Bringing Your Dog

All three cabins allow dogs, with a pet fee, and guests have brought a puppy in July and their dogs in thirty-below weather in February. The cabins sit about ten road miles south of Malone at the northern edge of the Adirondack Park, with state forest trails and lakes within a 20-minute drive. This guide covers the pet rules and the yards, the leash laws, where a dog can and cannot go, ticks, porcupines and the hunting seasons, the vets that are open, and the papers for a dog coming from Canada.

The pet rules at the cabins

Each of the three listings says pets are allowed, and assistance animals are always allowed. A pet fee applies. One guest at The Modern Pine wrote in July 2025:

"We brought our puppy, for a fee & he loved it also!"

The amount is not part of the listing descriptions, so check the total on the booking page before you confirm. The listings also set strict pet rules: a house-trained pet under 25 pounds (one pet at The Aviator), no cats at The Modern Pine or The Modern Tiny Home, no pets on the furniture or beds, clean-up after the dog outside, and fees for any broken rule. Tell the host about your dog when you book. A pet may not be left alone in the cabin at any time, so plan every outing with the dog along or with someone staying behind. The Modern Pine and The Aviator also allow stays of 28 days or more, for a long trip with the dog. How to book explains where the calendars are, and pet-friendly cabins compares the three for a trip with a dog.

The yards and the neighbors

Plan on an open yard. The Modern Pine's listing describes a private backyard that is not fully fenced, and The Aviator's lists a backyard without saying anything about a fence. Those two cabins share one wooded property and its gravel drive, with The Aviator as the far cabin, and each has its own fire pit and hot tub. The Modern Tiny Home has a shared backyard, also not fully fenced, on a second property it shares with one other cabin that is not one of these three. When that cabin is booked, the trails, the observation deck over the pond and the parking area are shared spaces too.

The cabins are in the Town of Bellmont, whose dog law says that a dog off its owner's property must be on a leash. On a rental with no fence and neighbors close by, the simple way to follow that and keep the peace is a leash or a long lead whenever the dog is outside. Wildlife lives right around the cabins, from the birds and beavers the Tiny Home's listing mentions to the black bears found across the Adirondacks, and a loose dog that takes off after an animal can get hurt or lost.

If the dog gets loose

Call the host first. Then report it to the local dog control officer: the Town of Bellmont, where the cabins are, lists one on its town departments page, and the Town of Malone's officer covers the village of Malone. Drive the nearby roads slowly with a window down and call the dog's name. Before the trip, make sure the microchip registry has your cell number, so whoever finds the dog can reach you.

Leash rules on state land and in town

On state land, DEC's rules for dogs come down to these:

• Keep the dog under your control at all times, and put it on a leash whenever other people approach, especially another group with dogs of its own.
• Collect its droppings and bury them away from water, trails and campsites, and keep it away from drinking water sources.
• Dogs must be on a leash at all times in the Eastern Zone of the High Peaks Wilderness, and DEC asks for a leash at trailheads, at campsites and above 4,000 feet everywhere else.
• Anywhere in the High Peaks Wilderness, carry proof of the dog's current rabies vaccination and never leave it unattended.

In the High Peaks, Forest Rangers can and will ticket owners whose dogs are off leash, and dogs are not allowed at all on the Adirondack Mountain Reserve, the Ausable Club land that some High Peaks trails cross. There is a harder reason to keep a dog close. Inside the Adirondack Park, state law lets environmental conservation officers, forest rangers and state police kill a dog that is chasing or killing deer, at any time of year, and local police have the same power where they serve.

In Malone, the Town of Malone's dog control officer handles dog control for the village too. Malone Memorial Recreation Park, the village park on Duane Street around Rotary Lake, is closed to dogs: the village code bars anyone from bringing a dog, cat, horse or other animal into the Recreation Park, so its 1.1-mile Rec Park Loop is a walk for people only. At the Meacham Lake state campground, about 20 road miles south, a dog needs proof of a current rabies vaccination, must stay on a leash no longer than six feet, may not be left alone, and is not allowed on the beach, in picnic areas or in any building. The Meacham Lake guide covers the campground and the lake.

Walks and hikes with a dog

At the cabins and within ten miles

At The Modern Tiny Home, the first walk starts at the door: a short trail leads to an observation deck over the pond, shared with the neighboring cabin's guests when it is booked.

