Start your day with breakfast at Cottonwood Bistro. Cottonwood is the perfect place to get your caffeine boost, featuring locally roasted coffee, from-scratch granola, and bakery items. The dog-friendly patio has plenty of seating and great views of Hillcrest Park. Breakfast is available all day long! There is a large selection of burgers, salads, pizzas, and more for lunch and beyond. Ask about their quiche of the day!

Brookings Dog Park is an incredibly spacious park conveniently located next to Sexauer Park and Campground. With two separate fully-fenced areas for small dogs and large dogs and agility equipment, there is a place for any pup to enjoy a little romp to get some of that energy out. The park is immaculate and well-maintained. It’s in a relatively quiet residential area, perfect for a relaxing run off-leash.

Pheasant Restaurant is the oldest full-service restaurant in Brookings. They specialize in local delicacies like bison filets or chislic. The steaks might be the most tender you’ll ever have, but they also cater to vegetarian tastes. The service is quick and friendly, and they’re always happy to recommend some dishes to fit your preferences. The patio has a lot of greenery and shade for those warm summer evenings and is exceptionally dog friendly.

On the southern end of Brookings lies Dakota Nature Park. Once a landfill, the entire area is now green, covered in trails and trees. On-leash dogs are welcome in the 135-acre site, featuring multiple small lakes chained together. In the accompanying Nature Park Building, there are frequent nature talks about the abundant wildlife in the area and workshops for kids. You can also rent canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, fishing equipment, and more for a reasonable price!