Long Hill in Beverly with your dog: the Sedgwick Gardens on a leash

The Trustees' Long Hill page gives two dog rules and no exceptions: dogs are welcome on leash only, and dog waste should be disposed of properly off the property. Do not count on bins; pack bags and a lidded pouch for the full ones. On-leash dog walking sits in the page's list of allowed activities next to hiking and visiting the gardens, while mountain biking, horseback riding, fires, camping and motorized vehicles are all prohibited, which keeps the paths quieter than most.

The Trustees also publish guidelines for dog walkers across all their land, and those name Resource Protection Areas closed to dogs: working farms and gardens, children's play areas, historic buildings and museums, and highly sensitive horticultural resources. The Long Hill page itself sets no garden ban, but the property has a children's garden, a greenhouse and garden production spaces, so look for signs at each and keep out of any space marked closed to dogs. When in doubt, ask the staff at the house.

The Trustees' April 2023 map names six trails. The Main Loop Trail is the long one at 1.2 miles, swinging through the woods beyond the house. The South Slope Trail adds 0.3 mile south of the gardens, the Witchhazel Trail and the Garden-to-Garden Trail 0.2 mile each, and the Vernal Pool Trail and the Tupelo Trail 0.1 mile each. Stitch several together and an energetic dog gets a proper woodland walk; take the Garden-to-Garden Trail alone and a puppy gets a short, interesting one.

You drive in from Essex Street, Route 22, past the gatehouse, and leave by a separate exit onto the same road. The Trustees send House and Gardens visitors up the driveway on the left to a lot with room for about 50 cars, and offer a second lot by the Horticultural Learning Campus, to the right and behind the yellow farmhouse. Accessible restrooms are in the old carriage house at the top of the drive. The gardens and grounds are free; guided house tours cost extra.

A Long Hill walk ends tidier than a swamp loop, but the Main Loop in wet weather still sends a dog home with muddy legs and leaf bits in the coat. Our bath and brush washes, dries and brushes out the coat, priced by size: $55 up to 25 pounds, $65 up to 50, $75 up to 90, $85 over 90 and $95 for an extra-large long coat. Add a nail clipping for $16 or a face trim for $10. Grooming needs no evaluation, so you can book it online or in the Dogtown app.

From Long Hill, Essex Street runs south to Route 128, and 128 runs north to its end in Gloucester, a short way from our door on Eastern Ave. Beverly is outside the Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up or bring the dog in yourself. A groom can also be added to a daycare day for a dog that has done its free evaluation, so the bath fits into its day with us. The garden walk is yours to enjoy; we take care of the cleanup afterward.