The Titusville Mountain State Forest has three marked trails within about ten road miles. High Falls, about five road miles away, is about three-quarters of a mile each way on nearly level ground beside the Salmon River; watch the dog near the water and on the wet stairs at the bottom of the falls. Elephant's Head is 0.8 mile and 320 feet of climbing from the upper lot on Elephant Head Road, off NY 30. The Ledges gain 700 feet in 0.6 mile, most of it in one short, steep stretch of rock, so keep a close eye on the dog there. Owls Head, about four road miles away, climbs 1.3 miles to open rock ledges, where the dog belongs on a short leash. On every trail, carry water and a bowl for the dog, and put a tag on its collar with your phone number. When you meet other hikers, keep the dog close and ask before letting it greet them or their dog.

Bigger days

Fit dogs can do the fire-tower climbs: Loon Lake Mountain, St. Regis Mountain, Azure Mountain and Lyon Mountain, all about 20 to 45 road miles away. Tower stairs are steep, and most dogs do not belong on them, so plan for one adult to wait on the summit with the dog while the others climb. Loon Lake Mountain's upper trail is a steep, rocky streambed, so make sure the dog is fit for it. Hiking near Malone lists every trail with its distance, climb and best season.

Places a dog cannot go

• Malone Memorial Recreation Park, with Rotary Lake and the Rec Park Loop: the village code keeps animals out.
• The Almanzo Wilder Farm in Burke: pets are not allowed on the grounds.
• The Wild Center in Tupper Lake: no dogs on the campus during open hours except service dogs.
• Meacham Lake campground: no pets on the beach, in picnic areas or in any building.
• The Franklin County Fair in Malone: in 2026 the fair allowed no dogs on the grounds during fair week in August.
• The Adirondack Mountain Reserve in the High Peaks: no dogs at all.

On those days someone stays with the dog, since the listings do not allow a pet to be left alone in the cabin. Do not leave a dog in a parked car on a warm day.

Ticks and your dog

Dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and tick-borne diseases, and they carry ticks into the cabin, where the ticks can move on to people. Check the dog every day from spring through fall, and after walks on mild winter days: in and around the ears, around the eyelids, under the collar, under the front legs, between the toes, between the back legs and around the tail. Take ticks off a dog the same way as off a person; the bug guide has the steps, the tick seasons and the black fly weeks.

Lyme exposure is common in dogs here: figures published in 2017 showed that 26 percent of the dogs tested in Franklin County had been exposed to the Lyme bacterium. Most exposed dogs never get sick. Those that do often show it 2 to 5 months after the bite, with fever, lameness, tiredness, a poor appetite, swollen and painful joints or swollen lymph nodes. A kidney form of the disease, Lyme nephritis, is far more serious, and many dogs that develop it do not survive. A tick has to stay attached for at least 24 to 48 hours to pass the infection to a dog, so daily checks work. Before the trip, ask your vet about tick protection that lasts all year and whether the Lyme vaccine makes sense for your dog.

Black flies, deer flies and mosquitoes bother dogs too. On the worst days in June and July, keep walks short and give the dog a shaded, sheltered spot to rest.

Porcupines, bears and algae

Porcupines are common across the Adirondacks, up to at least 4,000 feet, and they are out mostly at night and around dawn and dusk. One porcupine carries as many as 30,000 quills, each about 2 to 3 inches long with backward-facing barbs, and a dog that noses one comes away with a muzzle full of them. Do not cut the quills or try to pull them out yourself; cutting makes them harder to remove. Quills can work deeper and migrate inside the body, so take the dog to a vet right away; most dogs need sedation or anesthesia to have them taken out. The best prevention is a leash at dawn, at dusk and after dark.

Black bears live throughout the Adirondacks. Keep the dog close and never let it chase or corner a bear; bears defend themselves aggressively when they feel threatened or cornered. Feed the dog indoors and bring the bowls in, since pet food left outside draws bears.

Lakes and ponds can grow harmful algal blooms in summer and fall, most often after warm, sunny, calm spells. A bloom can look like pea soup or spilled paint, or show up as scum or mats on the water, usually green or blue-green, and there is no telling by eye whether it is toxic. Dogs are far more likely than people to be poisoned, because they swim in it, drink it and lick it off their fur. Keep the dog out of water with scum or an odd color. If it goes in, get it out, rinse it with clean water and dry it before it can lick itself, and get to a vet at once if it vomits, drools, stumbles or has trouble breathing. Signs can start within 30 minutes, and untreated poisonings are usually fatal in dogs. DEC's NYHABS map shows the waters with reported blooms.

