Paved Bike Paths

Even though you are allowed to have your dog off leash in Sunriver, please be courteous to others and don't let your dog approach people on the pathway that he/she doesn't know.  Unless your dog is very well trained and responds immediately upon voice command we recommend that you keep your dog on a leash at all times while in Sunriver.

Mountain bike trails

Dogs are allowed on most mountain bike trails on the national forest. We ask both dog owners and mountain bikers to be courteous and considerate of other trail users. For safety, avoid busy trails and move off the trail with your dog when a mountain bike approaches.

Your dog's health

Trails can get hot in the summer. Sometimes the heat is tough on paws (this is especially true on the paved pathways that are exposed to the sun all day).  More common is that dog's overheat, especially if you're running or mountain biking. Keep an eye on your pooch and be sure to provide "cool down" breaks and access to water for drinking/swimming.  Check your dog after each hike for cheatgrass or foxtail.

Your dog's poop

Dispose of all poop while in Sunriver.  When you venture beyond Sunriver, be sure to scoop poop that can be seen or smelled by others.  Many dogs poop at or near trailheads, which gives us a couple options:

Have a bag handy and keep a close eye on your pooch from the time he gets out of the car until you're several minutes into the trail. Trailheads don't always have trash cans, so you may need to pack it out (zip-locs help seal in the smell).

Leash up your pooch, go down the trail a ways without stopping, take him off-trail into the forest/bushes, then remove the leash -- there's a decent chance he'll poop there. A good next step is to follow "Leave No Trace" principles and bury the poop in a hole. With a trowel to dig and bark/sticks/rocks for pushing poop into the hole, it's easy! Bet you never thought owning a dog could be this much fun...

Is your dog unfriendly -- or you don't want to pick up poop?

We want all dogs to get the exercise they need, especially since exercise can reduce behavior problems (a tired dog is a good dog). However, if your dog is unfriendly (or way too friendly) or if you can't bring yourself to pick up poop, we encourage you to use areas where you won't encounter other people or dogs. The Deschutes National Forest and BLM lands around Sunriver have many little-used dirt roads.