2026 Dog Days at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville will host twelve Dog Days between January and March 2026, allowing families to bring their dogs onto the park’s trails and drives. This initiative is designed to increase human enjoyment and physical activity, culminating in a deeper connection to nature, as many visitors report feeling happier and more motivated to visit parks when accompanied by their dogs.

The program is designed to let people include pets in outdoor visits while maintaining protections for the park’s resident animals, the park says. Tessa Miller, a spokeswoman for Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, emphasized that the effort was planned with animal wellbeing in mind, noting that safeguarding the wildlife populations is a top priority during these events.

Event listings show Dog Days on January 4, 10, 19 and 30; February 7, 15, 21 and 27; and March 6, 13, 22 and 28. Each day runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., giving visitors a window to use the park’s dog-designated routes and Wild Drives, the park has announced on local listings such as dog parks benefit local communities.

Northwest Trek’s Dog Days will open dog-friendly forest trails and a 400-plus-acre Dog Days Wild Drives area inside the park near Eatonville, a city about an hour east of Seattle. The arrangement temporarily adjusts the park’s usual no-pets policy so families can experience the property together while staff implement safeguards for wildlife. Typically, wildlife parks restrict dogs to certain areas, minimizing their presence in sensitive habitats and drive areas to reduce stress on wildlife residents.

“Dogs are typically kept away from wildlife for good reason, but our new dog-friendly days were created very intentionally with animal wellbeing for both the wildlife park’s animals and visiting dogs,” said Tessa Miller, the park spokesperson. Furthermore, dog owners are encouraged to keep their pets leashed, typically no longer than six feet, and under control at all times to ensure both their safety and that of the resident wildlife. How do wildlife parks typically ensure the safety of their animals while allowing dogs?

She added that the program aims to offer enrichment for visiting pets: “Dog Days gives dogs a chance to enjoy new sights and smells in a safe, outdoor setting. It’s great mental and physical enrichment for them.” Miller also described the days as a relaxed way for people to explore the park with their dogs. “It’s a fun, low-stress way for people and their dogs to explore nature together,” she said. To maximize enjoyment, dog owners should research a park’s specific pet rules in advance, familiarize themselves with designated routes, and be aware of any restrictions that may apply. What precautions should dog owners take when visiting wildlife parks with their pets?

Park announcements and promotional listings frame Dog Days as a returning and popular program that provides scheduled opportunities for dog owners to visit without compromising the care of large animals such as bison, moose, and mountain goats that live on the property. Northwest Trek says the dates were chosen to balance visitor access with protections for the animals inhabiting its naturalistic habitats.

Visitors interested in attending are advised to consult the park’s event information before arriving to confirm any specific rules and routes in effect for Dog Days. The schedule gives families multiple weekend and weekday options across the three-month run, starting with January 4.

The park’s winter Dog Days represent a temporary change to how Northwest Trek normally operates, concentrating canine visits into defined times and spaces so staff can monitor impacts and maintain animal welfare standards while allowing owners to include dogs in outdoor outings. This structured approach helps ensure that both two-legged and four-legged visitors can safely enjoy the beauty of nature while fostering a responsible relationship between pets and wildlife.

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