For travelers whose four-legged best friend makes their adventures complete, Knoxville is ideal for a dog-friendly getaway. With a plethora of pup-friendly hotels, it’s easy to plan where to stay. And beyond everyday logistics, the destination welcomes dogs with water bowls on seemingly every street corner, treat jars at restaurants and shops, and green spaces that pets and their parents will love.
Knoxville has long celebrated its bond with the creatures that enrich our lives, and the signs are everywhere. The University of Tennessee’s beloved mascot, Smokey, is a bluetick coonhound, and veterinary students at the school founded a War Dog Memorial in the heart of the campus. Tennessee Vols fans can even follow a trail made just for them through the University of Tennessee to see 10 statues honoring the bluetick coonhounds that have served as the campus’s mascot.
Today, Knoxville has its own unofficial top dog, Hank, and its own official dogumentary that shows Hank’s adventure-loving spirit as he explores a pet-friendly Knoxville. Here, it’s easy for pets to have just as much fun as their owners.
Hank, Knoxville’s top dog
Courtesy of Visit Knoxville
Explore dog-friendly parks and paths in Knoxville’s city center and beyond
Of the many hiking and walking paths in Knoxville, many are off-leash. Those seeking more adventurous routes will want to grab a trail map at Urban Wilderness, a 1,000-acre expanse with several parks that don’t require leashes. Pups can enjoy the lush, 2.5-mile Will Skelton Greenway trail that winds around a river. Or the Meads Quarry Trail offers a moderate pace and circles a quarry.
The city center is also home to several dog parks. Opened in 2007 and the city’s first such park, the Dogwood Dog Park is one of 14 pet-welcoming Parks and Recreation sites in Knoxville and features a fenced, off-leash area that includes a puppy jump, hills for fetching and running, and a special dog fountain. Dog Fancy Magazine named it one of the country’s best parks for dogs.
You’ll also find indoor/outdoor dog parks with amenities that cater to human visitors, like bars and patios, as well as special features for dogs. At the Bark, three massive spaces for canines include the indoor Foothills for dogs under 35 pounds, Sugarlands for all sizes indoors, and the Camp with turf and shaded seating (and a foam machine and sprinklers in summer). Order from a rotating selection of local craft beers, ciders, and seltzers while your pet plays.
The PetSafe Village Dog Park offers off-leash hours in the evening, with a full set of agility equipment, and picnic tables and benches for those who want to bring dinner. Wagbar, the city’s newest gathering spot for dogs, features indoor and outdoor play zones, a sand pit for digging, live music, trivia nights, and craft brews to pair with food truck treats.
The many green spaces in Knoxville make it welcoming for dogs.
Courtesy of Visit Knoxville
Visit taprooms and beer gardens that welcome dogs
Mild winters and long summers mean pet-friendly patios are welcoming most of the year in Knoxville. The city’s permitting process also makes it easy for restaurants to open up their outdoor dining areas to dogs.
Craft beer fans can check out a new spot for pizza, burgers, and hot dogs with their four-legged companions in tow seven nights a week at Yee-Haw, Schulz Brau, Orange Hat, and Abridged. All are favorites of Hank, an ice cream lover who counts Cruze Farm among his favorite spots for a frozen treat.
Hank’s culinary and community adventures are featured in a new video, Welcome to Barxville: A Knoxville Dogumentary, filmed from the golden retriever’s perspective. He sniffs out adventure and eats on pedestrian thoroughfare Market Square, part of a one-mile stretch through Gay Street to the Old City that has the most canine-friendly dining options per square block in East Tennessee. Hank visits water bowls and convenient tie-up spots, before hitting up his pick for BBQ with a panoramic view, Calhoun’s on the River.
Dogs get the royal treatment in Knoxville, where there are dog parks and pet-friendly patios for every breed and need.
Courtesy of Kevin Wilson Photography/Visit Knoxville
Shop independent pet stores
Along with vintage and locally made clothing and gifts, shopping in Knoxville includes family-owned stores that stock made-in-Knoxville eats and treats and allow browsing with Fido in tow. Tennessee Vols fans will delight in the made-fresh pup pops, cakes, and dog cookies with orange icing at River Dog Bakery. CitiFid-o is an independent pet store and gift shop in the heart of downtown Knoxville with all-natural treats.
Like most general stores, Mast General Store has something for everyone—such as small-batch, chia-rich treats from Wonder Bark in its dedicated pet section. Beyond biscuits, Agrifeed Pet Supply has a wide selection of collars and leashes, Bionic Bones, and accessories like the coveted Canada Pooch coats that fit just right, no matter whether the wearer is a yorkie or corgi.
Stay in a pet-friendly hotel
Owners traveling with multiple or big dogs typically have to search for hotels that don’t charge copious fees. Knoxville is the welcome exception, with accommodations for dogs (and budgets) of all sizes. The 28-room boutique property, the Oliver, is a beautifully restored 1876 building that’s also convenient, with easy access to downtown’s favorite off-leash spot.
Hilton’s 26 hotels in Knoxville—including the design-forward Graduate—all welcome pets and are spacious enough for multiple pet beds. Others like the Red Roof Inn and Americas Best Value Inn are all completely fee-free for dogs. For a distinctive getaway, check out Ancient Lore Village’s pet-friendly family dwellings.
