About Parks & Pets

Parks & Pets is a growing directory of practical visitor guides to US state parks, national parks, and scenic byways. Built for travelers who want one place to plan a trip across America's outdoor destinations, with the details that official sites leave out.

Lauren Thompson

Founder & Editor

I started Parks & Pets in 2026 after years of planning trips with my 13-year-old Lhasa Apso, Dylan, and running into the same wall every time: there's no single place that pulls together everything you need to plan a US trip across state parks, national parks, and scenic byways. The information exists, it's just scattered across dozens of separate agency websites that were never built for travelers.

A few of the parks that shaped how I think about this site: Camden Hills in Maine, where the view from Mount Battie is the kind of payoff that justifies a long day of driving. DeSoto in Alabama, where the 104-foot waterfall is best in spring. Itasca in Minnesota, where you can step across the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Smith Rock in Oregon, where the canyon walls remind you why people drive hours into the high desert for a single hike.

Every park guide on this site is written with the practical details I wished I'd had before each of those trips.

Why this site exists

Planning a trip across the US means navigating fifty separate state park systems, the National Park Service, and a patchwork of byway authorities, each with its own rules, pet policies, and reservation quirks. The information exists, but it's scattered across government sites that weren't built with travelers in mind. Parks & Pets pulls it together in one place, with the practical details that actually matter when you're planning a real trip with limited time and, often, a dog in the back seat.

What you'll find here

Each park guide includes:

Trail recommendations with difficulty notes
Camping and reservation information
Pet policy details, including seasonal restrictions
Practical tips on parking, fees, and what to bring
Verified links to official park resources

Where we're headed

The directory of park guides is the foundation, but it's not the whole picture. The goal is to cover every state park, every national park, and every scenic byway in the US, alongside first-hand travel guides that help people plan an actual trip. If you'd like to contribute a guide or a trip story, get in touch.

Editorial standards

Every park guide on this site is written or reviewed by a human editor. We don't auto-publish AI-generated content. Where we cite specific facts (fees, hours, pet policies, reservation systems), we link to or verify against the official source, and pages are re-checked at least every 90 days.

We may occasionally include affiliate links to camping gear or travel services we genuinely use and recommend. These never affect coverage decisions, and they will always be disclosed.

If you spot an error in any guide, please email us and we'll fix it.

How to get in touch

Have a correction, a tip about a park we cover, or a suggestion for a park you'd like to see featured? We genuinely want to hear from you.

Email: admin@parksandpets.com