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Maudslay, DCR

Maudslay State Park with your dog: leash rules, trails and parking

Maudslay is an old estate on the Merrimack, with gardens, meadows, pines and some of the largest natural stands of mountain laurel in the state, and DCR has kept it a leashed park. This page covers the rule, the walks DCR itself suggests, the year-round parking fee, and the few hazards worth planning for.

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A Jack Russell Terrier in a harness trots on leash beside a walker along a leaf-covered path.

Last reviewed October 9, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · rules checked for fall 2026

The rule

Dogs are welcome on a leash, and DCR caps that leash at ten feet

DCR marks Maudslay as a park where dogs are allowed, and its list of restrictions includes one line about them: dogs must remain on-leash. Maudslay does not appear on DCR's short statewide list of properties with off-leash areas, so there is no field or trail in the park where the leash can come off. DCR's own hiking tips for the park repeat the point: always keep your dog leashed, with a ten-foot maximum, and always pick up after it.

DCR's statewide dog guide fills in the rest. A walker may bring no more than four dogs at a time without a permit, the collar should carry current license and rabies tags, dogs stay leashed in parking areas, and a dog should not approach other people or dogs uninvited. Visitors who ignore the rules may be evicted or fined, and DCR does not publish a fine amount. Questions go to the park at (978) 465-7223.

  • Leash on everywhere in the park, ten feet at most
  • No off-leash area at Maudslay
  • Four dogs per walker without a permit
  • License and rabies tags on the collar

The trails

The Merrimack River Trail and the Pasture Trail loops suit most dogs

DCR publishes suggested routes, and two of them work well on a leash. The introductory walk, one to two miles and rated easy, heads out the Pasture Trail; turn right over the three-arch stone bridge into pines and mountain laurel, or left onto the Long Border Trail through the estate's old gardens. The signature hike is the Merrimack River Trail, about two miles and rated moderate, with a view of the river from the Helen Moseley site.

Horses share much of the park. DCR describes more than five miles of maintained bridle paths and says horses are welcome on most trails to the east, so a dog that reacts to horses needs a short leash and a step off the path when riders pass. Bikes and mountain bikes use the trails too. DCR puts the average hiking pace at 1.5 miles an hour, which makes the two-mile river loop about 80 minutes before any sniffing stops.

  1. 01

    Park in the main lot on Curzon Mill Road and pay the day fee

  2. 02

    Walk in along Hedge Drive from the park gate

  3. 03

    Stop at the scenic vista at the Helen Moseley site

  4. 04

    Turn right onto the Merrimack River Trail along the river

  5. 05

    Circle Castle Hill

  6. 06

    Return by the Main Road and the Pasture Trail to the lot

Parking and season

A day fee every day of the year, sunrise-to-sunset hours and no hunting season to plan around

DCR charges daily parking at Maudslay all year, not just in summer: $5 for a car with Massachusetts plates and $20 for one without, with residency read from the plate. Day passes are sold through Yodel Pass, and DCR's annual parking pass and lifetime senior pass for Massachusetts residents cover the fee. The park is open sunrise to sunset, the restrooms and picnic areas were listed as open at the time of writing, and the visitor center is on site.

Maudslay's restrictions include no hunting, so a fall walk here does not share the woods with a deer season. Late spring brings the bloom DCR describes, flowering trees and then rhododendrons and azaleas, and summer brings educational programs. DCR's park pages we read in October 2026 listed no seasonal trail closure; it posts closures on its park alerts page.

  • Parking: $5 Massachusetts plate, $20 other plates, all year
  • Hours: sunrise to sunset
  • No hunting and no swimming in the park
  • Closures: check DCR's park alerts page before you go

Hazards

Ticks, the river and no drinking water: what to pack for a Maudslay walk

Swimming is on DCR's list of restrictions at Maudslay, and the page makes no exception for dogs, so keep yours out of the Merrimack and on its leash along the bank. DCR warns that drinking water may not be available on site, so carry enough for you and the dog. Stay on the blazed trails, which DCR asks of every visitor, and carry out everything you bring, including the waste bags.

Ticks are the other constant. On the North Shore they are active from April to November, and a walk through meadow grass and laurel thickets is exactly where a dog picks them up. Check ears, armpits, the groin and between the toes before the car, and again that evening. If the leash itself is the struggle on a walk this long, that is a skill to build before the next visit rather than a reason to stay home.

  • Water for you and the dog; the park may have none
  • Out of the river: swimming is not allowed
  • Short leash when horses or bikes pass
  • Tick check before the car and again at home
A Dogtown walker leading a black doodle on a loose leash across a lawn

How Dogtown fits

Leash skills, a bath and the drive back from Newburyport to Eastern Ave

Sixteen miles of leashed trail reward a dog that walks politely. Our trainers at Dogtown work on leash skills with fear- and force-free, positive reinforcement methods: Bright Beginnings, for dogs from four months, covers leash skills and recall, Calm & Connected takes on minor leash reactivity in adolescents, rescues and adults, and private sessions start from $94. The free evaluation for daycare runs on weekday mornings between 6:30 and 9:30 AM at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester.

A muddy spring walk ends well with a bath: $55 to $95 by size at Dogtown, no evaluation needed, with nail clipping for $16. Newburyport is outside the four Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up; our Newburyport page has the drive. For the weeks you cannot get out to the trails, a daycare day in a matched playgroup costs $42.

At Dogtown

Before and after a Maudslay walk

A bath priced by size after a muddy loop, and daycare days in Gloucester for the weeks the trails are out of reach.

Groomer blow-drying a red goldendoodle in front of the Dogtown Grooming sign Dog GroomingFrom $55 · Explore Husky standing on the turf play yard at Dogtown, looking at the camera Dog DaycareFrom $33 · Explore

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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

Are dogs allowed at Maudslay State Park?
Yes, on a leash. DCR lists Maudslay as a park that allows dogs, with the restriction that they must remain on-leash, and its statewide rules set a ten-foot maximum. Bring no more than four dogs per person, keep license and rabies tags on the collar, and pick up after the dog.
Can dogs be off leash at Maudslay State Park?
No. Maudslay is not on DCR's list of properties with off-leash areas, and the park's own restrictions say dogs must remain on-leash. In the North Region, DCR's off-leash list includes Harold Parker State Forest and Breakheart Reservation's Bark Place, among others. At Maudslay, keep the leash on from the lot to the river.
How much does it cost to park at Maudslay State Park?
DCR charges a daily parking fee all year: $5 for a car with Massachusetts plates and $20 for one without, at the time of writing. Day passes are sold through Yodel Pass, and DCR's annual parking pass covers the fee. The park is open from sunrise to sunset.
Can my dog swim in the Merrimack at Maudslay?
DCR lists no swimming among Maudslay's restrictions and makes no exception for dogs, so keep yours out of the river and on its leash along the bank. Bring drinking water from home, since DCR warns there may be none on site. If you are unsure, ask the park at (978) 465-7223.
Are any Maudslay trails closed in winter?
DCR's Maudslay pages that we read in October 2026 listed no seasonal trail closure. DCR posts park and facility closures on its park alerts page, so check it on the morning of a visit. The park is open sunrise to sunset all year, and the parking fee applies in every season.

More questions? Read the full FAQ

Sources

Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.

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