Knowing where you can legally bring your dog matters more than reviews suggest. National parks ban dogs from most trails outright; national forests and state parks vary by location. We filtered the 10,109 mapped Wisconsin trails to only those where the trail's data explicitly allows dogs (leashed or otherwise), then ranked by length and difficulty to surface the routes most dogs and most owners will enjoy. Always carry a leash, water, and waste bags — and check the trailhead sign for current rules.
Wisconsin's driftless area in the southwest (escaped glaciation), the Door Peninsula, the Apostle Islands, and the Northwoods produce surprising topographic variety. Devils Lake State Park, Apostle Islands NLakeshore mainland trails, and the Ice Age Trail short segments give beginners scenic, manageable hikes. Dog access in the US varies by land manager: federal national parks usually restrict dogs to paved areas, while national forests, BLM lands, and many state parks welcome leashed dogs on trail.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 10,109 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Wisconsin — but the data has limits worth being honest about. We surface trails where the OpenStreetMap `dog` tag is explicitly set to yes, leashed, or permissive. Many genuinely dog-friendly trails are missing this tag and won't appear; conversely, leash rules can change seasonally with wildlife management. Always verify at the trailhead.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Anvil Devil's Run Trail
Anvil Devil's Run Trail near Three Lakes in Vilas County is one of the better-tagged dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin, landing at #1. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Pack 2x more water than you think the dog needs in heat, plus a collapsible bowl. Hot pavement and exposed rock can burn paw pads in minutes. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Anvil Devil's Run Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Anvil East Trail
Anvil East Trail near Three Lakes in Vilas County is one of the better-tagged dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin, landing at #2. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Pack 2x more water than you think the dog needs in heat, plus a collapsible bowl. Hot pavement and exposed rock can burn paw pads in minutes. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Anvil East Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Anvil Snowshoe Trail
Anvil Snowshoe Trail near Three Lakes in Vilas County is one of the better-tagged dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin, landing at #3. Expect dirt surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Pack 2x more water than you think the dog needs in heat, plus a collapsible bowl. Hot pavement and exposed rock can burn paw pads in minutes. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Anvil Snowshoe Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Arrowhead Park Trail
Arrowhead Park Trail near Appleton in Outagamie County is one of the better-tagged dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin, landing at #4. Expect asphalt surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Wisconsin, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Pack 2x more water than you think the dog needs in heat, plus a collapsible bowl. Hot pavement and exposed rock can burn paw pads in minutes. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Arrowhead Park Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Arrowhead Park Trail
Arrowhead Park Trail near Menasha in Outagamie County is one of the better-tagged dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin, landing at #5. Expect wood surface on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Pack 2x more water than you think the dog needs in heat, plus a collapsible bowl. Hot pavement and exposed rock can burn paw pads in minutes. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Arrowhead Park Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Arrowhead Park Trail
Arrowhead Park Trail near Menasha in Outagamie County is one of the better-tagged dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin, landing at #6. Expect wood surface on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Pack 2x more water than you think the dog needs in heat, plus a collapsible bowl. Hot pavement and exposed rock can burn paw pads in minutes. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Arrowhead Park Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Arrowhead Park Trail
Arrowhead Park Trail near Menasha in Outagamie County is one of the better-tagged dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin, landing at #7. Expect wood surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. Pack 2x more water than you think the dog needs in heat, plus a collapsible bowl. Hot pavement and exposed rock can burn paw pads in minutes. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Arrowhead Park Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Arrowhead Park Trail
Arrowhead Park Trail near Menasha in Outagamie County is one of the better-tagged dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin, landing at #8. Expect asphalt surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Pack 2x more water than you think the dog needs in heat, plus a collapsible bowl. Hot pavement and exposed rock can burn paw pads in minutes. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Arrowhead Park Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Arrowhead Park Trail
Arrowhead Park Trail near Appleton in Outagamie County is one of the better-tagged dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin, landing at #9. Expect asphalt surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Wisconsin, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Pack 2x more water than you think the dog needs in heat, plus a collapsible bowl. Hot pavement and exposed rock can burn paw pads in minutes. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Arrowhead Park Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. Backside
Backside near Big Bay in Marquette County is one of the better-tagged dog-friendly hikes in Wisconsin, landing at #10. Expect ground surface on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Pack 2x more water than you think the dog needs in heat, plus a collapsible bowl. Hot pavement and exposed rock can burn paw pads in minutes. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Backside trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Wisconsin trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Wisconsin. May-October is the practical window; winters are severe; spring blackflies and summer ticks are seasonally significant. Ticks (Lyme present), bears in the Northwoods, and rapid Great Lakes weather along the Apostle Islands.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Wisconsin hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Wisconsin coverage continues below.
- Top 10 longest trails in Wisconsin — Multi-day routes and through-hikes ranked by distance.
- Steepest trails in Wisconsin — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Wisconsin — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Wisconsin — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Wisconsin — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Wisconsin — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best family hikes in Wisconsin — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Wisconsin last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
