Welcome Aboard!

Finding pet-friendly marinas is like a rousing dance of the Hokey Pokey—some marinas are all in, some are all out, and a few are half-way there.

We know that leaving your furry friend at home while you vacation is a tough thing to do, and luckily, some marinas have pet policies that enable you to bring her along. Many marinas require a non-refundable fee of up to $100, but there are a few out there who allow pets free of charge. Here’s a list of some common marina policies to help you decide what to do for your vacation plans.  

Many houseboat rentals at places such as Lake Powell, Utah, allow pets with a small cleaning fee. Some places such as the Eerie Canal, N.Y.; and Raystown Lake, Pa.; reserve certain houseboats just for pet owners. Others only have restrictions on certain houseboat models. You’ll also run into a few places such as Lake Barkley or Kentucky Lake, Ky., where bringing along a pet requires you to rent a smaller boat for quick trips back to shore.

If you’re headed to Shasta Lake, Calif., some marinas such as the Bridge Bay Marina or Silverthorn Marina allow one pet for free, while Jones Valley Resort allows pets for free except for the Corinthian and Titan, where animals aren’t allowed.

A few marinas such as Pates Ford Resort & Marina, Hidden Harbor Marina (both Center Hill Lake, Tenn.), Jamestown Marina (Lake Cumberland, Ky.), and Packers Bay Marina (Lake Shasta, Calif.) don’t allow pets as well.

Some marinas will ask you to keep your dog or cat crated at night, and generally wherever you go a few constant rules apply: keep your pup on a leash onshore, clean up any messes, and certainly make sure he’s trained in order to be welcome onboard a rental houseboat.

Wherever you’re headed, just be sure to give yourself enough time to find a houseboat rental with requirements you’re able to follow. There are enough options out there that you’ll be covered either way. Just don’t forget to have fun when you go—after all, to quote the Hokey Pokey, that’s what it’s all about.