The Tillamook Coast is a paradise for dogs and their humans. From wide sandy beaches to coastal trails, there are countless places to explore together.
Here on the Tillamook Coast, we follow the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace. These principles guide locals and visitors on how to protect the area’s natural beauty and preserve its ecological health into the future for all to enjoy.
If you are planning a visit to the coast with your furry best friend, welcome! We love dogs at the Tillamook Coast. Follow along for tips on how to be the best guests while showing respect for people, pets, and wildlife.
Principle 1: Know Before You Go
A successful beach day starts before you leave home. The Tillamook Coast is pet-friendly, but make sure you study up on leash laws before you head out. Most places, like shopping districts, city parks, and state parks, require dogs to be on leash.
In some communities, dogs are welcome to run freely on the beach as long as they are under voice-control with strong recall. Strong recall means that your dog runs back to you EVERY time you call it, regardless of what exciting thing is spotted down the beach.
If your unleashed dog would be tempted to run up to a leashed dog or person down the beach, then chances are they don’t have strong recall and should be kept on a leash. Your dog might be friendly, but the other dog down the beach might not. We want to ensure that the beach is a safe space for all visitors to enjoy. Oregon State Parks has more great info.
Principle 2: Stick to Trails and Respect Sensitive Areas
Dogs can help protect the coast by staying where they’re supposed to be. Always use designated beach access points and trails. There are sensitive habitats everywhere you look on the Tillamook Coast. While tidepooling, keep your dog on leash to ensure they don’t trample any small species and steer clear of damaging important ecosystems.
From March 15th through September 15th, there are annual beach restrictions in place to protect nesting shorebirds called Western Snowy Plovers. The species nearly disappeared entirely from the Oregon Coast, but stewardship efforts have slowly been bringing their population back up. They still face lots of challenges, so please do your part to not make life harder for them!
These restrictions don’t apply to the Tillamook Coast as a whole, but only in designated Snowy Plover Management Areas. The state has set aside suitable habitat for the birds to nest and hopefully hatch chicks, but we need support from everyone, including dog owners, in order to ensure the most success.
The beaches on the Tillamook Coast currently being managed for nests are:
Principle 3: Trash Your Trash (and Pick Up Dog Poop)
Pet waste should not be left to “waste” on the beach! It can introduce harmful bacteria, parasites, and other contaminants into coastal ecosystems and waterways.
How many times have you seen abandoned poop bags sitting on logs or trailheads? Well-intentioned people tell themselves “I’ll grab it when I come back!” and often forget to do so. Please, remember to bring your bags, use them, and keep them with you until you find a trash can.
Principle 4: Leave It As You Find It
The coast isn’t your dog’s toy box. Don’t let your pup dig in sensitive dune areas and chew on driftwood. It’s best to leave shells and other beach material where you find them.
Principle 5: Be Careful With Fire
Beach fires and curious dogs don’t always mix. If you plan to have a beach fire, read our blog on fire safety first. Also, never bury a fire on the beach! Always use a bucket of water to extinguish the flames. A beach fire buried under the sand can continue to burn for hours or even days, and can create a hidden hot spot in the sand that can injure unsuspecting people and pets.
Principle 6: Keep Wildlife Wild
This principle is vital for ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for ALL visitors to our coast, especially our wildlife friends who consider it home. The Tillamook Coast is lucky to host a diverse array of flora and fauna and we need to take extra care as we share these special places.
If you spot a bald eagle hanging out on the beach, leash your dog immediately. If you get close enough to flush a bird from their spot, then you have inadvertently caused real harm to that animal. Every time a bird has to take off and flee from a running dog, they use up energy. It causes stress and puts them in an elevated state that their body must work to regulate after the disturbance. Your dog could have interrupted them foraging, trying to clean their feathers, or searching for food to feed their young. In the case of nesting shorebirds, they could be sitting ON their nest and have to take flight because you got too close.
Leashing your dog is also important when you encounter other types of animals. Elk on the trail could severely injure a dog running loose under its hooves. Seals and sea lions resting on the shore can carry diseases that can kill dogs. And tidepools are filled with delicate life that can’t withstand the weight of heavy paws. There is room for all of these creatures on the Tillamook Coast as long as we take care with our dogs when sharing space.
Principle 7: Be Kind to Locals and Other Visitors
Good dog etiquette is really about respecting others. Remember that being a respectful dog owner means showing respect for locals, other visitors, and wildlife, as well.
Some things that show consideration to our locals:
- Picking up dog waste and ensuring it makes it to a trash can
- Yielding space on crowded beaches and trails
- Controlling your dog, not allowing it to run up people, dogs, and wildlife
- Respecting private property
Leave Only Paw Prints
We are excited to share our beautiful coast with you and are happy you are bringing Fido along. We love dogs, too!
Help keep the Tillamook Coast beautiful for future generations of people, pets, and wildlife by following our Leave No Trace principles and remembering that every opportunity you have with your dog on the Tillamook Coast is an opportunity to be a responsible dog owner.
Share
Categories: Outdoor Activities, Tillamook Coast, Wildlife Viewing
