Dog-Friendly Dubuque, IA & Galena, IL

Considering a Midwest getaway to visit the boarder towns of Dubuque, IA and Galena, IL? Nestled along the Mississippi River, this region offers a delightful blend of history, nature, and welcoming pet-friendly experiences. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through a dog-friendly journey in Dubuque and Galena with our top picks on where to go and tips on what to avoid.

Dubuque

Of the two cities, we found that Dubuque had more dog-friendly options available. Here are our top picks for places to check out with your pups.

Breweries

• 7 Hills Brewing Company – Located in the historic warehouse district of Dubuque, 7 Hills offers an inviting street-side patio setting where they serve up fresh beers and a full food menu. We enjoyed the friendly service we received while dining with our dogs here. The patio setup was a bit confusing on how to grab a spot, but the staff helped direct us to the lower section of the seating area where dogs are allowed.
• Backpocket Dubuque – A short distance from 7 Hills you will find Backpocket’s Dubuque location. Their dog-friendly patio is somewhat smaller, but well decorated and comfortable. A nice location with a wide variety of beers to choose from.
• Dimensional Brewing Company – For the craft beer connoisseurs, we thought that Dimensional had the best beer in town. They serve up this beer in a unique reclaimed auto shop setting with a large open outdoor space. Though the patio wasn’t anything special (tables on a blacktop area), it served it’s purpose and we enjoyed our time there.

Hiking – Mines of Spain Recreation Area

Mines of Spain Recreation Area is a nature lover’s paradise, and the good news is that it welcomes dogs on its trails. Hike through forests, explore the Julien Dubuque Monument, and dip your toes in the Catfish Creek. Just remember to keep your pup on a leash and clean up after them to maintain the area’s natural beauty.

Other Options

One additional stop that we made with our dogs was at Wayfarer Coffee. Located in this historic warehouse district, this coffee shop offered a nice dog-friendly patio where we enjoyed drinks and food.

We just scratched the surface of the dog-friendly options in Dubuque and mainly focused on brewery stops. In our research we found many other restaurants, coffee shops, wineries, and even more breweries that we considered visiting. This is definitely on our list for a return visit!

Galena

Though we enjoyed exploring Galena, we ran into issues along the way with finding dog-friendly options. The main challenge we ran into was around food and drink locations. We came across many cute patios in the historic main street area of town, but none were dog-friendly. If visiting with dogs, we’d recommend Galena as a day-trip type of location and not an extended stay. With that being said, here are our top picks for things to do.

Main Street Galena

Stroll down Main Street Galena, a picturesque area filled with shops and galleries that warmly welcome dogs. Many shops even offer water bowls for your furry friend, and you might find some locally made dog treats to take home as souvenirs. Though we didn’t find any dog-friendly food stops, we did enjoy grabbing some snacks along the way and relaxing in the various courtyards. Our dogs certainly did receive a warm welcome from the other visitors in town.

Food & Drink Options

• The Grape Escape – Just to the north of the Main Street area of town you’ll find The Great Escape (also called Miss Kitty’s). This was the one spot in town that welcomed our dogs in while we had a few drinks, grabbed some pizza, and listened to live music. A fun stop in town!
• Galena Cellars Vineyard – A few miles outside of town you will find the Galena Cellars Vineyard. This spacious vineyard is dog-friendly with plenty of seating and grassy areas to explore. They offer wine by the glass and bottle for purchase as well as a variety of snacks. They do allow you to bring in your own food as well. We enjoyed relaxing with our dogs hear and listening to live music. Note that dogs are only allowed at the vineyard itself and not the tasting room in town.
• Blaum Bros. Distilling Co. – If whiskey is your thing, Blaum Bros. should make your list! The local distillery is just outside of town and produces some award winning spirits. Though it’s limited to an extended front-porch type of setting, there is a dog-friendly patio that we enjoyed relaxing on enjoying cocktails with our pups.

Whether you’re admiring the river vistas, sipping wine and beer, or exploring historic streets, you and your dog are sure to create cherished memories in this charming corner of the Midwest. So, pack your bags, leash up your pup, and embark on a pawsome adventure in Dubuque and Galena! Check out our dog-friendly travel posts for more trip ideas and tips.