Hunting and trapping seasons

Most of the state land near the cabins is open to hunting, and the cabins sit in Wildlife Management Unit 5C. The 2026 seasons there: bear from September 19 to December 6; early bowhunting for deer from September 27 to October 23; early muzzleloader from October 17 to 23; and the regular deer and bear season from October 24 to December 6. Grouse, varying hare and coyote seasons run into late winter, and spring turkey hunters are out on May mornings until noon.

DEC asks hikers to wear blaze orange or blaze pink in these seasons, and asks dog owners to put a bright vest or scarf on the dog and keep it leashed. An orange vest makes a dog easy to pick out at a distance in the November woods.

Trapping runs through the same months. Around the cabins, the trapping season for fox, coyote, raccoon and bobcat runs from October 25 to February 15, and beaver, otter, mink and muskrat trapping runs from November 1 into April. State rules keep body-gripping traps set on land at least 100 feet from trails where the public has access, so a dog that stays on the trail is much safer than one ranging through the woods.

Hot tubs and dogs

Each cabin has its own hot tub; keep the dog out of it. The Consumer Product Safety Commission's top temperature for hot tub water is 104°F, and that limit is for people. Put the cover back on whenever nobody is in the tub, so a dog cannot fall in or climb onto it, and in winter keep the dog off the icy boards around the tub.

Winter with a dog

January lows in Malone average about 4°F, so check the forecast before a long walk; a dog has only the coat it was born with. A family who stayed at The Modern Pine with their dogs in February 2026 wrote of thirty-below temperatures, and of the stay:

"My family and my dogs really enjoyed a peaceful few days there."

• Road salt and other de-icers can hurt paws and are toxic if licked. After every walk, wipe or wash the dog's feet, legs and belly.
• Check the pads for cracks and bleeding, and trim the hair between the toes so ice balls do not build up.
• Antifreeze is deadly in small amounts. Wipe up any drips in the parking area and keep containers out of reach.
• Stay off frozen ponds and lakes with the dog; there is no knowing whether the ice will hold its weight.
• Keep the dog off the snowmobile trails. Corridor C7, one of the busiest in Franklin County, is a three-minute ride from The Modern Pine.

For winter walks, Dewey Mountain in Saranac Lake allows dogs on its snowshoe trails, and on its ski trails on Wednesdays only, and Paul Smith's College's Visitor Interpretive Center welcomes leashed dogs all year; sign them in and clean up after them. The cross-country skiing and snowshoeing guide covers both.

Vets and emergencies

Find a vet before the dog needs one, and save the numbers in your phone while you have a signal. Older directories still list the Animal Clinic of Malone on West Main Street and its sister practice, Adirondack Park Pet Hospital in Saranac Lake, but their own website says both have closed. These practices are open and post their hours; call ahead, since hours change:

• VCA High Peaks Animal Hospital, on Route 86 in Ray Brook, between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid, about 47 road miles and an hour from the cabins. Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8 to 4 and Thursday 8 to 5; closed Tuesdays and weekends.
• Lake Placid Animal Hospital, on Cascade Road in Lake Placid, about 54 road miles away. Open weekdays from 8 to 5.
• Silver Birch Veterinary Urgent Care, on West Main Street in Norfolk, about 47 road miles west. It sees sick pets the same day on weekdays from 9 to 6 without an appointment, and it is not open overnight.

For a night or weekend emergency, Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Specialists in Williston, Vermont, is open 24 hours a day, every day. It is about 118 road miles from the cabins, roughly two and a half hours, so before the trip ask your own vet which emergency hospital they would use from here. If the dog swallows something poisonous, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center answers 24 hours a day, every day, at (888) 426-4435; a consultation fee applies.

For routine care, PetVet holds walk-in vaccination clinics inside the Tractor Supply store on Route 11 in Malone on some Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon, with rabies shots and microchips among its services; the posted dates are October 11, November 8 and December 6, 2026, and January 3 and 31, 2027. For people, the hospital and the emergency numbers are on the health and safety page.

