North Andover Town Forest with your dog: 159 acres off Dale Street

The parcel the town lists as Town Farm / Town Forest falls under North Andover's open space rules, a two-page sheet in force since September 2007. For a dog owner it comes down to three requirements: a leash for every minute you are on the land, a dog that stays on the trail rather than in the undergrowth, and waste bagged and disposed of properly. The sheet gives its reason in the same sentence, so that dogs do not disturb wildlife or damage vegetation.

The land opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. Fires, alcohol and motorized vehicles are prohibited on town property, and nobody may camp, stay overnight, or run a commercial or special activity or event there without written permission from the Conservation Commission. If you walk dogs for a living, ask the Conservation Department at 978-688-9530 before you bring a paid group. Everyone else just needs the leash, the bags and daylight.

The Town Forest trail ends at South Bradford Street, and across the road lies Essex County Greenbelt's Farnsworth Reservation, 212 acres with 2.7 miles of easy trail. Greenbelt's 2022 map shows the Town Forest on Farnsworth's western edge, and its property page describes Farnsworth as a link between the Town Farm forest and Harold Parker State Forest. Joining the two turns a short out-and-back into a proper outing, with a boardwalk and Purgatory Swamp in the middle.

The rules shift as you cross. On town land the leash is required at all times. On Greenbelt land the guidance is to carry a leash and use it where required, follow the posted rules, keep the dog under control and bag the waste, so keeping the leash on for the whole walk meets both. Farnsworth's parking is on the road shoulder, which makes the Dale Street lot the easier place to start a combined walk.

A level woodland lane is a gentle walk, but red pine needles and leaf litter still work their way into a long coat. A bath and brush at Dogtown runs from $55 for a dog up to 25 pounds to $95 for an extra-large long-haired dog, with the final price set at check-in after our groomers look at the coat. Shed Release, at $10, helps a double-coated dog that is dropping undercoat in the fall. Grooming needs no evaluation, so you can book straight away.

The Town Forest is about 50 minutes from 210 Eastern Ave outside rush hour, by our estimate, by Route 114 to Route 128, and North Andover is outside the Pup Van towns. A groom fits best on a day you are already heading to Cape Ann, or alongside a daycare day for a dog that has passed its free evaluation. We do not take dogs to the Town Forest; your dog walks it with you, and we handle the coat afterward.