Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Walk around downtown Bryson City or drive into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Deep Creek, and you’ll surely notice dogs trotting alongside visitors. Swain County is a dog friendly destination with plenty of opportunity to be outside with your four-legged family members.
Last Friday afternoon, three different visiting families were sitting on the patio enjoying a bite to eat from Rice Wagon and a beverage from Mountain Layers Brewing Company with their dogs lazily resting in the shade under the table.
Addison and Lori were traveling from Charlotte with their four-month-old daughter Riah and their 1 ½ year old dog Kygo. Addison said boarding is expensive and they didn’t have anyone to watch Kygo, so it made sense to bring him.
Eevee is a 3 ½ year old dog who came from a Korean rescue.
“She was terrified of everything when I first got her,” said Alicia, who was visiting with family from Austin, Texas and sharing a table with Addison’s family. “The whole family came, so she came along, too!”
Another family at Rice Wagon was on a day trip from their vacation home in Highlands with their puppy, Kell. They said it was better to bring him along since there was no one at home to watch him.
ASPCA reported recently that 23 million households in the United States got a pet during the pandemic, and most have kept them. The lodging industry has caught on, with more hotels offering pet-friendly accommodations for the 70% of American households that are pet-owning, according to Trips With Pets.
"Pet ownership in the USA outranks all other countries in the world," said Angela Passman with International Pet and Animal Transportation Association. "Before the pandemic, there were approximately 78.2 million dogs and 86.4 million cats as family pets within the USA. The overall percentage of households that had pets was 72.9 million, meaning ¾’s of all United States' households has at least one pet with many families having more than one."
More than half of people who own pets worldwide take them along when they travel, according to Trip Advisor.
Chamber promotes options
"The interest among visitors bringing their pets along and/or for information on dog friendly lodging, restaurants and activities has increased year after year since I've been with the chamber," said Karen Proctor, Swain County Chamber of Commerce executive director.
Several years ago, the chamber built a pet friendly page on its website, greatsmokies.com, dedicated to information on dog friendly lodging, dining and activities, such as hiking trails and even rafting or paddle boarding.
Corinne, from Charlotte, was visiting with friends who were at Nantahala Brewing's Taproom and Burger + Bar on Friday afternoon. She brought her six-year-old dog Boone along with her.
“I don’t usually (travel with him),” she said. “I just thought it would be easier to bring him along.”
So far, so good, she said.
Dogs in the GSMNP
Dogs are welcome on most trails in the Nantahala National Forest and in public parks like Island Park in Bryson City but are only permitted on the Gatlinburg Trail and Oconaluftee River Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as in campgrounds, picnic areas and along roads.
Several reasons are listed on the park's site, https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/pets.htm, explaining why the GSMNP prohibits dogs on most trails given the park is managed primarily as a wilderness area. Among those reasons are that dogs can carry diseases into the wildlife population, they can chase or disturb wildlife and disturb the quiet of the park with their barking.
"We understand it's disappointing to those who travel with their pets," said Dana Soehn, GSMNP public affairs officer. "In addition to the natural resource concerns, in a busy place like the Smokies, we remind visitors that they're sharing trails equally with many people and horses. Along these narrow trail corridors, even the most well-behaved dogs can frighten and disturb the experience for others."
The Park encourages dog owners to become BARK rangers (see chart).
"Our first goal is to help educate people about park policies before they arrive, so they're prepared with a plan to keep their pets comfortable during a park visit. As with all park regulations, law enforcement Park Rangers have the authority to issue verbal warnings, written warnings or citations to people who take dogs on trails," she continued.
Many are content to keep their pets in the front country.
On Friday, an extended family was enjoying a picnic lunch at Deep Creek with family members traveling from Delaware, New York, Ohio and Florida. The dog, two-year-old Finn, was along for the trip from New York. His owner said even though it took him some getting used to the drive at first, this has been a great location to bring your pet given the trails and dog-friendly restaurants. So far, the family had eaten at Nantahala Brewing, walked at Island Park and through the tunnel at the Road to Nowhere.
On the other hand, anyone who has walked along the main hiking trails at Deep Creek knows that several ignore the 'no dogs allowed' sign.
They don't have to though, as Proctor points out, there are two chamber members offering boarding, Rippling waters Kennel and Mariner's Manor, which also offers doggy daycare.
Soehn also noted law enforcement Park Rangers can issue citations to people who bring their dogs into the backcountry.
On the question of whether the Park Service would consider making the trail open to pets, she said the process would require an inquiry to the Backcountry Management Specialist to begin a review.
Of the reasons dogs aren’t allowed on trails, she said, “the ones that most strongly pertain to the Deep Creek Trail include crowded conditions with many user groups and the connectedness to the network of backcountry trails.”
Lots of options in town
Even though most of the GSMNP is off-limits to pets, Bryson City is a great destination for dog owners. Most restaurants with outdoor seating are welcoming to pets and there are numerous pet-friendly lodging businesses.
"The laid-back and inclusive feeling in our town toward pets is another reason why people feel comfortable bringing their pets here on vacation," Proctor said. "I love that our merchants take the time and effort to put out and fill water bowls along the downtown streets and the thoughtful sign Ashley Swenson Hackshaw created to increase awareness of the dangers of hot pavement. It's just another way that our community shows how much we love our pets, local and visitors alike."
On the subject of hospitality, Proctor also noted the success of the doggy bag stations in town made possible through a partnership between the chamber, town and Swain County Tourism and Development Authority. She agreed there's been discussion in the past for a dog park in the county as well and said she hopes this subject can be revisited in the future.
Bryson City checks all the boxes.
“North Carolina is decidedly popular among travelers with pets — and for good reason,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. “Pets, especially dogs, can be a lot like people when it comes to curiosity about different places. They can sniff, swim and ramble in the mountains, across the Piedmont and on to the coast with their human companions. Our parks, forests and greenways serve as a passport to pleasure for pets as well as their human companions, and there's no shortage of creature comforts to enjoy after the adventure.”
Recent visitors Armin and Amber got to the heart of the matter as to why people bring their dogs with them when they travel. The couple from Orlando, Florida, were staying in a cabin in Swain County for a couple of nights as part of a cross-country road trip.
“These are our babies; we couldn’t do it without them. They’re like our kids. We do everything with them,” said Armin, about their two dogs, Mia and Roxie.