The Dog Lover's Guide to Mountain Walks
10 brilliant locations for you and your four legged friend
There's something magical about watching a dog bound through snow for the first time, that pure unfiltered joy that reminds you why you brought them in the first place. The mountains have always been dog country, and increasingly, the world's best alpine and ski resorts are catching up. From the sun-soaked valleys of Haute-Savoie to the wide open trails of Colorado, here's our pick of ten brilliant bases where your dog can run free.
1. Chamonix, France
If there's one resort that truly gets it, it's Chamonix. Backed by Mont Blanc and threaded with some of the most spectacular trails in Europe, this is a place where your dog can genuinely stretch their legs. The Mer de Glace trail from Montenvers is a classic, and the valley floor along the Arve River offers easy, flat walking even in winter when the higher paths are under snow. The tourist office publishes a dedicated dog-hiking guide with 15+ mapped routes, and there's a thriving café culture where dogs are welcome on terrasses throughout town. Accommodation-wise, a huge number of chalets and apartments explicitly welcome pets — and the town itself feels refreshingly relaxed about the whole thing. For Bernese Mountain Dog owners, this is essentially a homecoming.
Best walk: The Balcon Sud trail from Argentière — dramatic views, manageable terrain, and almost no crowds in shoulder season.
2. Méribel, France
Méribel sits at the heart of the Three Valleys, the world's largest linked ski area, but come summer and it transforms into one of the Savoie's loveliest walking destinations. In winter, the snowshoe trails around the village and through the Manchet Valley are perfect for dogs — well-signposted, mostly flat-ish, and genuinely beautiful. The village has a proper community feel, with plenty of dog-friendly restaurants and bars. Many of the catered and self-catered chalets here actively advertise as pet-friendly, and the layout of the resort (relatively compact, easy to walk between neighbourhoods) makes it ideal if you don't want to drive everywhere.
Best walk: Manchet Valley snowshoe loop — peaceful forest trails that even older or less mobile dogs will love.
3. Morzine / Les Gets, Portes du Soleil, France
The Portes du Soleil straddles the French-Swiss border and is one of Europe's most underrated destinations for dog owners. Morzine in particular has a wonderful village atmosphere — it's a proper working town, not just a ski resort — and dogs are genuinely part of everyday life here. The Lac de Montriond circular walk is a favourite year-round, offering easy lakeside paths through forest with the lake glittering alongside you. In summer, the area opens up completely with hundreds of kilometres of marked trails. Les Gets, just up the road, is smaller and quieter with equally good access to the mountains.
Best walk: Lac de Montriond loop — about 5km, lake views, forest shade, and easy underfoot.
4. Val d'Isère, France
Val d'Isère has a reputation for serious skiing, but it's also seriously good for dogs. The Manchet Valley (shared with Tignes) is one of the finest low-altitude winter walks in the Alps — a wide, gentle path following a river through a protected natural area where dogs can often be off the lead. The village itself is compact enough to navigate on foot, and there are several good options for dog-friendly dining. The resort sits at high altitude, which means even summer visits feel refreshingly cool — ideal if your dog is the sort that overheats on lower-altitude walks.
Best walk: The Manchet Valley floor walk — flat, accessible, and strikingly beautiful with the Isère river alongside.
5. Kitzbühel, Austria
Kitzbühel is arguably the most elegant town in the Austrian Tyrol, and it's brilliantly set up for dogs. The medieval old town has a relaxed attitude to dogs in outdoor spaces, and the surrounding countryside — rolling farmland punctuated by peaks — offers walks that feel more accessible than some of the more dramatic Alpine terrain further west. The Kitzbüheler Horn and Hahnenkamm areas have well-maintained trails and the tourist office provides specific dog-walking maps. In winter, there are dedicated dog-walking areas near the village and excellent snowshoe routes through the forests above town. Many of the Tyrolean guesthouses and smaller hotels actively welcome dogs.
Best walk: The Schwarzsee lake circuit — an easy 4km loop around a beautiful mountain lake, perfect for all fitness levels.
