine companion.
But once you have nailed down the recall commands and trained this Siberian husky with a bit of love and firmness. These blue-eyed beauties with an explosive amount of energy will beat the other dogs in conquering long hikes by your side.
Recommended Trail Buddy for the Wondrous Trails in Glacier National Park
This hiker’s haven extends over 700 miles, weaving through the panoramic landscape’s mountains, glaciers, and lakes in Montana, United States.
The most famous highline trail is a stretch of 7.6 miles from Logan Pass to Granite Park chalet and continues another 11.9 miles from there to Fifty Mountain campground, offering breathtaking views of the park’s rugged peaks and glaciated U-shaped valleys, and is an exciting out-of-body experience for those who are unafraid of heights.
This path hugs the mountainside beautifully and offers a chance to see the remnants of the park’s namesake glaciers that are now a reminder of nature’s ever-changing beauty. This trail then follows the garden wall ridge and the continental divide for most of its length.
7. Labrador Retriever
This iconic and popular family dog was originally bred to be a hunting companion; hence, its history and physical morphology give it an edge among other breeds in the matter of excelling in an active lifestyle.
If you compare the energy level of this forever-happy puppy with other hiking companions, it is sure to beat them all just by its wagging tail and positive outlook.
Orvis says that this natural swimmer with webbed paws is not hesitant when it comes to water crossings between streams and lakes. This pup is the ideal guy is not only ideal for lakeside and coastal trails, but can also traverse through the high mountains, valleys, and forest terrains.
Recommended Trail Buddy for the Bryce Canyon’s Hoodoo Trail
The home to a montane forest biome within the park’s upper elevations, featuring a mix of coniferous tree species, including aspen, spruce, and pine, and a variety of wildlife, including deer, elk, and bighorn, the Bryce Canyon National Park is an exhilarating place for a nature lover.
This natural amphitheater, carved into the eastern flank of the Paunsaugunt Plateau by millions of years of wind and water erosion, and famous for its tall skinny crown-like rock formations called hoodoos, seems a piece out of heaven.
And if you want a front row seat to this geological wonder, the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop Trail is a popular route to take you down to the canyon.
The most breathtaking scene in this trail is when the changing light paints the rocks in various hues, much like the sacred Uluru. This moderately challenging and otherworldly course has some steep inclines, but your Lab is going to maneuver effortlessly through the curves and tough terrain.
Conclusion
These iconic and spiritual forest trails offer ecological variations and abundant opportunities to learn from, making hiking much more diverse as an activity than it already is. You get to learn about the plants, animals, climate, and geology.
Get a chance to get in sync with the abundant nature around you, and when you have a reliable furry companion to hike beside you, they make this natural experience much more memorable. These easily trained and highly intelligent dogs are built for strenuous activity and will always love long walks amidst the forests of cedar, fir, larch, hemlock, and ponderosa pine.
They will protect you from danger and let you enjoy thrilling wildlife encounters with the cool animals like black bears, coyotes, deer, elk, marmots, foxes, raccoons, and grouse. Hence, the next time you are planning to take on some bucket list hiking forest trails between snow fields, glaciers, dense fir forests, volcanoes, and lakes.
You should take these best dog breeds that have boundless energy and a constant need for regular exercise for long hours in varied terrain to be happy and healthy as your trail running canine companion, and we bet it will be worth it.
