A Dog-Friendly Trip to Palisade, Colorado
On our Dog-Friendly Road Trip to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, we stopped in Palisade, Colorado.
While we were in Palisade, we walked the dogs (off-leash) at Riverbend Park, ate lunch at Palisade Brewing Company, and tasted some unique spirits on the dog-friendly patio at Peach Street Distillers.
Palisade is a cute river town with plenty of places to take the dogs. I’d like to go back for a longer visit soon, especially if we can do it during peach season!
Riverbend Park
Riverbend Park has a 1.75 mile walking path next to the Colorado River, lovely views, and lots of shade.
Well-behaved dogs are allowed off-leash, but the park has no dedicated fenced dog park. This type of park seems to be common in Colorado, especially in the mountain towns.
We started off with the dogs on leash, so we could all get comfortable.
Riverbend Park allows dogs to be off-leash, but they also have a lot of rules
Eventually, we let the dogs off-leash so they could explore. Maya and Piper are usually good off-leash, especially now that they're older – they aren't exactly looking to run off. They like to sniff and look around, but they want to stay close(ish).
The park had beautiful cottonwoods – very reminiscent of Georgia – and had lots of grass. Maya appreciated the shade, and Piper loved the many opportunities to roll.
Maya and Piper are always happy to run around somewhere green
From the walking path, the dogs could easily access the fast-moving Colorado River. I was concerned, but thankfully, Maya and Piper aren’t really “water dogs.” They like to dip their feet in, but they aren’t eager to swim. Still, we kept a close eye on them to make sure they wouldn’t get swept away.
Ironically, what we should have been worried about was a little creek they also had access to… At first, I was glad that they had a place to splash with shallow, calm water, but when they jumped out, their legs were coated in black mud!
We tried to get them to rinse off in the river, but that didn’t work. By the time they climbed back up the dusty hill, they were dirty all over again.
Adam had to take them down the kayak ramp in the parking lot and dip their feet in. We rushed them back into the car before they could accumulate more mud.
Of course, Maya and Piper had just gotten a bath
Next time we visit Palisade, I'd love to go back and walk the full river path, and maybe even bring the kayaks.
Palisade Brewing Company
After the park, we went to Palisade Brewing Company for lunch. It was easy to find and there was plenty of parking, even on a Saturday.
The outdoor area had plenty of seating for us and the dogs. We even lucked out and found a seat in the shade! I hung out with the dogs while Adam went in and ordered. The dogs were comfortable, and we filled their bowl at the self-serve water station.
Maya was very happy to be under a table that was under a tent
The food was just what we were looking for on a hot day: Adam had the Reuben with a beer, and I had the Caprese Sandwich with a lemonade.
The Reuben photographed better, but the Caprese tasted better
Peach Street Distillers
Since it was next door to our lunch, we stopped at Peach Street Distillers. We were intrigued by the variety of spirits and their dog-friendly patio.
The bar was backed up, so Adam sat outside with us to do his tastings. The dogs made themselves at home and I enjoyed the view.
The dogs were confused about stopping at a second location, but Maya gave up and went to sleep
After trying a couple of spirits, Adam bought a bottle of D’agave Extra, and of course, we had to get a bandana for Maya.
This dog LOVES bandanas