Carefree traveling with a dog in Texas requires either luck or careful planning, or a little of both. Only about 3 percent of the land in Texas is publicly owned, severely limiting the opportunities for outdoor recreation with a four-footed companion. And while many hotels and motels welcome dogs, the concept of people eating out in the company of a dog seems barely to have penetrated most of the state. Nonetheless there are hundreds of dog-friendly parks, motels, restaurants, and tourist attractions throughout the state.
It nevertheless behooves traveling dogs and their people to remember that they will be, in many cases, trailblazers and ambassadors for those who we hope will be allowed to come later. Just as many times as a hotel owner might exclaim,"Oh, we love dogs!" there may be a long pause followed by a story about the dog who ate the curtains or scarfed the steak off a stranger's plate. How your dog behaves as you travel Texas together will influence the attitude of people about whether dogs should be allowed or banned. (How you behave has a lot to do with it, too.)
The following is a guide to several Texas parks that offer excellent recreation for man and dog.
Where are you going?
What do you want to do?
