Winter Adventures With Your Dog in Fort Collins, CO

By: Abbey Annis

Winter in Northern Colorado doesn’t stop our furry companions from wanting to adventure! Fort Collins and the surrounding areas offer plenty of dog-friendly activities to do year-round, whether you want to attend an indoor event or get outside and explore. We researched winter activities to do with your dog in Fort Collins and the greater Larimer County, so you don’t have to!

Brown and white dog leaping through the snow.

Explore Cameron Pass

Cameron Pass is great for the dogs & owners who are up for some adventure! Grab some snow shoes or your backcountry ski setup and explore a wide variety of trails. Keep in mind to check weather conditions and pack accordingly for yourself and your dog. Consider booties, jackets, and goggles when bringing your dog in winter weather conditions. Make sure to do your research on avalanche safety and trail conditions beforehand. Get more info on Cameron Pass here. 

There are also several great dog-friendly trails on the way to Cameron Pass, including Greyrock, Hewlett Gulch, and Young Gulch. Remember to do research on leash laws and pack out dog waste.

On a partially snowy dirt trail, a small white and brown dog on leash follows a second black larger dog on leash with their human.

Hiking at Estes Park

Although dogs are not allowed on the trails at Rocky Mountain National Park, there are still many great alternative trails to explore with your dog. Some great options to bring your dog include Buchanan Pass Trailhead, Lily Mountain Trail, Lion Gulch Trail, and Lake Estes Trail. Some of these trails vary with leash laws, but we recommend keeping your dog on a long line, like one from Trust Your Dog, to ensure the safety of your dog, other people, and wildlife.

Events & Local Pet Activities 

Fort Collins is known for its breweries and craft beer. Not to mention, we love to bring our dogs with us! Luckily, many breweries around town have dog-friendly patios or taprooms. Odell, New Belgium, Stodgy, Salt Road, Maxline, Gilded Goat, Zwei, and Prost are some of the many breweries around Fort Collins that allow dogs to hang out with you while you enjoy a craft beer! Not ready to bring your dog to the brewery quite yet? Check out Summit Dog Training’s Drink With Your Dog® Brewery Manners FREE mini-training events hosted at New Belgium, here!

Check out Wagz Pet Market in Old Town Fort Collins for any pet gear or treats you may need! Wagz also hosts Reactive Dog Days every second Tuesday of the month, where you can schedule a private 15-minute visit with your reactive dog to explore the store. This is a great enrichment activity that keeps you warm on an inside adventure!

Paint a portrait of your dog at Painting With a Twist in Fort Collins through a self-guided workshop with the help of local artists. Sign up for one of their pet portrait workshop here. 

Two dogs are outside sitting in the snow, one white and brown australian shepard with a maroon bandana, the second an all brown dog with their head tilted and tongue on their nose.

Dog Training Classes

Winter is a great time to invest in some training classes with your dogs! Dog training is great for relationship building and mental stimulation, especially during those colder months when you are cooped up inside. 

Summit Dog Training offers many classes ranging from Puppy Playschool and Smells Like Teen Spirit to Rally Obedience and more. Get your pup off on the right “paw” with our Puppy or Level 1 services, or focus on advanced skills in Level 2 or 3 classes, such as accomplishing your Canine Good Citizen certification. We also provide plenty of enrichment services, those just for fun classes, such as Sniff Games or Agility Foundations!

Fort Collins Fun Outside 

Looking to get outside and have some fun in the snow? Here is a list of all 35 dog-friendly (on leash) natural areas in Larimer County. 

  • Arapaho bend

  • Cathay Fromme Prairie 

  • Cattail chorus

  • Colina mariposa 

  • Fischer

  • Fossil Creek Wetlands

  • Gateway

  • Goose Hollow

  • Gustav Swanson

  • Hazaleus 

  • Homestead

  • Kestrel Fields

  • Kingfisher Point

  • Magpie Meander

  • Mallard’s Nest

  • Maxwell

  • Mcmurry

  • North Shields Ponds

  • Pelican Marsh

  • Pineridge

  • Prairie Dog Meadow

  • Prospect Ponds

  • Red Fox Meadows

  • Redtail Grove

  • Redwing Marsh

  • Reservoir Ridge

  • River’s Edge

  • Riverbend Ponds

  • Ross

  • Salyer

  • Shields St. River Access

  • Springer

  • The Coterie

  • Two Creeks

  • Udall

  • Williams

You can also check live webcams of some natural areas for trail conditions here and find other dog-friendly Larimer County open spaces here.

Whether you love a snowy winter or prefer to hide from the cold indoors, there are plenty of fun for dogs and their humans to continue adventuring in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the surrounding areas.

To join us for some training or enrichment at Summit Dog Training, give us a shout at admin@summitdogtraining.com, or contact us here! Ready to sign up for a class? Browse the class calendar!