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.
