Finding a pet friendly rental in Eugene on a Ducks football weekend is harder than it should be, which is why we get so many messages that start with "does the dog really count as a guest?" Yes. The dog counts, the dog is welcome, and the dog does not pay a nightly fee. Here's how to do an Autzen weekend without leaving anyone at home.
Why a house beats a hotel on game weekend
Hotel rates near campus roughly double on home-game Saturdays, most tack on a pet fee, and you still end up with a dog in a hallway at 7am. A house gives you a fenced yard, a kitchen for pregame breakfast, and a place for the dog to decompress while you're at the stadium. The Eugene House sleeps six across four bedrooms, has a fully fenced backyard, air conditioning for those September afternoon kickoffs, and a private primary suite so the couple who planned the trip gets the good room.
Getting to Autzen
Autzen Stadium sits across the Willamette from campus in Alton Baker Park, and the parking situation is famous for being a mess. Your options, roughly in order of sanity:
- Walk or bike: The Ruth Bascom riverbank path runs right to the stadium. If your rental is anywhere near the river, this is the move. Bike racks fill up, so bring a lock.
- The Duck Bus: LTD runs shuttles from downtown and a few park-and-ride lots on game days. Cheap, frequent, and you avoid the post-game gridlock entirely.
- Rideshare: Works fine getting there. Getting home, expect a surge and a long walk to the pickup zone.
- Drive and park: Lots open several hours before kickoff and sell out. If you're tailgating, come early and commit to leaving late.
Dogs aren't allowed inside the stadium, and the tailgate lots are loud, hot, and full of dropped chicken bones. Leave the dog at the house with a long walk beforehand and something to chew. The neighbors will thank you.
Friday: settle in and stretch the legs
Arrive Friday if you can. Eugene's trail system is the best reason to bring a dog here. From the Retreat, you can walk to the Ridgeline Trail network. Spencer Butte is the big one: a steep 1.5 miles to a rocky summit with the whole valley below you. Leashes required, and the top is a scramble, so watch the paws on the rock. Mt. Pisgah, ten minutes east, is a gentler climb with wide gravel paths and a lot of happy dogs on any given afternoon. Pisgah charges a small parking fee.
For dinner, the Whiteaker neighborhood is your friend. Ninkasi's patio welcomes dogs, and a handful of the breweries and food carts nearby do too. Plan to eat outside; that's where the dog is welcome and where the fun is anyway.
Saturday: game day
Morning walk, early. Alton Baker Park has miles of flat paths and an off-leash area, and it's right next to the stadium, so you can tire the dog out and scout your route in one trip. Head back, feed everyone, and hit the Saturday Market downtown if kickoff is late; it runs April through mid-November and welcomes leashed dogs, though it's crowded on game weekends.
Then go be loud. Autzen at full volume is a real experience whether or not you care about football.
Sunday: recover
Sundays are for the McKenzie River. Drive forty minutes east on Highway 126 and you're on a clear green river with picnic spots, short trails, and swimming holes if it's warm. Or head south to the Lorane wineries; several have dog-friendly patios and September is harvest season. The full list of options is on our Eugene things-to-do page.
Book early, book direct
Home-game weekends fill months out. Check the schedule when it drops in spring and book then. If you book direct with us, you skip the platform service fee, which on a three-night football weekend is real money you can spend on tailgate supplies instead.
Go Ducks, and give the dog a treat from us.