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Danvers Rail Trail
Danvers Rail Trail with your dog: 4.3 miles on a leash
The Danvers Rail Trail is 4.3 miles of stone dust on an old railroad line, run by the town with a volunteer committee and a Friends group, and its dog rule comes straight from the town bylaws. This page sets out the bylaw as revised through May 2026, the six places to start, and what to expect from bikes, police patrols and the SwampWalk closure.
The bylaw
Chapter XXI asks for a physical leash and a bag, with fines of $25 and then $50
Danvers's dog bylaw, Chapter XXI of the town bylaws, says no dog may run loose or be at large anywhere in town. Any dog away from its owner's premises, outside a specifically posted off-leash area such as a dog park, counts as at large unless it is controlled by a physical chain or leash made for restraining dogs, and the bylaw adds that an electronic collar or leash is not a substitute. Chapter XXV, which governs town-owned land like the trail, applies the same leash section there.
The waste rule is just as specific. An owner must remove any feces from a sidewalk, street, park or other public area, using a bag or tool carried for the purpose, and take it to a proper receptacle. Under the bylaw's noncriminal schedule, a first violation in a calendar year is $25 and each later one $50, and a criminal complaint can reach $300. Service animals and police dogs on duty are exempt. Loose-dog complaints go to the town at 978-777-0001, extension 3023.
- A physical leash; an e-collar does not count
- Off leash only in a posted off-leash area, such as the Endicott Park dog park
- Carry a bag and take the waste to a proper receptacle
- Fines: $25, then $50 within the same calendar year
Where to start
Six places to start, from Mile 0.0 on Andover Street to the Route 97 crossing
The Friends of the Danvers Rail Trail list six places to park. The trailhead, Mile 0.0, is behind Danvers Indoor Sports at 150 Andover Street; drive around the building to the gate opening, and from there south leads to the Peabody Rail Trail and Lowell Street, Route 114, while north covers all 4.3 Danvers miles. The Hobart Street lot at number 26, just south of Maple Street downtown, splits the trail: about 2 miles south to the Peabody line and 2.3 miles north to the Wenham border near Route 97.
Tapleyville Park, about 1.3 miles from the Peabody line across from 142 Pine Street, has limited parking in baseball season. The municipal lot beside Town Hall at 1 Sylvan Street is a short walk from the trail by Cherry Street and Pickering Street. Choate Farm has picnic tables, benches and a peach orchard, with paths to a hilltop view of the Putnamville Reservoir, and a small lot sits at the Route 97 crossing. The table sets the six side by side for a dog walker.
| Start | Where | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Mile 0.0 | Behind Danvers Indoor Sports, 150 Andover Street | South to Peabody, or north for all 4.3 miles |
| Hobart Street lot | 26 Hobart Street, south of Maple Street | About 2 miles to Peabody, 2.3 to Wenham |
| Tapleyville Park | Across from 142 Pine Street | Limited parking in baseball season |
| Town Hall lot | 1 Sylvan Street | Short walk via Cherry and Pickering Streets |
| Choate Farm | No street address given | Picnic tables, benches and orchard paths |
| Route 97 crossing | Small lot at the crossing | Near the Wenham border |
On the trail
Stone dust underfoot, mile markers for 911, and bikes held to 10 mph
The surface is compacted stone dust, the same as on the trails in Peabody, Wenham and Topsfield, and the Friends warn it can be looser in places. Use is limited to dawn to dusk, and no lighting will be installed. Mile markers line the route; in an emergency, call 911 and give the number on the nearest one. The Friends say the Danvers Police patrol the trail, weather permitting, and the porta-potties are serviced once or twice a week.
Bikes are the main traffic a dog meets. The Friends' FAQ allows Class 1 and 2 e-bikes and asks cyclists and mobility-device users to keep to 10 mph or less, slow near other users and warn walkers before passing. When we checked, some sections of the SwampWalk were closed for safety, with updates promised by the town. Pet waste is the complaint trail users raise most, and three waste stations are going in: at Putnamville Park, next to the Beaver Park Bridge and next to Tapley Park.
Passing well
Passing bikes, runners and strollers on a narrow path takes a routine
A rail trail is a straight line shared by everyone, so the skill your dog needs most is the pass. Keep to the right, hold the leash short enough that your dog cannot drift across the path, and when a rider calls out or a runner comes up behind, step to the edge and ask for a sit or a look until they are by. Reward the calm. A retractable leash let out to full length can stretch across the whole path, so lock it short or use a fixed leash.
The trail is also a fair place to practice loose-leash walking over distance once the basics hold at home. Our trainers teach it with positive reinforcement, every program is fear- and force-free, and private sessions start from $94. The Rail Trail Advisory Committee that steers the trail is nine volunteers appointed by the Town Manager, formed in July 2009 to put the abandoned railroad corridor, which the MBTA leases to the town for 99 years, to use.
- 01
Lock a retractable leash short, or use a fixed leash
- 02
Walk on the right side of the path
- 03
When a bell or a call comes from behind, step to the edge
- 04
Ask for a sit or a look until the rider or runner has passed
- 05
Reward your dog, then walk on
- 06
Bag any waste at once and carry it to a bin or home
After the walk
Stone dust in the paws comes out in a bath at 210 Eastern Ave
Stone dust is fine grit, and on a wet day it works into paws and a long coat's feathering. Our bath and brush washes it out at $55 for a dog up to 25 pounds, $65 up to 50, $75 up to 90, $85 over 90 and $95 for an extra-large long coat, with nail clipping at $16. No evaluation is needed for grooming, so a bath books straight in online or in the app. From Danvers, Route 128 runs north to its end in Gloucester, a short way from our door.
The Pup Van does not run to Danvers, so ask us about a pick-up. For a dog that needs to run as well as walk, which a leash-only trail cannot give it, daycare is $42 a full day in a playgroup of 7 to 10 matched by size and temperament, after a free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM. Closer to home, the fenced dog park inside Endicott Park is the off-leash option the trail committee points Danvers owners to.
- Bath and brush: $55 to $95 by size
- Nail clipping: $16
- No evaluation for grooming
- Daycare: $42 a full day, after a free evaluation
At Dogtown
After the rail trail
A bath by size in our Gloucester studio, and matched daycare for the running a leash-only trail cannot give.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Can my dog be off leash on the Danvers Rail Trail?
Can I use an e-collar instead of a leash in Danvers?
What is the fine for not picking up after my dog in Danvers?
Who do I call about a loose dog on the Danvers Rail Trail?
Where can I park for the Danvers Rail Trail?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- Danvers Rail Trail: dogs on the trail (page moved; archived November 2025)
- Town of Danvers: town bylaws, Chapters XXI and XXV (PDF)
- Friends of the Danvers Rail Trail
- Friends of the Danvers Rail Trail: FAQ
- Friends of the Danvers Rail Trail: parking
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
Stone dust out, shine back.
Book a bath and brush online or in the Dogtown app; grooming needs no evaluation, and prices by size run from $55 to $95.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
