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MICHIGAN

dOG fRIENDLY tRAVEL gUIDE

If you are planning a dog friendly vacation to the Great Lakes State, you’ve come to the right place.
In this guide I’m sharing everything you need to know to plan a successful Michigan dog friendly vacation!

Where to go
where to stay
where to eat
what to do
travel tips
Union Woodshop - Clarkston - Dog friendly restaurants
Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

TRAVEL TIPS

BEFORE YOU VIST

IS MICHIGAN DOG FRIENDLY?

Short answer: yes. Michigan is a great state to vacation with your dog. Not only will you find quaint downtowns with restaurant patios that will welcome your dog, Michigan offers a lot in the way of beaches, trails, and even shopping.

GETTING AROUND

The State of Michigan is best explored by car. Michigan is broken up into two peninsulas. The lower peninsula and the upper peninsula aka the UP (not pronounced like up, pronounced like You-Pee….lol). To make things a little more confusing, anything north of the center of the lower peninsula, is known as Up North. Got it? Good. You are officially a local now.

WHEN TO GO

BEST TIME TO VISIT

THE WEATHER IN MICHIGAN

In Michigan you will experience all four seasons. As the Great Lakes State, summer is best enjoyed at the beach, on a boat, or sipping wine at a vineyard. In Fall, you’ll want to hit the trails to see gorgeous color, visit as many cider mills as you can, and partake in any small town Fall festival. We usually get a lot of snow in the winter, so if you like winter sports, you’ll find plenty to do around the state in Winter. Spring can be a hit or miss.

WHEN TO GO WITH YOUR DOG

When it comes to visiting with your dog, I would suggest Summer or Fall. Unless you are prepared for being snowed in or staying at a nice cozy cabin, Winter would be a challenging time for pet friendly travel. Spring, like I said is hit or miss, it could be gorgeous, raining, or snowing.

Kirby on the Clinton River Trail - Dog friendly trails
Paint Creek Trail
Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

where to go

pick your destination

explore the city:

To explore Michigan’s big cities with your dog, you’ll obviously want to check out Detroit. Detroit has been experiencing a major comeback and can be a delight to explore in terms of architecture, culture, and food. Dogs are not allowed in museums, but you’ll still find plenty of things to do in Detroit if you skip the museums.

Grand Rapids would be the next big city to explore. Not as big as Detroit, but known to be very pet friendly. I have not been yet with Kirby, but from what I’ve researched, you’ll find plenty of dog friendly patios, parks, and activities to do.

IF YOU LOVE THE OUTDOORS:

Michigan is filled with beautiful hikes for you and your dog to enjoy. Visiting the UP would be perfect for an epic wilderness adventure. 

In the mood for a challenge? Check out the initiative to connect Michigan trails to make a hiking and biking route called the Iron Belle, that goes from Belle Isle in Detroit all the way to Iron Mountain the Upper Peninsula!

Generally speaking, all state park campgrounds allow dogs as well and there are plenty of state parks to stay in.

FOR A VACATION ON THE WATER

If you haven’t been to Michigan before, I would highly suggest Mackinac Island for a perfect pet friendly getaway on the water. No cars are allowed on the island, so you’ll only share the roads with other dogs, people, and horses.

Traverse City “the cherry capitol of the world” would be the best place to spend a weekend if you are looking for a combination of a city and beach getaway. It’s a personal favorite of mine, and there is no shortage of dog friendly things to do there.

read more: dog friendly things to do in michigan

TRAVERSE CITY, MI DOG FRIENDLY TRAVEL GUIDE

FRANKENMUTH, MI DOG FRIENDLY TRAVEL GUIDE

ROCHESTER, MI DOG FRIENDLY TRAVEL GUIDE

WHERE TO STAY

DOG FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATIONS

Aloft Detroit at The David Whitney

Detroit, Michigan

the morton hotel

Grand Rapids, Michigan

staybridge suites

Holland, Michigan

Comfort Inn

Traverse City, Michigan

MISSION POINT RESORT

Mackinac Island

my place hotel

Marquette, Michigan

the graduate hotel

Ann Arbor, Michigan

drury inn and suites

Frankenmuth, Michigan

read more: dog friendly hotels in michigan's popular cities
read more: Unique dog friendly Vacation Rentals in Michigan

WHERE TO EAT

DOG FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS

Zehnder's - Frankenmuth
Honcho - Clarkston - Dog Friendly Restaurants

Dogs are allowed only in outdoor dining in Michigan (unless it is a service dog which is allowed indoors). Even then, it is not safe to assume that all outdoor dining patios are dog friendly. It is up to the restaurant, so it’s always good to call and double check that a restaurant allows dogs on their patio. That being said, you’ll find a lot of dining options in popular pet friendly destinations like Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Detroit, etc.

A FEW FAVORITES:

The Shed in Traverse City
A definite must in TC. A lot of outdoor seating, amazing mac and cheese and a dog menu.

Paint Creek Tavern in Rochester
The patio is right off the Paint Creek Trail with views of the creek. They have a good selection of food and beer.

Zehnders in Frankenmuth
Home of the “World Famous Chicken Dinner”. Seasonally pet friendly from May-October with a decent amount of patio seating and excellent food.

read more: the best dog friendly restaurants in Michigan

WHAT TO DO

DOG FRIENDLY THINGS TO DO

There are plenty of dog friendly things to do in Michigan. Click on a post below to help you find all sorts of creative adventures that you and your dog can enjoy together!

Kirby on the Paint Creek Trail - dog friendly trails

hike the trails

Michigan has a ridiculous amount of state parks and hiking trails. If you come all this way with your dog, it would be a shame to not take your good boy or girl on a walk.

Beautiful Trails in Michigan
Kirby at Mission Point Beach, Traverse City, MI - dog friendly beaches

relax on a beach

There are plenty of dog friendly beaches around Michigan that your dog will love! Not only will you get to enjoy a day at the lake, but your dog can too.

Dog Friendly Beaches To Visit
Jimmy John's Field - Utica, MI

go to a baseball Game

Both Comerica Park in Detroit and Jimmy Johns stadium in Utica, participate in “Bark at the Park”, which is a special event where you can take your dog to a ball game!

THINGS TO DO IN MICHIGAN

TRIP ADVICE

DOG FRIENDLY TRAVEL TIPS

MAKE SURE YOUR DOG IS UP FOR IT

Not all dogs are meant to travel. If you have a puppy, an untrained dog, or a highly anxious dog, traveling may not be for them. It could be once they’ve had enough training and you feel confident that you can control them in any scenario that occurs. Until then, get to know your dog more and make travel a goal to aim for.

 

BE PREPARED:

What do you do when it rains?
What if you want to visit museums?

Traveling with a dog is no easy feat. so it’s best to understand when you should and shouldn’t travel with your dog. If you are going to Washington DC to visit the Museum Mile, you probably shouldn’t bring your dog with you.

You also need to have a pretty relaxed mindset in what you will be able to do. There will be times when the restaurant you have picked out doesn’t have any more patio space and you’ll have to go somewhere else.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

On a personal note, this blog was born to help encourage others to bring their pups on vacation. I’ve loved bringing along our mini Goldendoodle, Kirby, with us on our adventures. He’s had a ton of fun in all sorts of places. I’ve also noticed you engage more with strangers when you have a dog with you (especially if that dog is wearing shoes). It is a little extra work, but it is so rewarding having your best friend there, having a blast next to you.

Union Woodshop - Clarkston - Dog friendly restaurants
Click here for more dog friendly travel tips

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