8 Dog Hiking Services That’ll Take Your Pup on a Nature Adventure For You

Every once in a while, after a long few weeks cooped up inside doing the same old thing, you’re bound to crave the wild expansiveness of nature. Your dogs do, too. 

Taking dogs hiking can expose them to new stimuli they just can’t find indoors or at the neighborhood dog park. “When they’re off-leash in a natural environment, they get to do all these very natural doggie things like rolling, swimming, and sniffing everything,” sasy Jennifer Wheeler, co-manager of NYC Doggies and co-author of Whole Dog Parenting: Everything You Need to Raise and Train an Urban Pup. “It changes everything for them.”

Since NYC Doggies introduced its hiking service in 2010, Wheeler has seen the difference that some fresh air and unfettered greenery can make. She’s noticed hiking can help dogs release pent-up energy, becoming less snappy, and more social. 

If you don’t personally have the time or energy to take your pup on a full-blown Walden fantasy, no worries: Plenty of services exist that will do the leg work for you. They’ll pick your dog up, drive them to a nearby pup-friendly trail, let them free for (supervised) exploration, and clean them up so they’re back home to you washed, socialized, and utterly pooped. Here are a handful across the country, from the shores of Detroit to the tips of Denver, that get rave reviews from pet parents.

North

New York City: NYC Doggies 

What they offer: Wheeler’s company, NYC Doggies, arranges hikes that are at least three hours long on trails about an hour outside the city — typically in New Jersey or Connecticut. All their nature adventures feature a water source so pups have the option of taking a swim. 

Price per dog: $105-$120 for a three-plus hour walk

What reviewers are saying: “Where to start ... Jen and everyone at NYC Doggies [is] the absolute best! We have used them for hikes and boarding for the past two years and could not be happier. Our dog, Dune, is obsessed with Jen and Jaclyn. He loves them so much we had to change his hiking schedule from once a week to twice a week.” — Kelly

Boston: Boston For The Dogs

What they offer: Boston For The Dogs (BFTD) hosts one-hour structured pack hikes on weekdays and weekends. The BFTD team chooses trails near Beantown that have plenty of opportunities for “sniffing, exploring, and fulfilling their biological needs as dogs,” per their site.

Price per dog: $40 for a one-hour walk on weekdays; $45 for a one-hour walk on weekends

What reviewers are saying: “Boston for the Dogs is the only structured dog walker that we trust with our dogs. We have two Shepherds who require engagement and structure, and previous walkers did not provide this.” — Lucy

South

Atlanta: Chattapoochie Dog Hiking Adventures

What they offer: Beyond an adorable name, Chattapoochie Dog Hiking Adventures offers two-to-three-hour hikes along local trails with creeks and river access, as well as scenic Lake Lanier. Before enrolling, you and your pup will need to have a meet-and-greet with one of their staff so they can confirm it’s a good fit. They don’t put more than four dogs in a hiking group at once, ensuring that your pup gets plenty of attention (and snacks). 

Price per dog: $75 for a two-to-three-hour walk

What reviewers are saying: “My 80-pound puppy is a member of [the] Chattapoochie Dog Hiking Club, and we have been extremely pleased with her personalized service and adventures she offers. Leslie is professional, knowledgeable, passionate, and so caring of her dogs. She provides all the details of my puppies’ hiking adventures and precious keepsake pictures. He comes home happy and very relaxed!” — Deh

Nashville: Pawsitive Adventure Crew

What they offer: With Pawsitive Adventure Crew (PAC), your dog will explore parks around Nashville with a small group of three to four other dogs of a similar size and/or temperament. PAC is all about pup-led play and letting dogs take a break from human rules for a while to sniff, scratch, and explore to their heart’s content. They also offer solo Woodland Walks for dogs that do better on their own.

Price per dog: $65 for a two-to-three-hour group walk; $58 for a 90-minute solo walk 

What reviewers are saying: “I’ve been with PAC for three years and couldn’t be happier! My dogs do the group adventures twice a week and come back to me so happy every time. Great communication, dedicated walkers, convenient. I love that I get a great detailed update with pictures from every visit. It often makes my day to see them having such a great time. I’m not an outdoorsy person, so this is also a great solution for my dogs who enjoy that.” — Casey

Midwest

Chicago: Urban Tailz  

What they offer: Urban Tailz (UT) has been pet walking and sitting on the North Side of Chicago since 2000, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that the founders had the idea to add hiking to the mix. While sheltering in place, they noticed their dogs lost weight, acted less anxiously, and showed signs of “happy exhaustion” after taking long walks in forests near Chicago.

Now, they offer the same service for city residents looking for two-hour or three-hour escapes for their pooches (either solo or in a small group). You can choose a forest, lakefront, or suburban setting for your dog’s grand adventure, and follow along with their route via GPS monitoring on the UT app.

Cost per dog: $50 for a two-hour group walk; $70 for a three-hour group walk; $70 for a two-hour solo walk; $90 for a three-hour solo walk

What reviewers are saying: “We love the team at UT! Their communication, attentiveness, and consistency is amazing, something that can definitely be difficult to find with dog walking companies in this town! I trust our walker, Rachel, with my two Beagle boys completely. She always loves on them and can handle all their barks and squirrel chasing with ease.” — Riti

Detroit: Detroit Walk City

What they offer: Detroit Walk City (DWC) has one goal: helping your dog form lasting connections with walkers and fellow pups. That’s why they require a minimum of two walks a week through their two-hour Field Trip Pack Walk program. Each new dog goes through private training before being introduced to their new forever pack.  

Cost per dog: Price upon request

What reviewers are saying: “Detroit Walk City is the No. 1 pet care provider in Detroit. We relocated for work and had to leave Detroit, and the thing we miss most about Motown is DWC ... We trust them like family, and our dogs love them!” — Jeff

West

Los Angeles: Dog Day Hikes 

What they offer: The canyons and mountainous trails of LA offer a perfect backdrop for Dog Day Hikes’ nature outings. This smaller company serves Silverlake, Los Feliz, and Atwater Village, and the founder, Tom Rollason, is an experienced hiker who is known as a bit of a dog whisperer around these neighborhoods.

Cost per dog: $45 for a 60-minute walk

What reviewers are saying: “Love Dog Day Hikes! Tom is wonderful with dogs, extremely reliable, and a great communicator. I’ve used him for hikes and overnights, and I always know my dog is being well cared for and having a blast.” — Bouji

Denver: Denver Dog Hikers

What they offer: Denver Dog Hikers acknowledges that some dogs are better suited for more challenging hikes, while others are more into the soft hiking lifestyle. So, they take dogs on trial group walks before assigning them to a particular pack. Once your pup is in, they’ll have four-to-six-mile adventures in the expansive foothills of Denver to look forward to.

Price per dog: $95 for a four-to-six mile walk (lasts three to eight hours, depending on the location and speed)

What reviewers are saying: “Our Border Collie, Jess, loves to hike! Jacob and the team took him on a fantastic front range excursion and he came home happy and tired. We appreciated that he was not at home all day and out in the fresh air getting plenty of exercise. Thank you!” — Anne

Most dogs can benefit from taking a walk on the wild side. Size, age, breed, etc., doesn’t matter, though most hiking services only accept dogs who are in good health, up-to-date on their vaccinations, and well-socialized. 

Signing up for a hiking service is a great option for pet parents who don’t have the time or desire to take their dog into nature — but who do want to display photos of their pooch living their best life outdoors all over the fridge.