Pet Friendly Portland Oregon
Posted by Jen Sotolongo on 13th July 2017
Portland and the surrounding area offers plenty of dog-friendly places to visit with your pup. We’ve already told you all about the dog-friendly trails in the state and now we’re letting you in on some of the many the dog-friendly restaurants, parks, breweries, and wineries to visit after getting a hike in over the weekend.
Parks and Other Activities
Forest Park
Located right in downtown Portland, Forest Park is one of the largest urban forests in the country with over 80 miles of trails, firelanes, and service roads. The gem is the popular 31-mile Wildwood Trail with heaps of trails off-shooting along the length.
International Rose Test Garden
Dogs are welcome to visit this 4.5-acre rose garden with picture-perfect views of Mt. Hood. Come in June for peak bloom. With over 10,000 rose plants, Portland’s Rose Garden is the oldest public garden of it’s kind in the United States. The garden is open year-round and had no admission fee. Find one of the many spot among the garden rows with a direct view of Mt. Hood and enjoy a picnic with your pup.
Hoyt Arboretum
Part of Forest Park’s network of trails, Hoyt Arboretum is free and open to the public with over 12 miles of trails and 2,000 species of plants from all over the world, including 63 vulnerable and endangered species.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden (Woodstock)
Since 1950, the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden has been preserving the beautiful space for all to enjoy. Dogs are allowed on leash and the paths are free for all to enjoy every Monday and Tuesday and from Sept 2 through Feb 28th, otherwise admission costs $5. Bring a picnic lunch and sit at a bench overlooking the many ponds and colorful rhodies.
eNRG Kayaking (Oregon City)
Discover Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory and get up close and personal with the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest by volume on a kayak or SUP tour with eNRG Kayaking. Bring your well-behaved dog along for the adventure! If you’ve never tried either before, take a beginner’s class, or head out on a trip to impressive Willamette Falls or down the Santiam River. Every Tuesday during the summer are ladies’ paddle night, where you can rent a paddleboard or kayak for $15.
Photo credits: http://mthoodterritory.com/
Restaurants and Bars
Tin Shed (Alberta Arts District)
With a year-round heated and covered patio, this is one of the few restaurants where you can take your dog rain or shine. Well-known for being one of the most dog-friendly places in town, Tin Shed features a doggie menu with noms including dessert they can share with their human. Every Tuesday after 3PM is Doggie Love Night where Fido receives eats free for every regularly-priced order made by his human. The restaurant also supports local animal organizations through the sales of doggie bandanas.
The Knock Back (Alberta Arts District)
Not far from Tin Shed is another one of Portland’s more dog-friendly establishments. Also featuring a covered and heated patio, The Knock Back is another place dogs can accompany their humans year-round. Go for happy hour to sample one of their famous Boiler Makers and to score some sweet deals on grub.
White Owl Social Club (Buckman)
Voted Portland’s best patios by Willamette Weekly in 2016, White Owl Social Club features a special patio entry for its doggie guests. Famous for it’s vegan beet burger that leaves even carnivores drooling, this restaurant caters to any and all dietary needs. If that wasn’t enough, White Owl also hosts Yappy Hours on Wednesdays featuring extended happy hour specials and treats for the pups. They even bring in shelter dogs for socialization and potential adoption. (call and make sure)
Food Cart Pods (Various Locations)
Portland is well-known for being home to over 500 food carts at any given time. Mostly arranged in “pods” or groups of food carts, they feature fantastic food from all over the world, often for a screamin’ deal. While the downtown pods are more for the weekday business traffic, those located on the east side attract more sit-down patrons, and welcome dogs. Most have covered patios and if you’re lucky fire pits or heat sources to keep you warm in the colder months. Try Cartopia on Hawthorne and 12th, Tidbit Food Farm and Garden on 28th and Division, Pod 28 on 28th and Ash, or Mississippi Marketplace on Mississippi and Skidmore. For a full map of food cart pods, see here.
