The Daily Outside: Dog Days, Guided Snowshoe 3.22.26

Sunday splits its loyalties between paws and powder — a leash in one hand, snowshoes in the other, one path led by a very enthusiastic dog, the other by a very patient mountain.

Leashes, wagging tails, and a wildlife park briefly handed over to the dogs

Dog Days at Northwest Trek
Hosted by Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
Sunday, March 22, 2026 • All day
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
11610 Trek Dr E, Eatonville
Dog admission $20 • Advance ticket required • Rain or shine

This is the rare day when your dog gets top billing. Dog Days at Northwest Trek opens the gates to a carefully controlled, tail-wagging takeover — pups on leashes, noses working overtime, humans happily demoted to snack carriers and poop-bag attendants. Trails that usually echo with quiet wildlife reverence now hum with curious sniffing, cautious introductions, and the low-key joy of dogs realizing, yes, this entire place is for them (well… parts of it).

The setup is thoughtful, because it has to be. Dogs are only allowed in designated outdoor areas — lawns, select trails, open spaces — while sensitive zones and tram tours remain off-limits. It’s a balance between access and respect, between letting domestic chaos roam a little and protecting the wild residents who actually live here.

The standout twist is the Wild Drive option: 435 acres of roaming bison, moose, elk, and mountain goats, all viewed from your own vehicle — with your dog riding shotgun like a very alert co-pilot. Windows stay up, instincts stay in check, and everyone gets a front-row seat to the quiet, massive rhythm of the Northwest landscape.

Logistics matter here. Every dog needs a $20 ticket purchased in advance — no showing up with hopeful eyes and a leash. One dog per adult, non-retractable leash under six feet, vaccinations current, temperament solid. No drama, no chaos agents. The whole thing works because everyone agrees to keep it that way.

There are also small, lovely details: water stations throughout the park, pup cups available for purchase, and the general sense that this is as much about shared experience as it is about logistics — a day where dogs get new smells, humans get fresh air, and both leave a little happier.

What to know before you go
• Runs Sunday, March 22, all day
• Each dog requires a $20 ticket purchased in advance (no gate sales)
• One dog per adult (18+)
• Dogs must be leashed (non-retractable, max 6 feet), vaccinated, and well-behaved
• Dogs allowed only in designated outdoor areas
• Wild Drive option available for dogs riding in vehicles

More info: Northwest Trek — Dog Days tickets and guidelines

Snow crunch, alpine silence, and the quiet thrill of walking where summer trails disappear

Snowshoe Guided Experience
Hosted by National Park Service at Mount Rainier National Park
Saturday & Sunday through April 13, 2026 • 11 a.m.
Meet at Jackson Visitor Center
Free (park entrance fee required) • 2 hours • ~1.5 miles

This is winter slowed down to a deliberate, crunching pace — the kind where every step lands with intention and every breath feels sharper, cleaner, a little more earned. The ranger-led snowshoe walk at Paradise trades speed for awareness, guiding you through a landscape that looks still but is quietly alive with adaptation, survival, and deep seasonal patience.

You don’t need to know what you’re doing. That’s part of the charm. Snowshoes are provided, the route is gentle (about 1.5 miles), and the focus leans less on athleticism and more on noticing — how trees carry snow without breaking, how animals move without being seen, how people have figured out ways to exist in a place that does not make it easy.

The setting does most of the talking. Paradise in winter is a kind of high-altitude hush — evergreen silhouettes, wide white expanses, Mount Rainier looming somewhere behind the weather like a myth deciding whether to reveal itself. The ranger fills in the rest: stories, ecology, small details you would absolutely miss on your own.

Logistics are refreshingly simple but require a little timing. Walks are first-come, first-served with a 25-person limit. Sign-ups begin one hour before the 11 a.m. start inside the Jackson Visitor Center, and everyone in your group needs to be there to claim a spot. Show up late, and the snow will still be there — just without you.

What to know before you go
• Walk begins at 11 a.m.; sign-ups start at 10 a.m.
• First-come, first-served; limit 25 participants
• Runs Saturdays and Sundays through April 13
• Approximately 2 hours, covering ~1.5 miles
• Ages 8+ recommended
• Snowshoes provided

More info: Mount Rainier National Park — ranger-led snowshoe walks at Paradise

Afterward at Peaks & Pints

You come back a little different — snow still echoing in your boots, maybe a faint scent of wet dog riding shotgun, a head full of quiet trees and louder joy. The day did its work. Now it’s your turn to sit still long enough to notice.

At Peaks & Pints, the lights are warm, the glassware patient, and the tap list ready to translate your entire Sunday back into something drinkable. This is where the edges soften — where cold air turns into conversation, where movement becomes memory, where the outside lingers just a little longer in the room.

Reach for the house pour, Finnriver Buckhorn Dry Cider — crisp, orchard-bright, just enough snap to wake up whatever the mountain or trail left behind. It lands clean, finishes dry, and feels like the kind of thing you drink when you’ve earned your way back indoors. 

LINK: The Daily Outside explained

LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory