On our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Caesar became a B.A.R.K. Ranger. The program, offered by several National Parks, is brand new to GSMNP; Caesar was one of the first 13 dogs to be “sworn in.”
B.A.R.K. Rangers promise to follow a code of ethics in the park. B.A.R.K. stands for:
- Bag your pet’s waste
- Always leash your pet
- Respect wildlife
- Know where you can go
Park Ranger Sheree helped bring the program to the Smokies. We met her at the Gatlinburg Trail, one of only two trails that dogs are allowed on in the park. A group of seven dogs, including Caesar, met for the program where we took a short hike, learned about B.A.R.K. Ranger ethics, learned about what we should be aware of regarding wildlife, why dogs can’t go on all the trails, and heard some history of dogs in GSMNP, mostly about Smoky Jack, a German Shepherd who carried goods on his back up the mountain.
B.A.R.K. Ranger Ethics
Park Ranger Sheree explained that dog waste alway needs to be picked up because it can scare animals native to the park away. The goal of Park Rangers is to preserve a National Park, which means we should all help to leave the woods just as we found it. Leaving dog waste changes the environment and can spread disease.
Dogs should always be on a leash six feet or less. I was happy to hear Park Ranger Sheree explain that retractable leashes should never be used in or out of the park because of the dangers they pose. Keeping dogs on shorter leashes helps keep them under control and helps to respect the space of others who pass by.
Respecting wildlife goes hand in hand with the other B.A.R.K. Ranger ethics. It is actually a federal offense to approach wildlife. People should remain 50 feet away at all times. Hearing a dog bark or seeing a dog could scare wildlife. Park Ranger Sheree also showed us photos of two poisonous snakes native to the Smokies: the Northern Copperhead and the Timber Rattlesnake.
Everyone in Saturday’s program seemed to know where they could go. As I said above, there are only two trails that allow dogs in the GSMNP: The Gatlinburg Trail near Gatlinburg and Oconaluftee River Trail outside of Cherokee, North Carolina. Dogs are also allowed at campsites and on roadside pull offs. Dogs are always allowed to go anywhere if they stay inside the car. There are many other places outside, but near, GSMNP that allow dogs on all of their trails such as Cherokee National Forest.
After we learned about the B.A.R.K. Ranger code of conduct, Park Ranger Sheree swore all of the dogs in. Each dog then got a B.A.R.K. Ranger tag that is specific to GSMNP. After that, we all vowed to advocate and teach others about the rules of having dogs on the trails.
Not only was the program super educational, but it allowed for Caesar to meet other dogs and to socialize. He even met a dog from New Jersey that looked very similar to him! All of the dogs were very friendly and seemed to enjoy getting to know each other.
Now that I know about the program, I hope to visit other parks to collect more B.A.R.K. Ranger tags for Caesar. Here are some other parks that have the program that I have found so far. If you know of more, comment and let me know!
- Montezuma Castle National Monument – Arizona
- Petrified Forest National Park – Arizona
- Tuzigoot National Monument – Arizona
- Redwood National Park – California
- Indiana Dunes National Park – Indiana
- Acadia National Park – Maine
- Minute Man National Historic Park – Massachusetts
- Vicksburg National Military Park – Mississippi
- George Washington Carver National Monument – Missouri
- Pecos National Historical Park – New Mexico
- Sagamore Hill National Historic Site – New York
- Hopewell Culture National Historic Site – Ohio
- Fort Vancouver National Historic Site – Oregon/Washington
- Friendship Hill National Historic Site – Pennsylvania
- Independence Hall National Park – Pennsylvania
- Golden Spike National Historic Park – Utah
- Olympic National Park – Washington
- Devil’s Tower National Monument – Wyoming