Hohe Tauern National Park is the largest national park in the entire Alpine region, covering over 1,800 square kilometres and spanning parts of Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol, according to Austria's federal ministry (BML). It's a genuine, popular hiking destination for dog owners rather than a place dogs are simply excluded from — but the official visitor guidance for the park and its famous Grossglockner High Alpine Road is clear that leashes are compulsory throughout the park, specifically to protect grazing livestock and wildlife.

A harness paired with a long lead is the officially recommended setup, giving a dog more freedom of movement while keeping the owner genuinely in control — a meaningfully different approach from a short, tight leash that can actually work against you in an encounter with grazing animals, covered in its own article in this section. The one area with a stricter blanket rule is the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe visitor centre itself, where dogs aren't permitted inside at all, even on a leash.

Beyond that, the park's own advice is straightforward and practical: carry water and a bowl, favour shadier routes and take more breaks on long summer climbs, and always clean up after your dog, since nothing should be left behind in the park's forests or pastures. For route-specific questions beyond this general policy, the park's own information points and local tourist offices are the best source.