From Backcountry Splitboarding to a Wedding Proposal, These Are Our Favorite Outdoor Adventures with Our Very Good Dogs

Happiness is best when it’s shared, and as any dog parent knows, outdoor exploration is exponentially enhanced when our furry best friend is along for the ride—or run, bike, hike, ski, any outdoor activity, really. Research shows that people with pets are more likely to spend more time outdoors, exercise more frequently, and generally feel happier than those without pets. In the spirit of National Dog Day, which is celebrated on August 26, Outside team members share their most incredible outdoor adventures alongside their canine companions.

The Time My Good Boy Helped My Now-Husband Propose

We’d just hauled heavy backpacks up five miles of trail to San Leonardo Lake in northern New Mexico. The birds were chirping, the alpine lake glittered beneath the setting sun, and I was hangry, tired, and generally grumpy as I fumbled to set up my backpacking stove.

“Babe, I think Squeaker has something for you,” my husband called from across the campsite. “Hang on,” I snapped, laser-focused on getting dinner cooking. Then, I glanced down and saw a small box hanging from one of my dogs’ collars. I struggled to untie it, and when I looked up again, my now-husband was down on one knee.

Needless to say, I said yes, and now, after a wedding and two kids later, my husband knows never to leave the house without plenty of snacks to ward off my hangry side. —Abigail Wise, brand director

Brodie… on The Bruce!

Dalmatians have incredible endurance—they are the Arabian horse of dog breeds, known for their never-ending energy and stamina. The Bruce Trail, a roughly 558-mile trail on the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario, is literally in our backyard, and Brodie loved long hikes along this scenic trek. Limestone rocks, cedar roots, mud, and stream crossings were all part of the adventure.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, we signed Brodie up for the fundraising event Woof Walk, where he quickly completed his target of 310 miles. His favorite spot was a wooden bench where he’d stop and take in the scents of the forest and, of course, some well-earned snacks. Hiking was fun, but getting to the trailhead was just as enjoyable. He loved rides in our Volkswagen Westfalia Camper Van! Brodie has since gone to the Rainbow Bridge, but his presence continues to be with us when we head out on The Bruce and every National Dog Day. —Lindsey Ryder, FinisherPix operations manager

The Best Campsite I’ve Ever Had, According to My Dogs

It was the summer in which my second pup was finally old enough to keep up on real trail miles, and I headed for Sun Valley. By some miracle on the July 4th weekend, I found a lakeside campsite in the Sawtooth Mountains in central Idaho with no one else around. Wildflowers spilled across the meadows, the dogs bounded ahead on the trail and drank from streams, and we hiked until their tongues lolled and their paws dragged with that satisfying, bone-deep exhaustion only a good day outside can give.

Back at camp, we swam, built a fire, and watched the light drain off the peaks. With no cell service, my two spoiled house pets immediately rebranded themselves as wild animals—sniffing, digging, howling at the moon, and rolling in whatever smelled the worst. At one point, they looked so wolfy that I half-expected them to take off and never return, but by nightfall, they were snoring in my sleeping bag like the well-groomed suburban pups they are. But honestly, I felt a little feral out there too: no screens, no people, just trails, a dirty body, and two tired dogs. —Sierra Shafer, lifestyle editorial director

Ruka and the Whale

Ruka Bleau was my soul dog, and over the course of our 17 years together, we summited peaks, visited dozens of national parks, rafted whitewater, and cast our fair share of flies. Though Ruka did everything in his power to keep me happy, his blue merle border collie brain had an affinity for rolling in anything dead, decaying, or otherwise putrid. In 2015, Ruka and I donned our overstuffed backpacks for a 25-mile trek along Northern California’s Lost Coast Trail.

At one point, Ruka bolted ahead of our girl-team trio to bound headfirst into a small lagoon filled with a bloated whale carcass. We did our best to scrub away the stink, but it’s safe to say we smelled like a beached whale for days to come. Ruka crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2023, but his spirit lives on in my two menacing Australian Shepherds, Cholla and Poppy. Ruka reminds us every year to celebrate National Dog Day to the fullest. —Madison Dapcevich, associate editor

That Time I Took My 60-Pound Dog to Europe

My family and friends thought I was more than a little crazy when I announced my husband and I were moving to Europe, with our 60-pound puppy in tow. Hazelnut, a Great Pyrenees and German Shepherd rescue, quickly realized that life across the Atlantic is a pup’s paradise. Welcome everywhere, from restaurants to museums, she pranced her way across six countries.

While she loved eating calamari in Venice and checking out Christmas markets in Austria, her favorite memories—like her mom’s—were those that involved outdoor adventures. She did snow zoomies on the cross-country trails under the Matterhorn, hiked between the villages of Italy’s Cinque Terre, and learned to swim in the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic Sea. Now that we’re back in America, she’s wondering what’s up with all these “no dogs allowed” signs. —Mikaela Ruland, editor-in-chief of National Park Trips

Born to be a Power Hound

We brought Oakley home in mid-March, at eight weeks old, which, in Colorado, still meant snow season. He showed zero hesitation when we took him to play after a storm and immediately displayed a love for the white fluff. This got me excited to take him on a few light backcountry tours to share my favorite activity when he’d be old enough the following winter. After a full year of training, including a significant amount of recall work, it was time.

Oakley broke trail to the top like he’d done it before, and was a powder rocket on the way down, tongue out and tail wagging the whole way. Every few turns on the first run, I looked back to see unbridled puppy joy chasing me—my wife close behind, keeping an eye on him—until we got to the bottom. That first day out is still my favorite.

Oakley does most activities with us, but splitboarding seems to be his favorite. Conditions don’t matter to him; he’s just pumped there’s snow on the ground. We’re always careful with the areas and routes we choose when taking our dog into the backcountry, and keep him close by to our skin track when heading uphill.
—Adam Trenkamp, lab test editor

Let Dogs Be Dogs

We adopted Cameron from a family who needed to give him up, but he had been a pound puppy before then. A bit shy, but sweet as could be, we noticed he didn’t participate in a lot of the “dog stuff” other dogs do—no toys, hesitant to play chase, didn’t hang his head out the window in the car.

One weekend, we took him along on a hike to our favorite place: Crater Lakes here in Colorado. We went at his pace so he could take in all the new sights and smells as we wound along the path. We let him sniff around as we set up camp among the conifers and wildflowers.

Suddenly, he started barrelling through the blooming flowers, just running as fast as he could with his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth! It was the first time we got to see him truly be a dog, and it brought us immense joy. At 12 years old now, Cam doesn’t barrel through the wildflowers anymore, but he still loves to snuggle up in the tent next to a lake. —Jen Woodson, engineer

Built for Brunch

Hike a mountain or chill by the lake? Our French Bulldog doesn’t even pretend to struggle with that choice, especially on National Dog Day. He has a body built for brunch and the personality to match. This little guy is an excellent reminder for us that any time spent outside is time well spent, and it doesn’t always need to be an epic adventure for it to be memorable. —Alan Crisp, VP business development