In search of dog-friendly destinations, we settled on the Dolomites for our summer vacation. Though there’s an endless number of hikes among Italy’s iconic mountain range, not all of them are dog-friendly, and making sure your pup is not overexerted or overheated even on dog-friendly trails requires a bit of planning.
Santa Magdalena Trail
There are technically two dog-friendly hikes in Santa Magdalena. One is a legitimate hike signposted by the hiking signs that are all over the Dolomites. The other is a shorter version of the hike that takes tourists to the famous photo spot that features the Santa Magdalena church with the Odle Group towering in the background. The full trail is about 6 to 9 kilometers along interlocking trails. The walk to the panoramic viewpoint from the village is about 3-4 kilometers, depending on where you park.
To note, some parts of the complete trail are shaded, but the panoramic trail to the viewpoint is largely exposed since you’re walking through open meadows and farm roads. This is a good hike to do at sunset to enjoy the golden hour light splashing against the mountains. In the middle of the day, it might be unpleasant for you and your dog.
Adolf Munkel Trail
The Adolf Munkel trail is far and away the better trail in Val di Funes. It’s slightly more challenging and longer, but the trails are through more interesting terrain and the views of the Odle Group are much more spectacular because they’re much closer. The trail is anywhere from 8 to 13 km long depending on the route. We walked a total of 11 km, with the famed Geiseralm rifugio being the endpoint before circling back a different way in the direction of the parking lot. Though much the trail is through shady forests, I recommend starting this hike early with a dog to avoid crowds and heat.
For more tips on how to hike the Adolf Munkel trail with a dog, check out my other post.
Seceda Ridgeline
The Seceda Ridge Trail is one of the easiest to hike because you can bypass most of the walking by using the dog-friendly cable car, but the crowding and the muzzle requirement may not be for everyone. Luckily, it’s also possible to reach the awe-inspiring ridge on foot. If you take the cable car, the loop trail to the ridge and back to the cable car is only about 2-3 km. This is ideal for a dog because since the cable car doesn’t start running until 8:30 am, the sun will already be beaming down pretty hard on the ridge and the trail is fully exposed with no shade.
An alternative way to the Seceda ridgeline that will save you a lot of money by avoiding the cable car is the one-way hike from Col Raiser. This is between 7-8 km long one-way, so the round-trip hike would be pretty long for a dog that is not already trained for hiking.
To read more about the Seceda viewpoint hike with a dog, check out my other post here, which includes pros and cons of each route.
Alpe di Siusi
Alpe di Siusi, or Seiser Alm, is Europe’s largest plateau, which means it has some great trails that are gently-graded for dogs of all fitness levels. It’s possible to park directly at the plateau but you have to snag a parking spot before 9 am, at which point access is restricted and the plateau is only accessible on foot or by cable car. Once you’re on Seiser Alm, there are a host of trails of different distances and difficulty so you can do easy 5 km loops or spend a full day on a 15-20 km excursion.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Tre Cime is one of the most popular hiking areas in the Dolomites, bringing experienced hikers as well as sightseers alike. The good thing about the Tre Cime hike is that even though it’s at an extremely high altitude, most of the way up is accessible by car. The hike itself around the iconic Tre Cime peaks is 8-10 km long and is fairly easy to handle for both people and dogs. In fact, this was the trail where we ran into the most dogs while on our trip. The trail starts and ends at Rifugio Auronzo, where you’ll also be parking.
If you’re more adventurous, a shorter out-and-back hike from Rifugio Auronzo is the Cadini di Musurina viewpoint. It’s just 3-4 km but I don’t recommend it if you’re afraid of heights or if it’s wet, as it can affect hiking conditions. This hike is also technically dog-friendly, though I don’t necessarily recommend it as such.
You can read more about our experience and some tips on how to access the restricted Tre Cime in this post.
Valley View Trail (Talblickweg) in Val Casies
Though many of the hikes on this list are relatively popular, this one is certainly far less famous but also dog-friendly. The Valley View Trail is a whopping 35 km in total, so it’s recommended to do just one part of it. We only discovered it because we were staying nearby, but the route serves as a cross-country skiing trail in the winter. In the summer, the adorable valley, which is dotted with small traditional towns and farms, is a relaxing place to walk your dog. Unlike a lot of the hikes in the Dolomites, which are gravel or rocky paths, this cuts through meadows and along creeks. It’s the perfect place to visit on a rest day with your dog when you just want a beautiful place for a walk.
Prato Piazza
Prato Piazza is both beautiful and historical, featuring panoramic views of Tre Cime and Monte Cristallo as well as a former fort used during WWI. The rocky path takes you past wide scenic meadows and forests. Similar to Alpe di Siusi, you can choose from a variety of short or long trails to explore the area. Some, like the hike to the Malga Prato Piazza hut, are less than 2 km round-trip. If you continue to Rifugio Villandro, you add just 500 meters of distance.
On the other hand, you can do a longer intermediate loop with some steeper climbs to the peak at Strudelkopf. The terrain is more varied and the total distance climbs to about 8 km round trip, but it’s also dog-friendly and offers better views.
Lago di Braies
No post about great hikes in the Dolomites is complete without the social media darling, Lago di Braies. The one thing I can attest to is that it is just as beautiful as all the photos make it out to be. The 3.5 km loop around the lake also makes for a wonderful and relaxing stroll with a dog. Despite the fact that this is one of the most popular destinations in the Dolomites, most people just crowd around the boat house and take pictures, but the trail around the lake is a lot more peaceful, especially if you visit early in the morning. If you’re up for rowing, the boat rentals are also dog-friendly.
Check out my full Lago di Braies post to read more about how to access it.
Tips for visiting the Dolomites with a dog
- Make sure you carry enough water for you and your dog
- I recommend an air-tight container to keep their poop bags because hiking with a steaming poop bag for 10 km is rough.
- Your dog should be adequately conditioned to hike long distances to avoid injury.
- It’s a good idea to schedule some rest days or easier, shorter hikes in between challenging hikes.
- Wake up early in the morning to make long hikes comfortable for your dog. Many hikes in the Dolomites offer no shade and can easily lead to heat stroke in a dog on a hot day.
- Even on dog-friendly trails, your dog must always be on a leash.
- Carry a muzzle on you if you plan to take a cable car with your dog.
- Carry dog-friendly wet wipes in case your dog rubs himself on fresh manure, which is pretty common in the valleys of the Dolomites.
- Don’t limit yourself to the hikes on this list! There are thousands of dog-friendly trails in the Dolomites and each have their own beauty, even if they’re not all super popular.
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