Centennial Grove in Essex: the only town park that allows dogs

The town says it twice, in the same words: on its dog licenses page and in section B9 of the Centennial Grove Regulations. No dog is allowed in any public park in Essex at any time of year, except at Centennial Grove. There, supervised dogs on a leash or under the direct control of their owner are allowed, and unsupervised dogs are not. The regulations name Section 4-16.3(d) of the Essex Animal Control By-Law as the source of the summer ban on dogs in the Grove.

Read the wording closely. Direct control is the alternative to a leash, so a dog that wanders off to greet a picnic table or a ball game is not under it, whatever the town's lack of a general leash law might suggest. Essex can also cite owners who leave waste anywhere but on their own property: a written warning first, then $100, then $300 under the town's noncriminal process. Complaints about a nuisance dog go to the Animal Control Officer at 978-768-6363.

The Grove opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. In summer the town also shuts it to the general public on weekday mornings while Camp Dory runs: the town's information page says 9 AM to 1 PM on weekdays in July and August, excluding holidays, and the 2026 regulations describe the camp as running 9 AM to 1 PM, Monday to Friday, from late June to mid-August. Either way, those weeks sit inside the months dogs are barred, so the camp changes nothing for your dog.

The rental calendar is what changes a visit. Groups of 20 or more need a permit, the Folsom Pavilion, the cottage and the ball fields can all be booked, and youth leagues reserve the Field of Dreams by the season. A September Saturday can bring a party or a game to the Grove. If your dog is still learning to ignore a crowd, choose a weekday morning in October or April, and look over the parking area before you open the car door.

From June 1 to August 31 an Essex dog loses the Grove and the town beaches together, and every other public park in town stays closed to it all year. Our at-home dog walks fill that gap from your own door: 20 minutes for $25, 30 for $35 or 60 for $55, always solo, with a photo and a note after every walk. Walks start with the free evaluation, and coverage depends on the address and the season, so ask us whether we cover yours.

Essex is also one of the four Pup Van towns, with Gloucester, Rockport and Manchester-by-the-Sea, at $10 each way. The van brings a dog to 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester for a daycare day, $42 full or $33 half, in a playgroup of 7 to 10 matched by size and temperament, with pools on the outdoor turf yard. For a walk on conservation land, Greenbelt's Allyn Cox Reservation at 82 Eastern Avenue in Essex lists dog walking on 0.8 mile of easy trail.