WagOn · Places

NH

Mount Monadnock

No — dogs are not allowed Dogs are not allowed on Mount Monadnock — year-round, on every trail, and in the parking areas and campground too. New Hampshire State Parks state it plainly: "Pets are not permitted in the park… this law includes all trails and areas on Mount Monadnock that are within Monadnock State Park boundaries." The Forest Society, which owns much of the rest of the mountain, bans dogs there as well, so there is no dog-legal route to the summit and no option to leave a dog at the trailhead. ADA service animals are permitted. If you want a summit walk with your dog nearby, Miller State Park (Pack Monadnock, about 25 minutes away) does allow pets on a leash of 6 feet or less. Policy verified against nhstateparks.org on 17 Aug 2026 — always check the park page before you drive.

Where dogs ARE allowed

Nowhere on the mountain. There is no carve-out for the headquarters parking area, the Old Toll Road lot, the Gilson Pond campground or the picnic areas — unlike Rhododendron State Park, which the same NH page exempts "except the parking area and Little Monadnock Mountain Trail", Monadnock is listed flat. The only exception is ADA service animals ("Service Animals are permitted, in accordance with the ADA"). The non-state trailheads do not help either: the Forest Society, which owns much of the mountain, prohibits dogs at Monadnock on its own land. Nearby alternative that is dog-legal: Miller State Park (Pack Monadnock), whose own NH State Parks page says "Pets are permitted in the park."

Managed by New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation (NH DNCR); much of the mountain is owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and leased to the State as Monadnock State Park. Official pet policy. Checked against that page in August 2026.

We publish this because finding out at the trailhead is worse than finding out here. Rules change — check before a long drive.

Other places with dog restrictions