DeNormandie Woods with your dog: carriage roads near Dexter Pond

Greenbelt lists dog walking at DeNormandie Woods along with birdwatching, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, trail running and winter recreation. Its Trail Safety Guidelines apply on every trail here: leash where required and follow posted rules, which can vary by property and season; stop and hold your dog when hikers, riders or bikers pass; keep it from approaching wildlife, horses, other dogs or people uninvited; and bag the waste and take it with you. Greenbelt's policies add: carry a leash and never leave a dog unattended.

The woods straddle a town line. Manchester-by-the-Sea's general bylaw counts a dog as running at large when it is off its owner's premises and not on a leash or under direct voice command of a person able to control it, and the same section requires owners to remove a dog's waste from parks and other public places. Gloucester's dog regulations page says a dog must always remain under the control of its owner or keeper. On either side, a dog that does not come back on one call belongs on the leash.

Greenbelt's directions say the parking areas are reached via Colburn Road, with a parking lot near Dexter Pond. Its 2025 map shows two parking symbols: one on Colburn Road beside Dexter Pond, where the Blue Trail begins, and one farther up an access road beside the Dexter Pond Conservation Area, where the Orange Trail starts. Starting from the pond on the Blue Trail gives a dog the gentlest introduction, on the carriage-road surface most dogs and most older legs handle easily.

Leash your dog in the lot, since the pond is close and a dog that heads straight for the water starts the walk wet. The property page lists no hours of its own, but every Greenbelt property is open sunrise to sunset, and Greenbelt's policies name trespassing from sunset to sunrise as a use it does not permit. Bring water and a bowl, and plan the loop so you are back at the car with daylight left.

A Saturday on DeNormandie's woods roads does a dog good, and the rest of the week still needs filling. Our at-home walks start at your door and last 20, 30 or 60 minutes, at $25, $35 and $55, always solo, with a photo and a short note after each one. Packs of 30 suit a daily routine: $637 for 20-minute walks, $892 for 30 and $1,402 for 60. Ask us whether we cover your address in the season you need.

Gloucester and Manchester-by-the-Sea are both Pup Van towns, so a daycare day at 210 Eastern Ave, $42 full or $33 half, can include pick-up and drop-off at $10 each way. Walks and daycare both begin with the free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and a current town license; Manchester licenses run from April 1 to March 31.