Dog-friendly stops in Malone and Saranac Lake

New York lets a restaurant allow leashed dogs in its outdoor dining area if the owner chooses to. The dog has to come in through a separate outdoor entrance and stay off the chairs and benches, any food or water for it comes in throwaway containers, and the place has to post a sign saying dogs are allowed. The law covers outdoor dining areas only. A few places near the cabins welcome dogs:

• Tractor Supply, on Route 11 in Malone. The chain invites leashed pets into its stores all year, and it sells pet food and supplies.
• Bokie's Drive In, on Route 11 in Malone, a drive-in since 1956, has doggie ice cream on its menu. It is a seasonal drive-in, so check that it is open.
• RiverTrail Beerworks, on Woodruff Street in Saranac Lake, right on the Saranac Lake River Walk and next to the rail trail, has a heated, screened patio where dogs are welcome in the warm months. Each fall, once plexiglass goes back on the porch windows in early October, dogs are no longer allowed on the porch under health department rules, so ask before you go.

Where to eat lists the restaurants around Malone, and groceries and supplies covers the stores.

Dogs coming from Canada

The CDC's dog rules apply at every land crossing, to American dogs coming home as well as Canadian dogs visiting. For a dog that has spent the last six months only in Canada or the United States, the list is short:

• It must be at least six months old on the day it crosses.
• It must have a microchip that a universal scanner can read. Ask your vet to check it before the trip.
• It must look healthy on arrival.
• You need the receipt for the CDC Dog Import Form, which is free and filled in online. You can fill it in on the day you travel or up to six months ahead, and the receipt covers repeat crossings for six months, as long as the dog does not visit any other country in the meantime.

Rules like these change, so check the CDC's dog travel page before you cross.

On the way home, Canada asks for a rabies vaccination certificate for any dog three months or older, written in English or French by a licensed veterinarian, identifying the dog and showing that it is currently vaccinated. Assistance dogs crossing with their handler are exempt. Carry the certificate on the way down as well: the Meacham Lake campground asks for proof of rabies vaccination, and so does DEC anywhere in the High Peaks Wilderness.

Pack only the dog food you need. Coming south, it has to be in unopened retail packaging, no more than 50 pounds per vehicle, and raw, dehydrated or freeze-dried food must be labeled as a product of Canada or the U.S. Going north, Canada allows up to 20 kilograms per animal of commercially packaged food made in the United States, as long as the dog is with you and is the one eating it.

The nearest crossing, Trout River on NY 30, has been closed to traffic entering the United States since June 1, 2026. Crossing the border lists the open crossings, their hours and the rest of the customs rules.

A day out with a dog

Start with High Falls in the morning: about five road miles from the cabins, an hour or two for the walk, with the dog on a leash near the water. Drive on to Malone, about 20 minutes, for anything you forgot at Tractor Supply on Route 11 and, while Bokie's is open for the season, doggie ice cream from its menu. Leave out the Rec Park Loop around Rotary Lake, which is closed to dogs. Back at the cabin, check the dog for ticks, towel off its paws, and keep it on a lead by the fire pit while you cook. In winter, swap the falls for the snowshoe trails at Dewey Mountain in Saranac Lake, about 50 minutes away, and finish with a paw wipe for the dog and the hot tub for the people.

What to pack for a dog

• A leash, a long lead for the yard, and a harness for the trails.
• A collar with an ID tag that has your cell number.
• The rabies certificate and vaccination records, and for a dog coming from Canada, the CDC form receipt on your phone.
• Food in its sealed bag, treats, bowls, and a collapsible bowl and extra water for hikes.
• Waste bags.
• The dog's bed or crate; pets are not allowed on the furniture or beds.
• Old towels for wet and muddy paws; every cabin has a washer and dryer.
• Fine-tipped tweezers or a tick tool, and the tick prevention your vet recommends.
• A blaze orange vest from mid-September through early December, and for May walks in turkey season.
• Booties, a coat for a short-coated dog and paw balm in winter.
• A light for the collar; in late December the sun sets at about 4:20 in the afternoon.
• Your vet's number and the emergency hospital's, saved before you lose a signal.

Questions

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Hours, fees and schedules change; confirm before you go.

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2. The cabin's Airbnb listing airbnb.com/rooms/41023086
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