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Getting Around Denver with a Dog
🇺🇸Denver, United States·Updated 5 August 2026
Read this before you book anything else: RTD, the agency that runs every bus, light rail line and the A Line airport train, prohibits animals other than service animals, and admits only small pets inside a locked commercial carrier. There is no off-peak window and no leashed-dog allowance of any size, so a dog you cannot lift in a carrier does not use Denver public transport at all. In practice that means a hire car, a pet-accepting rideshare or your own legs, and it is why the walkable strip from Union Station through LoDo, RiNo and Cherry Creek is worth paying for on the hotel. The consolation is the trail network: the Cherry Creek and South Platte paths run through the middle of the city and connect most of the places in this guide on foot.
Book a dog-friendly hotel in Denver
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Flora House Denver
★★★★★ 9.7
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Four Seasons Hotel Denver
★★★★★ 9.4
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The Crawford Hotel
★★★★★ 9.2
€120/nightBook →
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| Mode | Policy | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| RTD buses, light rail & A Line airport train | RTD's code of conduct states that other than service animals, animals and pets are prohibited on vehicles or in facilities, but small pets in carriers are permitted. The carrier must be a locked standard commercial container held on your lap or on the floor, clear of the aisle. There is no allowance for a leashed dog of any size. | 💡 RTD also requires every dog on its property, service dogs included, to carry a current rabies tag. Bring the vaccination paperwork with you. |
| Denver International Airport (DEN) | DEN publishes pet relief areas open 24 hours: a fenced outdoor area on the north-west side of Jeppesen Terminal, level 2, before security, plus indoor relief rooms with artificial turf, drainage, a sink and disposal bins in the centre cores of concourses A, B and C after security. | 💡 The airport is 40 km from downtown and the A Line train is carrier-only, so budget for a taxi or a pet-friendly rideshare with a medium or large dog. |
| Taxis & rideshare | Uber offers a Pet option in Denver at an extra fee, and Lyft leaves pets to driver discretion. Neither guarantees a car, so allow extra time at the airport and at busy hours. | 💡 Bring a blanket or a boot liner. Drivers accept a dog far more readily when the seat is covered. |
| Amtrak from Union Station | Amtrak allows small dogs and cats on many routes, with a strict limit of 20 lb (about 9 kg) for pet and carrier combined and a maximum journey of seven hours, booked in advance for a fee. That excludes a medium or large dog from the California Zephyr through the Rockies. | 💡 Union Station itself is a pleasant place to wait outdoors, and the Railyard dog park is a five-minute walk from the platforms. |
| Car & mountain driving | A car is close to essential for Red Rocks, Chatfield and the foothills. Colorado has no statewide law banning dogs from open truck beds, but leaving a dog in a parked car is dangerous here: the sun at 1,609 m heats a cabin faster than at sea level, even on a cool day. | 💡 Colorado law lets rescuers break into a locked vehicle to free an animal in danger after calling the authorities, which tells you how seriously the state takes it. |
Walking Denver instead
The Cherry Creek Trail runs from Confluence Park through downtown and out to Cherry Creek North, entirely below street level for much of the way, which keeps a dog off traffic. The South Platte River Greenway crosses it at Confluence Park and heads north past Commons Park and the Railyard dog park. Between them they link Union Station, LoDo, RiNo, Wash Park and Cherry Creek without a single bus ride.
Useful transport links
RTD rules and journey planner: rtd-denver.com. Denver International Airport pet relief areas and travel information: flydenver.com. Amtrak pet policy and booking: amtrak.com. Colorado road and mountain pass conditions before any drive west: cotrip.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take my dog on Denver light rail?
Only inside a locked commercial carrier small enough to sit on your lap or on the floor. RTD prohibits all other animals except trained service animals, on every bus, train and at every station.
How do I get from Denver airport to downtown with a large dog?
By road. The A Line train is carrier-only, so book a pet-friendly rideshare, a taxi or a hire car for the 40 km run into the city.
Is Denver walkable with a dog?
The core is, and unusually so for a western US city. Union Station, LoDo, RiNo and Cherry Creek connect through the Cherry Creek and South Platte trails, which is exactly why staying central matters more here than in most cities.
Pet-Friendly Hotels in Denver
Our top-rated pet-friendly hotels, handpicked and verified.
Flora House Denver
★★★★★ · 9.7/10
€120/night
Four Seasons Hotel Denver
★★★★★ · 9.4/10
€120/night
The Crawford Hotel
★★★★★ · 9.2/10
€120/night