You don't have to choose between the dog and the hot tub. Every home on this page is marked pet-friendly on our site and has its own hot tub, so the dog gets the trails and you get the soak afterward.
Pet policies belong to each host: how many pets, what size, any pet fee and whether a dog can be left alone in the house. Mention your dog in your booking request and get the host's yes in writing before you travel.
Before you book
- Ask how many pets are allowed, whether there's a size or breed limit, and what the pet fee or deposit is. These vary from home to home.
- Ask whether your dog can be left alone at the house, and whether it should be crated if so.
- Ask about the yard: is it fenced, and is the hot tub area gated?
- Lake communities have their own pet rules. In Penn Estates, for example, the host registers every pet with the community before you arrive, and many community beaches and pools don't allow pets.
Hot tub safety for dogs
The hot tub is for people. Hot tub water can run as hot as 104°F, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission's upper limit for adults, and the American Kennel Club warns that heatstroke can set in within minutes once a dog's body temperature passes 105.8°F. The water is also treated with chlorine or bromine: a UK emergency vet clinic treated a bulldog puppy for lung inflammation after it fell into a hot tub and breathed in the chlorinated water.
- Keep the dog out of the tub, and keep the cover on and fastened whenever nobody is in it. Don't let the dog walk or lie on the cover.
- Watch the dog whenever you're in the tub, especially a puppy or a dog that likes to jump in water.
- Bring a water bowl outside so your dog isn't tempted to drink from the tub.
- Puppies, older dogs, overweight dogs and short-snouted breeds overheat most easily, according to the AKC.
- Signs of overheating include heavy panting, lots of drooling, bright red gums and tongue, and trouble standing. The AKC advises moving the dog somewhere cool, wetting it with cool (not cold) water, and calling a vet.
Sources: American Kennel Club: heatstroke in dogs · U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: hot tub temperatures · Press Association via Yahoo News (Aug. 28, 2020): puppy falls into hot tub
Dogs in Pennsylvania state parks
Hickory Run State Park, Tobyhanna State Park, Gouldsboro, Lehigh Gorge State Park and Big Pocono are all a short drive from our homes, with no entrance fee. Tobyhanna's Lakeside Trail is an easy 5.1-mile loop around the lake, and the Lehigh Gorge Trail is a flat former rail line along the river. The state's pet rules apply in every park:
- Keep your dog on a leash, or caged or crated, and with you at all times. Electronic fences and leashes don't count, and you can't tie a dog to a tree or post. Ask the park office about leash length.
- No pets in swimming areas or inside park buildings.
- Pick up after your dog. Rabies shots must be current, and your dog needs a license if your home state requires one.
- Don't leave a pet unattended, and keep barking under control: excessive barking counts as a disturbance.
Sources: PA DCNR: pets in state parks · Tobyhanna State Park hiking · Lehigh Gorge State Park
The Delaware Water Gap with a dog
The National Park Service says most of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area's 150+ miles of trails are pet-friendly, as long as your dog is on a leash and you carry the waste out.
- Pets aren't allowed at the Raymondskill Falls Recreation Site, George W. Childs Park or the Dingmans Falls area on the Pennsylvania side.
- Smithfield Beach and Milford Beach are off-limits to pets from Memorial Day to Labor Day, except to launch a boat or reach the McDade trailhead.
Dog-friendly stops
- Bright Path Brewing, 1215 North St, Jim Thorpe: well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome in the taproom (open Thursday to Sunday).
- Barley Creek Brewing Co., Tannersville: pets are welcome at the outdoor tables only (the Bluestone Patio, Pint Size Park and the S'more Trailside Dining sites), on a leash no longer than 4 feet and not retractable, and never on the furniture. Pint Size Park closes for the winter.
- Pocono Whitewater, Jim Thorpe: Dog Days of Summer are gentle Family Style rafting trips you can take with your dog on a handful of summer dates. One dog per person, your dog needs its own life jacket, and the 2026 price was $14.99 per dog. Check next year's dates in spring.
Sources: Bright Path Brewing · Barley Creek pet policy · Pocono Whitewater Dog Days of Summer
Ticks and bears
- The CDC recommends checking your dog for ticks every day after time outdoors, especially the ears, around the eyes, under the collar, under the legs, between the toes and around the tail. Ask your vet about a tick preventive before the trip.
- Black bears live in the Pocono woods, and pet food left outside attracts them. Feed your dog indoors and bring the bowls in at night.
Sources: CDC: preventing ticks on pets · Penn State Extension: black bears
