Stay in a pet friendly vacation cabin by Carolina Mountain Vacations in Bryson City or Cherokee, North Carolina and bring along your favorite travel companion, your pet!

The owners of some of the nc log cabins and vacation homes we represent have agreed to allow pets to be guest at their cabins. Therefore, providing you with pet friendly lodging in the Smoky Mountains. Although the cabin owners may allow pets at their cabins, these pet friendly lodgings were built as private second homes and vacation getaways and do not have pet friendly furnishings, fenced yards, enclosed decks or kennels. For suggestions on what to bring for your pet on vacation check out our pet friendly travel tips below. As our policy is to provide the same high quality maintenance and cleanliness our guest (pet owners and non pet owners alike) have come to expect at all of the vacation rentals we represent; each pet friendly cabin is thoroughly inspected for and cleaned of all traces of pets before and after your stay. A non-refundable fee is applied to your vacation rental total when you are including a pet on your Smoky Mountain Vacation to cover this extra cleaning. All of the clean pet friendly vacation cabins listed below are also available to guest without pets. Please ask our reservation desk for more specific details about the cabin you would like for a pet friendly vacation.

A property is only deemed pet-friendly when prior approval has been arranged and non-refundable pet fee has been paid.  Should prior approval not have been obtained or if the requisite pet fee remains outstanding, the cabin will adhere to our Non-Pet Friendly policies, and corresponding penalties may be enforced! 

To bring a pet to a cabin listed as pet friendly, Guest must make arrangement to include pet(s) on reservation by indicating number of pets and pay a onetime non-refundable pet fee at time of booking. If you decide after booking to bring you pet at one of the pet frinedly cabins, arrangement to bring pet must be made before date of scheduled arrival on reservation to activate pet friendly status of property. Each property has a maximum number of pets permitted which is determined by the property owner but is never more than 2 pets. Having more than the authorized maximum number of pets at a cabin voids the Pet Friendly agreement and Not Pet friendly policy is enforced. Guests are held financially responsible for all physical damage to the Cabin (i.e. chewing, scratching, flea infestation, etc.) by the presence of a pet. Guest assumes responsibility for pets’ behavior while at property. Please remember to be respectful of nearby neighbors who are also trying to have a peacefull smoky mountain vacation. Please read Vacation Rental Agreement for full descriptions of Pet Friendly and Not Pet Friendly policies.

General Pet Rules:

1. In the interest of protecting your dog, a leash should always be used when your dog is outside.  While North Carolina does not have a state leash law, please note that cities and counties may have stricter regulations.  No dog shall be tied outside the Cabin unless supervised by a responsible adult.
2. Dogs should not be left unattended in cabins (they are on vacation to).  In an unfamiliar environment dogs may act uncharacteristically and unpredictably.  They may get nervous and bark, causing a disturbance to neighbors.  Or they may harm the cabin by chewing, scratching, or making messes that they would not typically make at home.   Always use a crate in the rare event that a dog must be left alone. Please bring your pet’s bedding and/or crates, the familure smells will help to reassure and calm them.
3. Pets are not allowed on the furniture or beds at any time. If pet hair is found on furniture or bedding then the pet fee will be doubled for excessive cleaning to prepare the cabin for the next guest.
4. Pets are not permitted in hot tubs.
   

We know how excited you are to bring your pet along on vacation to the smoky mountains and we want your stay in a Carolina Mountain Vacations pet friendly cabin to be comfortable and relaxing for you and your pet. For that reason we have compiled a few pet friendly travel tips our cabin owners discovered while visiting the Bryson City and Cherokee North Carolina mountains.

1) Visit your Vet and make sure your pets vaccinations are all up to date. Bring a copy of their records.

2) Bring medications; If your pet has any special needs, make sure you are prepared to take care of them should the need arise. Bryson City NC has a local Vet but the nearest after hours Emergency Vet is almost an hour away in Asheville NC.

3) I.D. for your pets. Your pets should have current I.D. tags on or be microchipped. Consider a temporary tag with your cell phone number or where you're staying if one location. If your pet becomes lost, someone might be trying to reach you in Gatlinburg TN while you're in Cherokee NC. Make it easy for people to locate you.

4) Treat your pet for fleas and ticks before leaving for your vacation in the smoky mountains. With the abundance of wildlife in the mountains ticks and other pests can be a common occurrence.

5) Bring your pets bedding (please wash beforehand) and any toys they might want to have along. Carpeting, furniture, and throw rugs are not acceptable chew toys. While many pets sleep in the same bed as their owners (our ownersincluded) please consider the other vacationing guests who'll be staying in the cabin after you. They might not be pet people and used to having pet hair around as a natural occurrence. Even our owners pets sleep on on the floor when they are at their own cabin. If you think your pet will have a problem getting up on the furniture, please bring a clean blanket of some sort to cover the furniture. Again, please be considerate of those who will stay in the rental cabin after you.

6) Bring more than enough pet food with you, especially if you feed your pets special food. Pet food available in the Bryson City area may not be the same as what you feed your pets at home. There are a couple Wal-Marts within about a half hours drive but the nearest PetSmart is at least an hours drive away. There are a couple grocery stores in town that carry the larger national brands such as Purina but no guarantee they'll carry what you normally feed your pets.