Sniff Dog Hotel
Sip on a glass of wine while your pup hangs out with his friends at this swanky dogs-only hotel. Sniff hosts a happy hour from Wednesday through Friday from 5-7, with Thursday being small dog night (pups under 30lbs), larger dogs are welcome the other two evenings. Before coming to happy hour, Sniff does require that all participating dogs must undergo a temperament evaluation, which is by appointment only and also must be over 10 months old.
Breweries
Basecamp (Buckman)
This brewery is made by people who love the outdoors and proves it by the adventure photos displayed above the taps, hosting regular events featuring adventure stories, and through their aluminum cans designed to withstand transport to the mountains. The large dog-friendly patio is covered during most of the rainy season (city regulations do not permit it to be a permanent structure) and features picnic tables made from pallet boards and a variety of fire pits to keep you warm when it’s cold out. Order food from the two food carts parked outside of the brewery while you down an Ultra Gnar Gnar IPA.
Lucky Lab
The original dog-friendly brew pup in Portland, Lucky Lab has four locations throughout Portland, all of which welcome dogs on their large patios. Each year in September, the brewery celebrates its anniversary by hosting Dogtoberfest (now in it’s 23rd year!), Portland’s largest dog washing bash that raises funds for Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital.
Stormbreaker Brewing (Mississippi)
Somewhat new to the brewing scene in Portland, Stormbreaker opened its Mississippi location in 2014. One of the best beer gardens in Portland, the large, heated and covered patio comes with fire pits and welcomes dogs on leash.
Velo Cult (Hollywood District)
Not exactly a brewery, nor a cafe, nor a restaurant, Velo Cult is a bike shop that serves craft brews by night and pour over coffee by day. Since they’re not technically a food establishment, pups are welcome indoors filling the need for indoor space to bring the poochies. You’re welcome to bring your own food to hang out with friends or stay for one of the many events that go on at the venue.
Wineries
Keeler Estate Vineyard
This winery may be the only one with a pup add-on to its membership options. For an additional $5, join the Pinot and Puppies club. Members receive vineyard puppy playdates, an organic treat with every distribution, and a chance to be featured on the doggie of the month club on the website. Further, a portion of each membership goes toward Homeward Bound, Oregon’s first no-kill animal shelter.
Airlie Vineyard
Bring a dog towel to this winery because while you sip on Pinot Noir, your dog can go for a dip in the winery pond with owner Mary’s two red Irish Setters, Rocky and Riley. Mary says she has yet to meet a four-legged friend she doesn’t love. And if you don’t have one of your own, Rocky and Riley love to join guests for picnic lunches. Moreover, Airlie practices sustainable winemaking and is one of 41 wineries is certified by LIVE (low input viticulture and enology) and Salmon Safe.
Festivals
Portland Farmers’ Markets (Various Locations)
Well-behaved and short-leashed dogs are welcome to most of the Portland Farmer’s Markets (just not the two busiest ones at Portland State and Shemanski Park). Peruse among the abundance of locally-grown produce, flowers, wines and beers, and other homemade goods. Whether you are vegan, gluten-free, or you consume it all, there is something delicious for everyone.
Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival
Just a short 45-minute drive from Portland is one of the Northwest’s premier tulip festivals. Stroll through over 40 acres of colorful tulips with your pup by your side and find a spot to picnic among the fields with Mt. Hood as your backdrop.
Portland International Beerfest (Pearl District)
Each June, beer lovers can head to the Portland International Beerfest with their four-legged friends to sample from over 60 breweries to sample both classic and hard-to-find beers and ciders from all over the world. A portion of the proceeds from the three-day festival go towards in-need animal shelters, spay and neuter clinics, and other animal welfare groups. So the more you drink, the more you save animals. Prost!
Looking for more adventures in Oregon with your pup? Check out this these dog friendly hikes.
Jen Sotolongo is a writer and photographer and runs Long Haul Trekkers, a blog about independent, responsible travel with a pet. Over the past 1.5 years, she and her partner have taken their dog, Sora on a cycle tour spanning across Europe and South America, proving that adventures can include your dog, no matter where in the world they may be.
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