The 15 Most Pet-Friendly Vacation Spots in the US

Traveling with a pet presents quite a challenge but fortunately, there are plenty of places ready to welcome you and your animal friends and family members with open arms. Upgraded Points recently compared 50 of the most popular vacation spots in the U.S. across eight important factors for pet-friendliness-including dog parks, pet stores, pet-friendly hotels, vacation rentals and restaurants as well as veterinarians and hiking trails per 100,000 people-to determine the top 15 cities for vacationing pet owners in 2020.

Home to approximately 345 miles of hiking trails and nearly 5.7 dog parks per 100,000 people, Boise-which was already one of the best destinations for outdoor enthusiasts-rounds out the top 15 most pet-friendly vacation destinations in America with a total score of 25.3 out of 50.

Elsewhere in the Northwest, Portland fares just slightly better than Boise, aided by a higher number of pet stores, pet-friendly restaurants and veterinarians per 100,000 people. However, given the city's reputation as being weirdly wonderful, it isn't shocking to see it crack the top 15.

The Live Music Capital of the World is much lighter on dog parks per 100,000 people compared to Boise and Portland but it beats out both in terms of pet-friendly hotels and vacation rentals. What's more, the Texas capital has always been about the great outdoors.

With nearly 36 hiking trails per 100,000 people, Salt Lake City-already one of the top destinations for spring break in 2020-is a pet lover's dream. The city is also home to more than 50 pet-friendly hotels and nearly six dog parks per 100,000 people.

It turns out that reveling in the Big Easy isn't just for humans, according to Upgraded Points' latest research. New Orleans is chock-full of pet-friendly accommodations and restaurants and boasts a surprising amount of hiking trails.

Falls Park on the Reedy and nearby Paris Mountain State Park are among the many highlights for pet owners visiting Greenville, South Carolina, which ranks as the nation's 10th-most pet-friendly vacation destination in 2020. The city is also home to more than 230 pet-friendly restaurants per 100,000 people.

Portland, Maine features the highest number of veterinarians per 100,000 people at 6.02. A getaway to this New England hotspot will also reward pet owners with plenty of animal-friendly hotels and restaurants. It should also be noted that the average high temperature never exceeds 80 degrees during the summer months.

One of two South Carolina cities on the list, Charleston is propelled into the top 10 on the strength of its robust dog park portfolio. The famous port city boasts the highest number of dog parks per 100,000 people with 9.54, based on Upgraded Points' data.

Warm and sunny weather makes Scottsdale an excellent place to travel to with pets. What's more, the desert resort destination celebrated for its spa and golf resorts offers 369 miles of hiking trails as well as an impressive 72.85 pet-friendly hotels per 100,000 people.

There's a lot to love about Newport, Rhode Island, especially if you're a pet owner as this coastal city is home to 8.13 dog parks, 203.33 pet-friendly hotels and 117.93 pet-friendly restaurants per 100,000 people, Upgraded Points found.

Despite a lack of hiking trails, family-friendly Key West is as pet-friendly as destinations come, offering visitors a whopping 488.5 pet-friendly hotels per 100,000 people, plenty of animal-friendly restaurants with outdoor seating and more than a dozen pet stores per 100,000 people.

It's safe to say that the Southeast is well-represented in the top 15, with charming Savannah, Georgia cracking the top five due to its tremendous balance across all eight factors. Visitors can bring their pets with peace of mind knowing that they won't be hard-pressed to find pet stores, hiking trails or animal-friendly accommodations and restaurants.

Orlando's family-friendly reputation isn't limited to humans as the Theme Park Capital of the World is also the third-most pet-friendly destination in the U.S. Orlando certainly isn't known for its dog parks but features loads of pet-friendly accommodations and restaurants in addition to an abundance of hiking trails.

As inclusive as American cities come, Santa Fe had the second-highest number of both pet-friendly hotels and vacation rentals relative to the population of any city Upgraded Points analyzed. A healthy number of dog parks and nearly 250 miles of hiking trails only add to its appeal among pet owners.

Top-ranked Asheville earned top scores in six of the eight factors that were examined, including the two carrying the most weight-the number of pet-friendly hotels and vacation rentals relative to the population. If that weren't enough, the city beloved for its craft beer also features nearly 400 miles of hiking trails.