Deciding between Great Smoky Mountains and Joshua Tree? For dogs, Great Smoky Mountains rates D and Joshua Tree rates C. Great Smoky Mountains has 7 hand-verified trails (2 dog-friendly); Joshua Tree has 9 (2). Here's the full side-by-side, pulled from our own data.
| What matters | Great Smoky Mountains | Joshua Tree |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs (pet policy) | D Roads & campgrounds | C A few trails only |
| Trails mapped | 7 | 9 |
| Dog-friendly trails | 2 | 2 |
| Youngest kid trail | age 3+ | age 0+ |
| Timed entry / permits | Lottery, Permit required | Permit required |
| Park shuttle | No | No |
| Heat / altitude fueling | — | Yes |
| Activities mapped | 4 | 4 |
| Weather now | 61°F · Mostly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog | 105°F · Sunny |
DATA · NPS + NOAA + HAND-CURATION · VERIFY CLOSURES AT NPS.GOV
Joshua Tree — it grades C on our A–D pet-policy scale (a few trails only), while Great Smoky Mountains grades D (roads & campgrounds).
Joshua Tree — its age-rated trails start at 0+, versus 3+ at the other park.
Great Smoky Mountains has: lottery, permit required. Joshua Tree has: permit required. Details and official booking links are in the table above.