Hell Yeah, Bring the Dog

Oct 1

Couple standing with their three dogs at a scenic mountain overlook in the Smoky Mountains.

You’re proposing to the love of your life in the Smoky Mountains. Should you bring the dog?

Hell yeah, bring the dog.

If that four-legged freeloader is part of your family, there is absolutely no reason they can’t be part of the proposal—as long as we plan around the rules.

Three small dogs posing together on a stone wall in a wooded mountain setting.

And yes, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is pretty restrictive when it comes to dogs. Pets are allowed in developed areas and on only two park trails: the Gatlinburg Trail and the Oconaluftee River Trail.

But restrictive does not mean impossible.

Man proposing on one knee to his partner beside a large pine tree with layered Smoky Mountain views behind them on the Foothills Parkway.

Newly engaged couple standing together with their three dogs at a mountain overlook in the Smokies.

It simply means we choose the proposal location with your dog in mind. There are beautiful places where your best friend can legally be there for the big moment, and nearby national forests give us even more dog-friendly options.

Frankly, dogs are excellent proposal accomplices.

Engaged couple sitting on a rock with their three dogs against a sweeping Smoky Mountain backdrop.

They don’t spill the secret. They don’t ask why you’re suddenly dressed nicely for a hike. And once you get down on one knee, they usually react as though the entire event has been arranged specifically for them.

Which, to be fair, is probably what they already believe.

So when we’re planning your proposal, tell me you want to bring the dog. We’ll choose a location where everybody—including the furry member of the family—can be there.