7) Bring your pet's water/food bowls with you. Make sure you carry water with you when traveling around the area for your pets when you are out hiking. The local wildlife can safely drink the water in streams but it's not always a good idea for humans or pets to be drinking water from the mountain streams.

8) Keep your dog on a leash. A dog unfamiliar with the mountains of Bryson City or Cherokee can get into trouble off lead, if they encounter a sudden drop off or an unfriendly animal encounter. Keep in mind you're in the natural environment of the NC Smoky Mountains and an encounter with a bear, deer, turkey or other animals your pet may not be familiar with or want to chase is not unheard of.

9) Cleanup after your pet when staying at any of our pet friendly rental cabins, please be considerate of our neighbors and the next guest to stay at the cabin.

10) Bring along a photo of your pet. Just in case something happens and they get lost, you'll have something with you to help identify them.

11) A parked car can get hot even in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Remember to allow cross ventilation in a parked vehicle if you must have your pet with you when driving around the mountains

12) If traveling a long distance, you might want to test your pets with short trips to make sure they travel well. If necessary ask you vet about Medications to help calm your pet on a long drive.

What does " pet friendly " mean?
       At Carolina Mountain Vacations Pet Friendly means that a cabin owner has agreed to allow pets to be guests at their cabin. It does not mean that the cabin is equipped or furnished for pets. Please read our

Is there an extra fee for pets?
    YES; A small non-refundable pet fee is applied to your vacation rental total.

Will there be a crate at the cabin?
      No; Guest are required to bring their pet's crate and bedding. Food and water dishes are also not included at the cabins. For tips and suggestions on what to bring for your pet on your vacation in Bryson City or Cherokee NC, please read our pet friendly travel tips.

Is it ok to leave my dog on the deck?
        NO ; pets are not to be left unattended at the cabin unless crated. Most of our cabins do not have enclosed decks and some are quite high. Also, your pet may be as eager to explore the smoky mountains as you are and decide to try while you are away. Some of our pet friendly log cabins are located in secluded or semi-private locations where you are able to walk your dog or take a short hike around the property.

Where can I take my dog for a hike?
         Many of our pet friendly vacation cabins are secluded with plenty of natural mountain landscape to walk your dog or take a short hike around the property. ( Please see the cabins info page or ask our reservation desk for more specific details about the cabin you would like for a pet friendly vacation.) For pet friendly trail info at Nantahala, and Pisgah national forest read our Pet Friendly Trails and NC Park Rules section.

Can my dog run around the yard?
       No; for your pet's safety as much as the safety and peace of guests in neighboring cabins or homes pets are required to be leashed and under their owner's control at all times outside of the cabin. Most of our pet friendly cabins do not have fenced yards and some have neighboring cabins with in walking distance. In the natural mountain setting wild animals are possible and may lead your pet off through the forest or can attack your pet.

Is there a vet or emergency pet hospital close?

 Emergency Vet
Regional Emergency Animal Care Hospital
677 Brevard Rd Asheville, NC 28806
Phone: 828-665-4399
REACH is able to accept emergency cases from
5 pm to 7 am Monday thru Friday and
open 24 hours a day Saturday and Sunday
as well as on holidays.

Local Vets
Bryson City Veterinary Clinic
(828) 488-6018
200 Bryson Walk,
Bryson City, NC 28713

Cherokee Animal Hospital
(828) 497-5508
2348 Us-441,
Whittier, NC 28789

 An afternoon on a mountain trail with you best friend can be a memorable experience. But a ticket/fine from a park ranger can be an experience you might want to avoid.

Around the Nantahala Outdoor Center is a good area to watch the rafters coming down the river and appears to be very pet friendly. We've seen a lot of pets with their owners enjoying the view and entertainment as people go through the falls.

In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park pets are not allowed on most trails. Places in the GSMNP where pets are allowed include: roadsides, parking areas, established picnic area, front country campgrounds, and the Gatlinburg and Oconaluftee River trails. Pets must be on a leash not to exceed six feet in length when in these areas. *guide, search, and hearing dogs are permitted on all trails. (For more Information visit the Smokies Guide.)

Dogs are allowed in the large picnic grounds of the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Bryson City, NC. Pets must be on a leash not to exceed six feet in length when in these areas. Pets are not allowed on the hiking trails to the waterfalls. *guide, search, and hearing dogs are permitted on all trails. (For more Information visit the Smokies Guide.)

At Chimney Rock Park dogs are welcome to hike the trails but are not allowed in the elevator so be prepared to HIKE and make sure you bring plenty of water for all of you. ( for more information on Chimney Rock Park)

Dogs are allowed on the more than 100 varied trails throughout the Blue Ridge Parkway. Dogs and other pets must be on a leash or under physical restraint at all times while along the Parkway. ( click For More info on North Carolina Hiking trails)

You can take your dog on any of the hiking trails in the Pisgah National Forest and Nantahala National Forest. Dogs may not be left unattended, and they must be leashed and cleaned up after. Dogs are not allowed in buildings.