Saint Louis, United States
Dog Friendly Saint Louis
Where To Walk, Eat And Stay With Your Dog In Saint Louis
Saint Louis gives a dog one of the great American city parks and a brewery and beer-garden culture to match. You can spend a morning across the 1,300 acres of Forest Park, walk the Victorian paths of Tower Grove, then settle into a Soulard or Dogtown patio with a bowl of water and a fuss. This is our working guide to the city with a dog: where to walk, where to eat and drink, and the certified hotels that genuinely welcome them.
Where to walk
Trails, Parks & Green Spaces
The great city parks, riverfront trail and off-leash dog park locals actually walk their dogs on. Tap any one to open it in Google Maps.
Where to eat and drink
Restaurants, Cafes And Pubs That Welcome Your Dog
Not just tolerated under the table, genuinely welcome: a water bowl, a spot by the fire, and no eyebrow raised when you walk in with a dog.
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Where to stay
The Best Dog Friendly Hotels In Saint Louis
Every hotel here has been inspected and ranked against the Dog Friendly Standard. No pay to play, no vague pet friendly badge, just the ones that earned their place, best first.
Dog Friendly Saint Louis · Good To Know
Is Saint Louis a good city to visit with a dog?
Saint Louis is a rewarding city for dog owners, anchored by one of the great American city parks and a brewery and beer-garden culture to match. Forest Park alone gives you 1,300 acres of trails, and the Victorian parks and riverside trail add plenty more. The catches are transit, which takes only service animals, and indoor dining, which health rules keep dog free, so this is a car-or-foot city for a dog.
Can I take my dog on public transport in Saint Louis?
Not with a pet dog. Metro Transit allows only service animals on MetroLink light rail and MetroBus, and they do not need to be in a carrier. Pet dogs are not permitted, in a carrier or otherwise, so plan on driving, walking or a pet friendly rideshare to get around. The good news is that the best dog spots, Forest Park and the neighbourhood parks, are easy to reach by car.
Where can dogs go off the leash in Saint Louis?
At the city's off-leash dog parks. McDonald Dog Park in Tower Grove South is a fully accessible fenced off-leash park, though it asks for membership and proof of vaccination. Elsewhere, including Forest Park and Tower Grove Park, dogs must be leashed. So for a proper run, join at a dog park; for everything else, keep the leash on and enjoy the miles of park trail.
Where are the best dog parks in Saint Louis?
For off-leash play, McDonald Dog Park in Tower Grove South is the dedicated fenced option, with a membership-and-vaccination sign-up. For leashed walking, the choices are superb: Forest Park's 1,300 acres and 30 miles of trail, the Victorian paths of Tower Grove Park, and the historic Lafayette Park. Citygarden downtown adds a leashed sculpture-garden stroll. The parks are the real draw here rather than fenced runs.
Are dogs allowed in Saint Louis restaurants, pubs and bars?
Indoors, no, under Missouri health rules, but Saint Louis has a big dog welcoming patio and beer-garden scene. Rockwell Beer Garden and the Schlafly Tap Room take leashed dogs outdoors, and Soulard and Dogtown spots like Hammerstone's and Tamm Avenue Bar keep dog friendly patios with water bowls. Ask as you arrive, keep your dog leashed on the ground, and the outdoor scene carries the warmer months.
What dog friendly things can I do in Saint Louis?
Spend a morning in Forest Park, home to miles of trail and open lawns, then wander the Victorian paths of Tower Grove and the sculpture lawns of Citygarden downtown. The brewery beer gardens and Soulard patios make an easy afternoon, and the Riverfront Trail gives a long Mississippi-side walk. Keep dogs leashed outside McDonald Dog Park, and the Gateway Arch tram and museums are service-dog only.
Are there dog friendly trails or day trips near Saint Louis?
Yes. Castlewood State Park in Ballwin, about 30 minutes west, welcomes leashed dogs on its wooded bluff trails above the Meramec River and is a favourite local day out. The Katy Trail, the long rail-trail across Missouri, also welcomes leashed dogs for as far as you fancy. Keep your dog on a lead in the state parks, out of the historic buildings, and carry water on the exposed sections.
What are the rules for dogs in Saint Louis?
Dogs must be leashed in public except in the designated off-leash dog parks, and you must clean up after your dog. The city requires dogs to be licensed and kept current on rabies vaccination. Some parks post their own rules, so check the signs, and remember that the off-leash dog parks here run on a membership and vaccination sign-up rather than open access.