Andover dog park: High Plain Road and the Bald Hill trailhead

Andover's dog bylaw, Article XII, section 11, defines restraint off the owner's premises as a dog held firmly on a leash no longer than six feet by a person who has it under control. Then it makes one exception: a dog under the direct and immediate supervision of a responsible adult inside the Town-designated Dog Park is properly restrained. Outside the gate, the leash rule is back, in the parking area and on the trails next door.

Two more duties follow you through the gate. The bylaw requires a dog to wear its town identification tag whenever it is off the owner's premises, and it requires owners to remove their dog's waste from public and private property and to carry a means of removal on sidewalks, streets and in parks. The town's Dogs of Andover page sets the waste fines at $75 for a first offense, $100 for a second and $150 for a third in the same calendar year.

The town announced, as Andover News reported on October 10, 2025, that the park would close for the season from October 15 so crews could start a package of upgrades: new surfacing, agility features, shaded seating and accessibility improvements, paid for by a Stanton Foundation grant. Reopening was targeted for spring 2026, weather and construction permitting. When we checked in October 2026, the town's Dogs of Andover page listed the park and its hours with no closure notice, but we found no announcement confirming the reopening.

So before a first visit, check the town's website or call for the current status, and read the posted rules at the gate when you arrive, since a renovated park can come with new ones. Expect some confusion over the address too: the town lists 302 High Plain Road, the volunteers' FAQ suggested 302 for GPS because the park has no address of its own, and the renovation notice and the Bald Hill-Wood Hill page both use 288 High Plain Road.

A dog park suits a confident dog with a reliable recall and an owner watching every minute. Some dogs come home from one wound up or worried. Dogtown's daycare in Gloucester works differently: playgroups of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, a handler with the group, rest breaks built into the day, and a report card in the app afterward. A full day is $42 and a half day $33, after a free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM.

We will be straight about distance. Andover is a long way from 210 Eastern Ave and outside the Pup Van towns, so for routine play most Andover families will choose somewhere closer, and that is a sensible choice. Dogtown earns the drive for a dog that needs more than a park can give: an overnight stay at $78 a night with playgroups by day, a Dogtown Academy day at $89 with a training session, or a board-and-train program. Each begins with the same evaluation.