Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Asheville and the Blue Ridge

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Biltmore Estate

Animals are not permitted at any of the lodging on the estate, which covers The Inn, the Village Hotel and the cottages, with service animals the exception. Dogs can walk the grounds as long as they are kept securely on a lead at all times, and they can't go into any building. Dogs on a lead are allowed on the outdoor patios at Bistro and Cedric's Tavern if you ask staff inside for patio seating first.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Dogs are allowed, on trails too, on a lead no longer than six feet and under your physical control. They can't go into federal buildings. It is bear country, and the Parkway's number for reporting an aggressive bear is 828-298-2491. Check the Parkway's road closures page before you drive.

Great Smoky Mountains

The national park is the restrictive one. Only two trails permit dogs on a lead, the Gatlinburg Trail and the Oconaluftee River Trail. Dogs are also allowed in campgrounds, picnic areas and along roads on a lead of six feet or less. The park is a day trip from Asheville, so this matters if you are planning a day out there, not if you are staying in town.

Arboretum and DuPont

The North Carolina Arboretum welcomes dogs on a lead on its trails and not in its buildings, and parking is USD 25 per vehicle. DuPont State Recreational Forest asks visitors to keep dogs on a lead. The pet rules for Pisgah National Forest and for Asheville's ART buses aren't something we've confirmed, so check the official pages before you rely on either.

Which rooms take dogs

At several hotels only certain rooms do. The Windsor has two King Suites and needs advance notice, Blind Tiger has two rooms, 1900 Inn on Montford has three Carriage House suites, Trailborn Highlands uses its Patio rooms and Westglow its Lodges 2 and 3. 200 Main's dog rooms are booked by phone or email, not online, and Haywood Park asks you to call first to confirm a dog-friendly room and the current terms.

Leaving the dog in the room

The Park on Main and 200 Main allow it with the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and a contact number at the front desk. The Windsor asks that dogs aren't left alone, and a USD 250 fee may apply if a dog left alone disturbs other guests. The other hotels don't publish a rule.

Fees

Free at The Park on Main and Kimpton Hotel Arras. USD 75 per pet per stay at The Foundry, USD 75 per dog per stay at The Radical, USD 150 a stay at Grand Bohemian Lodge. Confirm the basis when you book at Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park, where the USD 75 fee isn't stated as per stay or per night, and at The Windsor, listed at USD 50 per pet per night. 1900 Inn on Montford publishes only a USD 35 fee if the pet sleeps in the bed, so ask what else applies.

Weight limits and two dogs

Hilton Biltmore Park takes pets up to 75 lbs (about 34 kg). The Radical and Blind Tiger take two dogs up to 70 lbs (about 31.8 kg) each, Trailborn Highlands two dogs under 40 lbs (about 18.1 kg) each and 200 Main one dog under 60 lbs (about 27.2 kg). Haywood Park takes up to three dogs per room. Kimpton Arras, The Foundry, The Park on Main, Grand Bohemian Lodge and Westglow publish no weight limit.

Best walks

The Biltmore Estate grounds with the dog securely on a lead, finishing on the patio at Bistro or Cedric's Tavern. The trails of the Blue Ridge Parkway on a six-foot lead, a short drive from Asheville and from Blowing Rock. The North Carolina Arboretum's trails, and DuPont State Recreational Forest, both on a lead. In Highlands, the town itself, which you can walk straight out of the door from The Park on Main, plus the guided hikes Trailborn runs from the hotel. If you make the day trip to the Smokies, the Gatlinburg Trail and the Oconaluftee River Trail are the two that take dogs.

When to go

None of the dog rules on this page change with the season. The Biltmore, Parkway and national park rules are the same all year, and so are the hotel terms. What changes is access: the Parkway closes sections of road from time to time, so check its road closures page on the day before you drive up, and treat trail access in the forests the same way. We haven't checked official seasonal advice for the mountains, so look at the forecast for your dates and pack for the dog accordingly.