Traveling with Fido in Oregon's Tualatin Valley:  Dog-Friendly Getaways

Traveling with a four-legged companion can be a challenge, yet dog-friendly options abound throughout Tualatin Valley.

LODGING
Tualatin Valley's pet-friendly lodging options range from budget to boutique hotels. Two that offer special pet packages are:

• The Orenco, a small, upscale boutique property in Hillsboro, offers a “Pampered Pet” package for small dogs for an additional $10 per night, which includes a dog bed, a dog bone and other pet amenities.
• The Peppertree Inn, hotel in Beaverton offers a “Bow Wow” package, which waives the pet fee and a new squeaky toy and a small package of doggie treats are presented upon check-in.
• The newly renovated McMenamins Grand Lodge, which added new rooms and updated half of its rooms to include in-room bathrooms, now allows dogs at its property.
• The brand-new Aloft Hotel also pampers pooches, with its “Arf” program, which provides four-legged guests with a special bed, bowl and a “doggie” bag of treats.

CAMPING AND OUTDOOR RECREATION
When it comes to the dog-friendly outdoors, L.L. Stub Stewart State Park is tops. This full-service state park offers tent camping, RV sites and rustic cabins (including two pet-friendly cabins). The park has more than 30 miles of multi-use trails that allow dogs (dogs must be on leashes no longer than six-feet long on the trails and in the park outside of the off-leash areas):

• The 21-mile Banks-Vernonia State Trail and 2.6-mile Hare's Canyon Trail, both of which are relatively flat trails.
• The .6-mile “Skidder Row” loop, which takes hikers through 90-year-old Douglas fir trees and offers spectacular views of the Oregon Coast Range.
• The one-mile “Boomscooter Trail,” which starts at the Hilltop Day-use Area.

In 2015, an off-leash area was installed at the state park for dogs to run and play. The area has a double gate, five-foot high fence and waste bags (and the views from the area are terrific to boot). In addition to the state park and trails, urban areas of Tualatin Valley have numerous well-maintained dog parks—both leashed and off-leash (most open from dawn until dusk).

DOG-FRIENDLY WINERIES
Tualatin Valley's winemakers love their dogs, and many a friendly Fido can be found sniffing the terroir, welcoming visitors into the tasting room, and generally showing that a day touring the northern Willamette Valley's wineries is a tail-wagging good time. Dogs are so ubiquitous at wineries, the book “Wine Dogs USA” celebrates those wineries who count happy pooches as a part of their crews.

Located in western Tualatin Valley, Plum Hill Vineyards has been recognized as being one of the most dog-friendly wineries in the U.S. Not only are dogs allowed in the tasting room, where they are served biscuits, a fenced-in park on the site allows canines to run and play. (Dogs are allowed at many wineries throughout the region; please call before visiting to ensure that dogs are allowed.)

Each summer (usually in July or August), dozens of wineries in Oregon's Tualatin Valley open their doors to wine lovers and their pooches during the Canines Uncorked wine-tasting event. This one-of-a-kind event invites wine lovers and their faithful four-legged friends to sample complimentary tastings at a dozen participating, dog-friendly wineries. Dogs are treated to special activities and dog-related items are available for sale at several wineries.

ADDITIONAL THINGS TO KNOW WHILE TRAVELING WITH DOGS IN TUALATIN VALLEY*

1. Dogs are not allowed at any of Tualatin Valley's nature parks or wildlife preserves and refuges.
2. Dogs are not allowed at farmers markets; however, the Saturday Beaverton Farmers Market has a “doggy day care.”
3. While dogs are not allowed in grocery stores or restaurants, coffeehouses and restaurants with outdoor patio seating may allow dogs.

*Service dogs, however, are allowed in most of these places.

ABOUT OREGON'S TUALATIN VALLEY

Tualatin Valley is the heart of Oregon's Washington County, and is scenically situated between Portland and the Oregon Coast. The destination is home to world-class golf courses, award-winning wineries, an array of outdoor recreation opportunities, lush, natural and scenic wetlands and wildlife preserves, superb dining, and tax-free shopping centers and boutiques. Tualatin Valley covers 727 square miles and includes the growing communities of Banks, Beaverton, Cornelius, Forest Grove, Gaston, Hillsboro, King City, North Plains, Sherwood, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville. Learn more at tualatinvalley.org.

###