AVIS reservations in Andover with your dog: Deer Jump, Goldsmith and Indian Ridge

AVIS states its dog rule in one line: it follows the town's leash bylaw, and all dogs must be on a leash at all times on AVIS land. Andover's bylaw says what that leash is: held firmly, no longer than six feet, by a person who has the dog under control. AVIS welcomes everyone on its land for the quiet enjoyment of nature from sunrise to sunset, and it bars anything that harms the natural resources or the tranquility of a reservation.

The prohibited list tells a dog owner who will not be on the trail. Bicycling, motorized vehicles, fires, camping and alcohol are all barred, and boating is banned at Baker's Meadow and Goldsmith Woodlands. Bow hunting is barred as well, except under AVIS's deer policy, which allows it on some reservations each year and posts those reservations at all major trailheads. Read the trailhead sign before you set out.

Deer Jump is the river walk: hemlock groves, open meadow, high bluffs above the Merrimack and horsetails along the bank, with glacial features AVIS points out such as striated boulders and kame terraces. Treat the bluffs with care, since a dog pulling toward the edge on a six-foot leash still brings you close to it. AVIS lists white-tailed deer, red fox, turkeys, a great horned owl and great blue herons among the wildlife, so expect a nose glued to the ground.

Goldsmith Woodlands follows an old road to Bessie's Point, which overlooks Fosters Pond, and lady's slippers fill the woods in late spring. In May 2026 AVIS opened its first All Persons Trail there: six feet wide, firm crushed stone, mostly under a 5 percent grade, from the parking area to Bessie's Point. Indian Ridge is a walk along the crest of an esker left by meltwater streams under the glacier, bought in December 1897 after a campaign led by Alice Buck.

A walk along the Merrimack or down to Fosters Pond tends to end with a dark, damp dog. Our bath and brush at 210 Eastern Ave costs $55 for a dog up to 25 pounds, $65 for 26 to 50, $75 for 51 to 90, $85 over 90 and $95 for an extra-large long coat, and it needs no evaluation. A nail trim runs $16, and Shed Release $10. Book it online or through the Dogtown app.

Andover is far from Gloucester and outside the Pup Van towns, so we would not suggest the drive just for a bath. It makes sense when your dog is already with us: an overnight stay at $78 a night, a Dogtown Academy day at $89, or a board-and-train program, with the bath booked before you collect. Those start with a free evaluation on a weekday morning between 6:30 and 9:30. We do not take dogs to AVIS land.