Top Activities For Dogs In Gateway Arch National Park

Introduction

The Gateway Arch National Park is one of St. Louis, Missouri's most famous and instantly recognizable landmarks. The Gateway Arch was formerly known as Jefferson National Expansion Memorial for many years until it was renamed in 2018. The decision to rename the park was purportedly made in order to give the park a more fitting and easy to remember name. Most St. Louis natives would agree, as more and more people have begun visiting the park since the name change and they've been bringing their dogs with them. That's because the Gateway Arch is steadily building a reputation for being one of the dog-friendliest locales in all of Missouri, with events like Arch Bark being held there on an annual basis.

Gateway Riverboat Cruises

Popular

0 Votes

Sunny Day

Cheap

Easy

1 hr

Items needed

Leash

Favorite Toy

Snacks

Waste Bags

Activity description

The Gateway Arch Riverboat Cruise is a fun and exciting way to get a one hour tour of St. Louis via sailing along the city's riverfront on an old school riverboat. It will only cost an adult (classified any person who's 16 years of age or older) $20 to get in on the cruise with no additional charge for your dog, so long as you keep your pet leashed and by your side throughout the ride. It would definitely be best to board this cruise during a sunny period of the year, when you and your dog can stay on the deck and drink in the sights without having to worry about the rain.

Step

1

Don't rock the riverboat

Now you and your dog won't be able to physically rock one of these massive antiques but you can make things difficult for your fellow passengers by not being considerate of others. Keep your pet leashed and by your side throughout the cruise and quiet them down if they begin to bark for no reason. There's a chance other passengers may have brought their dogs along as well, so make sure your dog plays nice if they want to interact with others.

Step

2

Think ahead

While the cruise only lasts about one hour, that time period can feel like a million years if you've got a hungry, restless dog giving a hard time throughout the ride. Pack a few of your dog's favorite snacks for the road and bring one of their favorite toys so that the two of you can step aside and play if your pup starts getting restless.

Arch Bark

Popular

0 Votes

Sunny Day

Cheap

Normal

4 hrs

Items needed

Leash

Water

Waste Bags

Activity description

Arch Bark is a yearly canine festival hosted by the Royal Canin pet food company. This event is free to attend and runs for about 4 hours at the Gateway Arch National Park. The catch is that the event is only hosted once a year, so you'll want to plan ahead if you'd like to attend. A number of dog-friendly events are held at the Arch Bark such as dock diving competitions, pet-friendly photo booths, and agility courses. Arch Bark is typically held during the sunnier seasons of the year, such as spring, summer, and fall.

Step

1

Dock diving

Dock diving is fun activity in which dogs are encouraged to leap into a body of water from various distances and heights. If your dog knows how to swim, let them participate in Arch Bark's yearly dock diving competition and see how far they can get. This competition is all in good fun, as the reward is usually something light like a gift card or a ribbon, so think of this as a friendly competition as opposed to the ultimate test of your dog's dogliness.

Step

2

Agility obstacles

Agility courses are filled with all sorts of fun obstacles that your dog will be prompted to maneuver around to the best of their ability. Arch Bark's course includes a dog tunnel, an A-ramp, and a number of small puddles that dogs are encouraged to jump over. Or at least their course has contained those things in the past, as they occasionally change the course.

Step

3

Photo booth

This is definitely the most laid back activity you and your dog can engage in at Arch Bark. Once the two of you have done and seen everything the event has to offer, bookend the day with a few goofy pictures of the two of you hanging out. Arch Bark's photo booths have typically used polaroid cameras in the past, but they've also begun incorporating digital cameras over the years as well.

Arch Walking

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Free

Easy

1 hr

Items needed

Hands Free Leash

Waste Bags

Activity description

There is a lot of grass and a number of walkways in the area surrounding the Arch that are perfect for walking through with your dog. Dog owners are also encouraged to walk along the Riverfront Trail with their pets where they'll be able to get a unique look at the city as well as one of the riverboats that are in the middle of one of their one hour, pet-friendly cruises. As a national park, the Arch is open to the public so you won't have to pay a cent to visit. You may want to invest in a hands-free dog leash as those particular leashes make walking long distances much easier.

Step

1

Hands off the leash

For a person using a hands-free leash for the first time, the device might feel a little weird or awkward. That's why we suggest spending some time wearing the leash around your place of dwelling as opposed to breaking it in right there at the Arch for the first time. Your dog will also benefit from getting some time with the least beforehand, as they can learn the difference between the hands-free leash and their normal, traditional leash.

Step

2

Stretching things out

It's best to stretch before getting into any activity that involves a lot of muscle movement and contraction. Stretching your limbs will be easy enough but your dog will definitely need help stretching their own. Take your dog's front two legs and gently tug them forward until you've extended them to their maximum length. Get behind your dog and do the same for their hind legs.

Step

3

Arch walking vs. Arch running

The beauty of the hands-free leash it that it will allow you to run in a much more natural fashion while still keeping your pet tethered to your person. As a result, you'll be able to choose if you want to walk or run around the Arch with your dog while the two of you are visiting. Consider this though; the Arch tends to get crowded during certain times of the day, so it'll be easier to go for a run during the earlier hours of the day but will become progressively harder as the Arch gets more populated.

More Fun Ideas...

The Boathouse

The Boathouse is another extremely popular tourist attraction in St. Louis that prides itself on offering great food and entertainment to patrons and their pets. Here, you can order all sorts of traditional American dishes like cheeseburgers and chicken wings as well as rent a dog-friendly paddle boat for about $15 to $20 per hour, depending on the size of the vessel you rent.

Three Dog Bakery

This lovely locale is a great place to get a tasty treat for your dog as well as clean them up at one of the joint's self-serve pet washing stations. Their delicious treats are really cheap, only costing about $2 to $5 per treat. You won't have to break the bank to do something sweet for your dog while you're visiting St. Louis if you stop by the Three Dogs Bakery.

Museum of the Dog

As the name implies, this venue is full of all sorts of paintings and pieces of memorabilia that depict dogs of all shapes and sizes. You'll want to visit this spot as soon as you can though, as it's scheduled to move back to New York City sometime during the first quarter of 2019.

Conclusion

The Gateway Arch National Park has been a very popular landmark in Missouri for many years and its popularity only seems to be increasing as time goes by. If you love American history just as much as you love dogs, then you'll definitely want to visit the Arch when you get the chance as it's one of the most dog-friendly landmarks in the United States. St. Louis Missouri is a very historic and dog-friendly city as a whole, so there will be plenty to do with your dog before and after you visit the Gateway Arch National Park.