6. St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria
St. Anton is famous for its après-ski, but it's also home to some of the best walking in Vorarlberg. The Arlberg region is spectacular in all seasons, and St. Anton sits at a crossroads of trails that lead into genuinely wild mountain territory. The Moostal valley walk is a local favourite — a long, easy valley floor path that follows a stream through larch forests, ideal for dogs who like to splash about. The village has a lively atmosphere and dogs are a common sight in the pedestrianised centre. Several of the larger hotels here actively market their dog-friendly facilities, including designated drying areas for wet dogs (always a bonus).
Best walk: Moostal valley floor — follow the stream for as far as you like, the path is clear and well-maintained.
7. Livigno, Italy
Livigno is a bit of a hidden gem for dog owners — a long, flat valley in the Lombardy Alps that sits at just over 1,800m and has a wonderfully relaxed pace of life. The Livigno lake circuit and the valley floor paths are ideal for dogs of all ages and sizes, and the town itself has a refreshingly pragmatic attitude to pets. Because Livigno is a duty-free zone, it attracts Italian families rather than the international jet-set, which means it retains a genuine, unpretentious character. Accommodation is plentiful and affordable, and many of the larger apartment complexes specifically welcome pets.
Best walk: The Lago di Livigno trail — a spectacular high-altitude reservoir walk with the mountains reflected in the water.
8. Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
The queen of the Dolomites, Cortina is one of the most beautiful places in the world to take a dog for a walk — and yes, we're aware that's a bold claim. The Dolomiti UNESCO World Heritage landscape is unlike anything else in Europe: vertical pink rock walls, impossibly green valleys, and trails that wind through all of it. The Lago di Misurina area is particularly accessible and dog-friendly, with easy lakeside paths that offer extraordinary views. Cortina itself is a chic Italian resort town where dogs are welcomed in many restaurants and shops — Italians are generally very good about this. The resort is hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics, which has brought investment in trails and facilities throughout the area.
Best walk: Lago di Misurina circuit — easy, flat, utterly gorgeous, with the Tre Cime di Lavaredo towering above.
9. Aspen / Telluride, Colorado, USA
We're giving these two a joint entry because they represent the gold standard of dog-friendly ski towns in North America. Aspen has over 800km of trails in the surrounding Elk Mountains, many of which are dog-friendly year-round. The Rio Grande Trail runs 42 miles and welcomes leashed dogs throughout. Telluride takes it even further — the town has a famously dog-obsessed culture, with 90+ hiking trails accessible directly from the resort, water bowls outside almost every shop, and dogs routinely spotted in the gondola (yes, really). Both towns have excellent dog-friendly accommodation, dining, and a general attitude that your dog is as welcome as you are.
Best walk (Aspen): Rio Grande Trail from Aspen to Woody Creek — flat, scenic, river alongside.
Best walk (Telluride): Bear Creek Trail — a beautiful out-and-back through aspens to a waterfall.
10. Park City, Utah, USA
Park City is one of America's most dog-friendly mountain towns, full stop. The Round Valley trail system offers 30 miles of dog-friendly paths ranging from easy valley floor loops to more ambitious ridge walks, with some trails allowing dogs off-leash in designated areas. The Run-A-Muk dog park gives 43 acres of off-leash alpine terrain — your dog will be in heaven. The town itself is welcoming and walkable, with a brilliant Main Street of restaurants and bars that largely accept dogs on their patios. Park City is also extremely well-connected (Salt Lake City airport is 45 minutes away), making it the easiest US mountain destination to reach from the UK.
Best walk: Round Valley Red Cloud Loop — about 6 miles of rolling terrain with panoramic Wasatch Mountain views.
Packing for the Mountain Dog
If you want to bring a little mountain magic home with you, our Hound Collection and Bernese Mountain Dog Collection have you covered — from mugs and egg cups to candles and baubles, all featuring Natasha's beautiful dog illustrations. The perfect memento of your mountain adventure, for dog lover and human alike.
