The Dog Days of Summer in Banner Elk

The dog days of summer have a whole different meaning up here.

While the rest of the Southeast hides indoors, the High Country is handing out cool mornings, shady trails and creeks worth wading into, which makes it an easy place to bring your four-legged travel companion along. So we loaded up Levi and Lucy and headed to Beech Mountain to find out how much ground two Jack Russells can cover before admitting they are tired. Spoiler: more than you would think.

The Bark Park

Start at the Beech Mountain Bark Park, tucked just behind the sledding hill.

If a hike is on your afternoon agenda, start here, because a dog who has already run laps is a dog who will actually walk beside you later. There are separate areas for large and small dogs, plus benches, a watering station, waste stations and a picnic pavilion for the humans.

 Lucy located a tennis ball within four seconds of clearing the gate, which we assume is a course record. Levi went straight to the fire hydrant and stayed there, deeply committed. They made friends all morning, including a few through the fence in the big dog section.

The elevation is the real gift. Even on a bright summer afternoon, this area runs noticeably cooler than at lower elevation, so nobody is panting their way back to the car early.

Head for the Falls

From the Bark Park, drive farther into Beech Mountain to the Buckeye Recreation Center for Falls Trail.

The path winds down through the forest beside Buckeye Creek toward the 25-foot Buckeye Creek Falls: roots, rocks, rhododendron, and water getting steadily louder until you round the last bend and there it is. Because of bridge damage from Hurricane Helene, the trail runs as an out-and-back rather than its original loop, roughly a mile round trip.

Fair warning: you walk downhill to reach the falls, which means you climb back up to your car, and that hill introduces itself right about the time your dog decides they have retired.

Two More Dog-Friendly Stops

For something slower, Valle Crucis Community Park is hard to beat. The path follows the Watauga River past open fields and mountain views, and it is especially pretty first thing in the morning or late in the day. Leashes must be non-retractable and six feet or shorter, so leave the flexi at home. The Mast General Store Annex is next door if you want to stretch it into a whole afternoon.

For the easiest option, downtown Banner Elk gives you Tate-Evans Park, where the greenway follows Shawneehaw Creek and a small fenced dog park is waiting if anyone still has energy to burn. It also puts you within walking distance of My Best Friend’s Barkery, part boutique and part treat counter, and after a morning like ours the treats were absolutely earned.

Make a Dog Day of It

You do not need much of an itinerary for a good dog day up here. A leash, a shady trail, a little mountain air and two very tired dogs in the backseat on the ride home will do it every time.

Know Before You Go

Beech Mountain Bark Park 406 Beech Mountain Pkwy, Beech Mountain, NC 28604 Free to visit however Donations are accepted. Keep off leash in the fence and leashed everywhere outside it. Water and bowls on site. 

Falls Trail at Buckeye Recreation Center 1330 Pine Ridge Road, Beech Mountain Roughly 1 mile out and back, rated moderate, about 250 feet of elevation change. Allow 30 to 45 minutes. Dogs must stay leashed.

Valle Crucis Community Park 2892 Broadstone Road, Banner Elk Open dawn to dusk. Outer loop is about three quarters of a mile.

My Best Friend’s Barkery 176 Shawneehaw Ave S, Banner Elk Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sunday. Treats, toys and pet goods, and dogs are welcome inside.

Bring along: water for both of you, a leash, waste bags and shoes with real traction. Mountain trails stay damp even after a dry stretch, and conditions can turn quickly at elevation.

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