"Pet friendly" is one of the least reliable phrases in camping. It usually means dogs. Sometimes it means dogs only. Occasionally it means dogs are welcome and cats are an open question nobody at the front desk has been asked before.
The three tiers you'll run into
- National parks. Pets are generally allowed in developed campgrounds, parking areas, and on paved roads — but almost never on backcountry trails. For a cat on a harness, that's less limiting than it sounds, since a campsite-based trip rarely needs trail access. Leash rules apply to cats exactly as they do to dogs, and the leash length limit is usually six feet.
- State parks. Wildly inconsistent, state to state and sometimes park to park. Some cap pets per site at two. Some require proof of rabies vaccination on demand. Carry a copy.
- Private campgrounds and RV parks. The most variable of the three. Many are excellent about cats. Some charge a per-pet nightly fee. A few have breed or species restrictions written for dogs that staff will apply to a cat because the form has no other box to tick.
What to ask, and how
Call — don't email, and don't trust the website. Ask three specific questions: Are cats permitted at campsites? Is there a pet fee, and is it per pet or per site? Is a cat permitted to be outside the tent on a harness and leash? That third question is the one that catches people out, because a few places interpret "pets must be contained" to mean inside the vehicle or RV only.
The paperwork worth carrying
A current rabies certificate, your vet's phone number, and a photo of your cat on your phone that clearly shows markings. The last one is not for the campground. It's for the twenty minutes after a cat slips a harness, when describing "orange tabby" to a ranger is not enough.
The reservation trick
Book a site at the edge of a loop rather than the middle. Fewer dogs walking past, fewer sightlines, less reason for a cat to spend the evening under the car. It costs nothing and changes the whole trip.
Planning a first outing? Our free guide, The Pros & Cons of Camping with Cats, covers the temperament question before you start booking anything.
Less People. More Cats.