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Clipper City Rail Trail
Clipper City Rail Trail with your dog: leashed through Newburyport
The Clipper City Rail Trail runs through Newburyport past sculptures, gardens and the waterfront, and twice it runs beside places where dogs may run free. That is where owners get caught out. This page sets out the leash rule, the route and its trailheads, the race days on the city's calendar, and the bath afterward.
The rule
Leashed on the trail, even beside the off-leash parks
Newburyport lets dogs off leash in only three places, and the rail trail is not one of them. The city's facility page for Cashman Park says dogs are not allowed off leash on the walkways, including the Clipper City Rail Trail, and its page for March's Hill on High Street carries the same sentence. So the spot where the trail meets an off-leash lawn or hill is the spot to check the leash is still clipped on, not to unclip it.
The city's off-leash rules, written under section 3-26(e) of the code, also require a dog to be leashed when it enters or leaves an off-leash area, so a dog that has been running at Cashman goes back on the leash before it steps onto the trail. Breaking an off-leash area rule costs $50, and the city's clean-up rule applies to leashed dogs as well as loose ones, so carry bags for the whole walk.
- The whole trail: leashed
- Passing Cashman Park and March's Hill: still leashed
- Leaving an off-leash area: leash on before the trail
- Clean-up applies to leashed dogs too
The walk
3.3 paved miles from the train station to the Harborwalk and Parker Street
The Coastal Trails Coalition describes the trail as 3.3 paved miles connecting the MBTA commuter rail station to the Harborwalk along the waterfront. A newer section follows the bank of the Merrimack River to Water Street and runs through the South End, under High Street, to Parker Street in Newbury. On the way it shows off sculptures, a gallery of local paintings and views over the Merrimack River estuary, with good birdwatching.
At the Route 1 Gillis Bridge the trail connects to the southern end of Salisbury's Eastern Marsh Trail, so a long walk can cross the river into another town with its own rules. With a young or an older dog, pick a stretch between two trailheads rather than the whole route, and turn back while the dog still has spring in its step.
Trailheads
Six places to start, and the free lot at Cushing Park
The Coalition lists six trailheads, from a paid lot at the station to a few free spaces at Parker Street. Cushing Park on Kent Street offers free parking for the trail, and the city's facility listing puts the park at 41 Kent Street with a parking area, a basketball court and Ayers Playground. Keep the leash short past the playground on the way to the trail.
The station lot is the natural start for anyone arriving by train. Under the MBTA's rider rules, a small animal in a secure carrier may ride at any time, while a larger dog rides only off-peak, leashed and off the seats, and staff may restrict pets; peak hours are 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 7 PM on weekdays. The same rules apply on the commuter rail out of Gloucester and Rockport.
| Trailhead | Parking, per the Coastal Trails Coalition |
|---|---|
| MBTA commuter rail lot | Paid; turn left on Parker Street north of the Route 1 traffic circle |
| Washington Street | Limited on-street parking; follow one-way Winter Street |
| High Street | Free on-street parking around the entrance |
| Low Street | Free parking at the Graf Skating Rink, west of the trail |
| Cushing Park, Kent Street | Free parking |
| Parker Street | A few free spaces |
When to go
Race mornings, bikes and the busy waterfront stretch
The city's reservation calendar for the trail lists a road race on Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 9:30 AM to noon, and a foot race course booked for Sunday, November 8, from 8 AM to noon. A race on a narrow paved path is no place for a leashed dog, so pick another morning or another stretch on those dates, and check the city's facility calendar for later bookings.
On ordinary days the trail is shared with bikes, runners and strollers, and it passes sculptures and gardens that people stop to look at. Walk on the right, keep the leash short whenever someone passes, and steer clear of the sculptures if your dog likes to mark. Ticks wait in the grass on the river and marsh edges from April to November, so check your dog before the car.
- 01
Check the city calendar for race days
- 02
Park at Cushing Park on Kent Street or another trailhead
- 03
Clip a short leash on before the dog leaves the car
- 04
Keep right and step aside for bikes and runners
- 05
Stay leashed past Cashman Park and March's Hill
- 06
Bag the waste and carry it to a bin
After the walk
Off leash at the parks, then a bath on Eastern Ave
If your dog needs a run after a leashed walk, Cashman Park's off-leash lawn opens from 7:30 to 9 AM and 4 to 7 PM, and March's Hill and Moseley Woods from dawn to dusk; each has its own page here with the rules. Unclip and clip on at the edge of each area, never on the trail itself. Plum Island runs on a stricter calendar, set out on our Plum Island beach page.
A riverside walk in spring mud or wet fall leaves is what our bath and brush is for. At 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester it is a warm bath, blow-dry and brush-out from $55 to $95 by size, and teeth brushing at $10 or nail clipping at $16 can be added. Newburyport is outside the Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up, or book the bath for a day you are on Cape Ann.
- Cashman Park lawn: 7:30 to 9 AM and 4 to 7 PM
- March's Hill and Moseley Woods: dawn to dusk
- Bath and brush: $55 to $95 by size
- Add-ons: nail clipping $16, teeth brushing $10
At Dogtown
After the riverside
A bath and brush by size after a muddy riverside walk, and daycare playgroups for dogs that need to run off the leash.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Can dogs be off leash on the Clipper City Rail Trail?
How long is the Clipper City Rail Trail?
Where can I park for free on the Clipper City Rail Trail?
Can I take my dog on the train to the Clipper City Rail Trail?
Are there races on the Clipper City Rail Trail this fall?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- City of Newburyport: Cashman Park, off-leash dog lawn
- City of Newburyport: March's Hill
- City of Newburyport: off-leash dog parks and section 3-26(e) rules
- City of Newburyport: Clipper City Rail Trail facility calendar
- Coastal Trails Coalition: Clipper City Rail Trail
- City of Newburyport: Cushing Park
- MBTA: rider rules and regulations
- CDC: ticks
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
River mud on the paws? Book a bath.
Book a bath and brush online or in the Dogtown app, from $55 to $95 by size. Add nail clipping for $16; no evaluation is needed.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
