Guides: Gear, Safety and Trip Planning for Colorado Dogs

What is different about hiking with a dog here

Most of what goes wrong for dogs on Colorado trails comes down to six things, and all six are predictable. None of this is veterinary advice; if your dog is in trouble, the answer is always a vet.

Altitude. Denver sits at 5,280 feet, Evergreen at 7,162, Breckenridge at 9,728, and the popular 14er trails climb above 11,000. The Forest Service says plainly that none of the 14ers are easy because of elevation. A dog that lives at sea level tires faster, drinks more and recovers slower. Give it a day or two of short walks such as the Sapphire Point loop before anything long, carry extra water, and turn around if the dog slows, stumbles or will not eat. Persistent coughing, weakness or collapse means a vet.

Heat and pavement. Denver's July average high is 91°F. Sandstone, concrete and south-facing grass hold heat well past noon, and Larimer County tells visitors not to bring pets to Devil's Backbone in hot weather at all. Walk early, test the ground with your hand, and know that many foothills trails have no water. Heavy panting that does not settle in shade, drooling, vomiting or wobbling are reasons to stop and get to a vet.

Foxtails and cheatgrass. Grass awns dry out in early summer on Front Range grasslands and work their way into paws, ears, eyes and noses. Check the dog after every walk through tall grass; a sudden sneezing fit, head shaking, limping or a swelling between the toes is a vet visit, not a wait-and-see.

Rattlesnakes. They are on every Front Range foothills trail from April to October, sunning on rocks at Mount Sanitas, in the grass on Green Mountain and along the canyon floor at Castlewood. A short leash and staying on trail are the practical defenses; aversion training is an option. Any bite is an emergency.

Afternoon storms. Summer lightning arrives early above treeline. The Forest Service pages for Quandary and Grays push early starts, and local practice is to be heading down by noon. Dogs do not understand thunder on a ridge; plan so you are never there for it.

Snow and de-icer. CDOT's main liquid de-icer is magnesium chloride, and the ASPCA notes that chloride de-icers irritate the gut if licked off paws. Wipe feet after road walks, consider boots on north-facing switchbacks that hold ice into spring, and remember that Evergreen gets about 80 inches of snow a year and Evergreen Lake does not allow dogs on the ice.

Moose at Lily Pad Lake, mountain goats on Quandary, elk in rut at Elk Meadow every September and October, and bears on Boulder's fall leash-only trails round out the list. Each guide below goes deeper on one of these, or on the gear and services that make the trip easier.