The Magazine of The Sierra Club
Man's Best Hiking Buddy
10 Instagram accounts to follow if you love to hike with your dog
Nothing puts a smile on a canine-loving hiker’s face quite like seeing a happy dog atop a mountain. Or wading through a river. Or tearing across a beach. Furry, four-legged hiking companions are hot commodities on the popular photo-sharing mecca that is Instagram. And for good reason—as these accounts illustrate, dogs and nature often pair gloriously well. Here are our go-to feeds for those moments when you could use a reminder to slow down, smell the proverbial roses, and perhaps take the trail less traveled.
DOGS THAT HIKE
@dogsthathike This prolific feed features dogs large and small, fluffy and shorn, trekking every possible type of terrain. You can tag your best hiking friend for a chance to be featured, thereby inspiring others to get out with their dogs.
CAMPING WITH DOGS:
@campingwithdogs Check out the luckiest dogs in the world—those that get to show their human companions how to get in touch with their primitive selves and keep them warm all night long. This feed boasts an industrious, and joyful, cast. Perhaps the latter has something to do with the fact that these dogs aren’t getting booted out of any beds or made to spend the night alone.
RUBY:
@rubythetraildog An intrepid vizsla in constant pursuit of adventure, Ruby the superdog regularly shreds miles by the dozen and shows that dogs can keep up with mountain bikes, too. She has good fashion sense to boot.
HIKING DOGS OF INSTA:
@hikingdogsofinsta What we love about this feed is its real-time quality. It updates multiple times most days and is always au courant when it comes to the season. As with Dogs That Hike, you can tag your own hiking bud, for a chance to be featured before upward of 40,000 followers.
BACK COUNTRY PAWS:
@backcountrypaws Dogs may be the backcountry’s best form of advertising. Because if anything can convince you that an off-the-grid adventure with a pooch is well worth the resulting wet and muddy car, it’s this feed. It’s got an appropriately raw, unmanicured feel, and locations are usually tagged—meaning you can plan trips accordingly.
DOGS ON ADVENTURES:
@dogsonadventures In a stream, or on a bike; fetching sticks, or breaking ice. This account celebrates curious, active canines everywhere. We commend this account for its range—it proves that even French bulldogs and mini dachshunds can tear up trails.
WEST COAST HEELER PACK
@west_coast_heeler_pack This feed stars Kona and Cali, two heelers (one blue, one red) living in British Columbia. But because their humans lead professional canine adventure hikes, followers are also treated to glimpses of the rotating (and adorable) cast comprising these pups’ pack. This account is peppered with helpful insights on dog behavior, agility, and health, too.
ADVENTUREDOGNATION
@adventuredognation Ever yearned to skate across a glacier? Dive with whales? Race a friend through a canyon? This feed is essentially a scrollable museum of motivational posters, starring the most inspiring dogs one could ever hope to adventure with.
CONSERVATIONCANINES
@conservationcanines You may remember these heroes—rescued shelter dogs that are trained to snuff out scat in the wild, in the service of scientists and conservationists—from our January/February 2016 cover story. Thanks to their enlightening and inspiring Instagram account, you can keep up with these dogs’ important work as well as their tantalizing adventures.
ADVENTUREMUTTS
@adventuremutts This account is dedicated to the best, and most fortunate, type of dog out there: rescues. With daily shots depicting stunning locations, happy dogs in motion, and every manner of “Heinz 57”-esque breed, Adventure Mutts truly lives up to its mantra: Adopt. Adventure. Repeat. These dogs hike hard, and the humans behind this feed walk the walk, too—they highlight noteworthy rescue organizations, regularly broadcast ways their followers can aid canine causes, and sell branded dog gear, the profits of which benefit best friends in need. That’s right, you can #adoptANDshop. Fur real.
