A guide to hiking with your pet (rock) in Washington

Move over, hiking dogs and adventure cats: Washington hikers have adopted a new favorite trail companion — the pet rock.

In 2023, The Seattle Times reported that the Pacific Northwest is the ‘cat dad’ capital of the U.S. This trend has converged on the geology community, proving hikers have an apatite for low-maintenance companionship.

Sit. Stay. Good rock. Photo by Joseph Gonzalez

• Leave No Trace
• Leave what you find on trail, including rocks and other natural objects.
  
  
• Pet rocks should be responsibly adopted at retail landscaping, gem and mineral shops.
  
  
• Get more Leave No Trace tips.

Geologist Amber Johnston of Vantage, WA, can’t get enough of her new pet rock.

“I was so tired of cleaning up after my dog. The best part of a pet rock? I can take it on trail with confidence knowing it plays gneiss with others. Plus, I don’t have to pick up its schist!”

Pet rocks are also perfect for hikers feeling eroded by the prospect of managing pet behavior on trail or post-hike pit stops, like a brewery.

Hikers don't have to worry about their pet rock jumping on other hikers. They don't have to worry about it moving at all, actually. Photo by Tim Harahan

“The thought of my off-leash pet jumping on another hiker would petrify me. Voice command isn’t an issue with my agate; I’m 90% sure it can’t even hear,” says Flint Whitney, a rockhound from Vashon Island. “Of quartz, this old fossil is always on its best behavior. Running around off-leash is a young rock’s game: save it for the dacite and andesite.”

If you lava your rock, you're making a pumice to keep it happy and healthy, including regular walks. Photo by Loren Drummond

First-time rock owners should educate themselves on the commitment of owning a pet rock before they adopt: most rocks outlive their owners.

“When you adopt a geode or stone, you’re making a pumice to care for it. If you truly lava your pet rock despite its faults, you’ll prioritize its well-being,” says Whitney. 

“My backpack might be heavier, but my heart has never felt lighter,” says Johnston. “I don’t take it for granite: My river rock can do anything a serpentinite or basalt column can, but without all the fanfare.”

Can’t find the perfect pet rock to hike with? Wait around a few million years and the right rock will find you.