Joined
·
4,214 Posts
Please excuse the pun, but a continuing pet peeve of mine is the anti-dog policies of some state's campground systems. I'm privileged to live adjacent to probably the dog-friendliest and best overall state park system in America: Virginia's.
I'm frustrated to also live adjacent to what was one of the most anti-dog states and now is possibly the most convoluted and complex in terms of when and where dogs are allowed: Maryland.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/pdfs/MPS Pet Policy - FINAL - Effective April 9 2010.pdf
West Virginia allows dogs in campgrounds and is also now allowing dogs in designated cabins. Bravo, West Virginia!!
I urge fellow EOC-ers who feel as I do to speak up against state campground policies that prohibit or so severely restrict dogs.
And as important, compliment those state park systems that are dog-friendly.
Dog-people tend to be outdoors-people. Thanks to the dog-friendly Commonwealth of Virginia, I got back into camping nearly 20 years ago with my first Samoyed, Buck.
Below is an e-mail I just sent to the Maryland state park system via their customer service e-mail:
"It's good to see that the state of Maryland is at long last making some effort to be dog-friendly. But you all have a long way to go.
I was just about to book a mid-week reservation for Cunningham Falls until I saw that the remaining anti-dog stipulations include not being allowed in the lake during the summer. Why did Maryland have to make the dog policy so complicated and restrictive?
Just look across the Potomac to Virginia -- the dog-friendliest state park system in America. Simple and friendly. Dogs are allowed in campgrounds and cabins, for a fee, period. And dogs are allowed in the lakes and rivers, year-around.
I live in DC and would just as soon explore Maryland but the anti-dog policies keep pushing me away and to Virginia. I'm a single woman who loves to camp but am not doing so without my dog.
Virginia is for dog lovers. Maryland is for people who satisfy the fine print. Such a shame."

I'm frustrated to also live adjacent to what was one of the most anti-dog states and now is possibly the most convoluted and complex in terms of when and where dogs are allowed: Maryland.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/pdfs/MPS Pet Policy - FINAL - Effective April 9 2010.pdf
West Virginia allows dogs in campgrounds and is also now allowing dogs in designated cabins. Bravo, West Virginia!!
I urge fellow EOC-ers who feel as I do to speak up against state campground policies that prohibit or so severely restrict dogs.
And as important, compliment those state park systems that are dog-friendly.
Dog-people tend to be outdoors-people. Thanks to the dog-friendly Commonwealth of Virginia, I got back into camping nearly 20 years ago with my first Samoyed, Buck.
Below is an e-mail I just sent to the Maryland state park system via their customer service e-mail:
"It's good to see that the state of Maryland is at long last making some effort to be dog-friendly. But you all have a long way to go.
I was just about to book a mid-week reservation for Cunningham Falls until I saw that the remaining anti-dog stipulations include not being allowed in the lake during the summer. Why did Maryland have to make the dog policy so complicated and restrictive?
Just look across the Potomac to Virginia -- the dog-friendliest state park system in America. Simple and friendly. Dogs are allowed in campgrounds and cabins, for a fee, period. And dogs are allowed in the lakes and rivers, year-around.
I live in DC and would just as soon explore Maryland but the anti-dog policies keep pushing me away and to Virginia. I'm a single woman who loves to camp but am not doing so without my dog.
Virginia is for dog lovers. Maryland is for people who satisfy the fine print. Such a shame."