Best Dog-Friendly Hiking Trails in Chattanooga and North Georgia (Leash Rules Included)

Chattanooga offers many places for dogs to get exercise, from the Tennessee Riverwalk to ridge trails above downtown and a short drive into North Georgia. Almost all of these spots require a leash, with one notable exception.

Local Trails and Parks

• Tennessee Riverwalk: a 16-mile paved path along the Tennessee River between Chickamauga Dam and the Tennessee Riverpark Wheland Foundry Trailhead in St. Elmo, flat and leash-friendly the entire way.
• Stringers Ridge Park: a 92-acre park in North Chattanooga with dirt and gravel trails and skyline views, popular with mountain bikers, so dogs should stay leashed and close.
• Renaissance Park: a pet-friendly 23-acre park on the North Shore with boardwalks, a pond, and easy walking loops, leashes required.
• Guild/Hardy Trail on Lookout Mountain: an old railroad bed from the 1880s with a wide, gentle grade, accessible from Ochs Highway, Ruby Falls, or Cravens House, leash required.
• Enterprise South Nature Park: miles of multi-use trails through second-growth forest near the Volkswagen plant, popular with trail runners and bikers, leashed dogs required.
• Cloudland Canyon State Park in North Georgia: about 45 minutes south near Rising Fawn and Trenton, Georgia, known for waterfall overlooks and canyon rim views, dogs welcome on leash on most trails though some backcountry or overlook areas can restrict pets seasonally.
• Heritage Park Dog Park: separate fenced areas for large and small dogs plus benches, shade, water stations, and agility equipment, one of the only places in Chattanooga where dogs can be off leash.

Hamilton County Leash Law

Hamilton County requires dogs to be leashed in public spaces unless in a designated off-leash area such as Heritage Park dog park. This applies regardless of how well trained a dog is off leash at home, and it helps keep other hikers, kids, wildlife, and the dog itself safer.

Pack Waste Out on Every Hike

Dog waste does not break down the way wildlife droppings do, and left on a trail it can wash into the creeks and streams that feed the Tennessee River. Carrying bags on every hike, even short ones, and packing waste out is part of good trail etiquette.

Scoopy Doo Service After the Hike

Scoopy Doo services Chattanooga and North Georgia neighborhoods from Hixson and Red Bank to East Brainerd, Ooltewah, Signal Mountain, and Ringgold.

• Weekly service from $20 per visit for one dog, twice-weekly from $18 per visit
• Bi-weekly service from $33 per visit
• One-time cleanups from $85
• No contracts, a gate photo after each visit, and a text when the technician is on the way