Hi folks! Today I’m switching up my normal content and sharing our experience camping with our dog for the first time. I thought it would be fun to recap how everything went, offer some suggestions, and reflect on what we might do differently next time.

Our original plan was to spend one night at a local Colorado Springs campground that was pet-friendly. My thinking was if our dog, Willie Nelson, was causing a ruckus, we could easily pack up and head home since the campground was only about a half hour from our house. The campground was nice and the people working there were super friendly, but the sites were very close to each other and there was not a lot of privacy. It was also an RV park/campground, so it was very noisy in general. We decided to pack up and head to another area about an hour away that we were familiar with, Turkey Rocks, to see if there was room for us to pitch a tent. We figured, worst case scenario, we could always come back to that campground since our site was reserved.

The road to Turkey Rocks is incredibly rough and bumpy, so it was already a lot less popular than the campground. We made our way up a massive hill and at the top spotted a beautiful designated parking and campsite area. With no one around and amazing views of the mountains, we pitched our tent! Before our trip, I purchased a pet tether that could either go into the ground or around a tree and would give Willie about 15 feet to run around. We had to make sure there was nothing within his reach (like camp chairs or a water bowl), or he would knock it over, but having the tether made setting up camp and relaxing so much easier. We explored for a bit and settled in as the sun began to set. We made sure to bring a few of Willie’s toys and his food/water bowls from home, and he seemed to be doing really well.

Once it was time for bed, we brought him into the tent where it was, admittedly, a bit squished. Willie did some sniffing and poking around before settling down, and we all fell asleep pretty quickly. Around midnight, Willie managed to open the zipper to the door of the tent just enough to slip out, but thankfully we were able to grab his leash and hook him up to the tether before he wandered off. We definitely learned our lesson to zip the door from bottom to top rather than from top to bottom!
Willie was sniffing and pacing around like crazy, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a few deer had wandered through at some point. From midnight to about three Willie seemed to be pretty on edge. We left him on the tether but opened the door of the tent so we could hear and keep an eye on him. He used the bathroom and played for a bit, but mostly seemed preoccupied with sniffing and digging. Eventually, we brought him back into the tent where he continued to whine for a bit before settling down again for the night.

All in all, the experience went about how I expected. Willie was actually able to settle down in the tent pretty well, except for those three hours in the middle of the night. The tether was a great tool to have so we could be hands-free and know that he wouldn’t escape and run off. As much as we’d love for him to be an off-leash dog, he’s still a bit young and tends to wander away. Definitely something to work on as we bring him on more adventures!

Below is a quick packing list if you plan to go camping with your pup. One big item we need to purchase is a doggy first aid kit. I wasn’t too concerned about it for this trip since we were pretty close to home, and thankfully, we didn’t need one. In my opinion, though, you never know what could happen and should always be prepared for the worst! I also recommend making sure your dog is chipped and wearing a collar with updated contact information in case they happen to escape and run off. I would also suggest having a clear, updated photo of your pup on your phone in case you need to start sharing for people to keep an eye out.

Do you have a furry friend that accompanies you on camping trips? What are your tips and tricks for making sure they’re comfortable and have a good time? Let me know in the comments!

Packing list:

• Bowl(s) for food/water – since we were able to just drive up to our campsite, we brought Willie’s regular bowls from home. We do also have a collapsible bowl specifically for camping which we’ll likely use on trips where we have to hike in/out.
• Toys – we only brought two, but I’m glad we had them on hand because he did play with them for a bit throughout our trip.
• Tether – definitely a must-have in my opinion (unless your dog is used to being off-leash). Having the tether made it very convenient to keep our hands free while also giving Willie plenty of room to explore.
• Poop bags – another must-have! Remember: leave no trace.
• Food/treats – obviously, food is a must-have, but I also thought having treats would be helpful in case Willie needed to be distracted or if he happened to wander off and we had to coax him back. We didn’t end up needing them, but he got a few treats anyway for being a good boy!