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Old Town Hill
Old Town Hill with your dog: leash rules, trails and parking
Old Town Hill is a 168-foot coastal hill above the Great Marsh, with a three-mile trail network through fields, woods and salt marsh and along a tidal river. It is one of four Trustees properties on the North Shore listed for off-leash dog walking, and the calendar decides when that applies. Here is the rule as The Trustees publish it, checked in fall 2026.
The rule
A leash from April 1 to August 15; off leash, under control, from August 16 in limited areas
The Old Town Hill page sets two seasons. From April 1 to August 15, dogs must be on a leash. For the rest of the year they may be off leash, but under control. The Trustees' guidelines for dog walkers give the same window, August 16 to March 31, and add that off-leash walking is limited to certain areas. Grassland nesting habitat is excluded from off-leash use from April 1 to August 15 across Trustees land, which explains the spring and summer leash.
One rule does not change with the calendar: dog walkers must always avoid the highly sensitive salt marsh and grassland habitats. Off leash in the fall therefore means a dog that stays on the trail and comes back the first time you call, not a dog that runs the marsh edge after birds. If your dog's recall fails around wildlife, the guidelines' own advice applies: off-leash walkers who cannot keep to them should use a leash.
- April 1 to August 15: leash required
- August 16 to March 31: off leash under control, in limited areas
- All year: keep out of salt marsh and grassland habitat
- Recall unreliable around birds? Keep the leash on
The walks
A three-mile network over a 168-foot hill, with the Great Marsh below
The reservation covers 531 acres of tidal river, salt marsh, open fields and woodland, tied together by a three-mile network of trails and paths. The hill itself is 168 feet, and from the top The Trustees describe panoramic views over the Great Marsh and out to New Hampshire's Isles of Shoals. The Ridge Trail adds views to the south, east and north, and The Trustees suggest allowing at least an hour and a half.
For a dog, the fields and the ridge are the open ground and the woods the shade. Keep the marsh edges for looking, not walking, and expect to pass The Trustees' salt marsh restoration work, a project to repair damaged marsh and help it keep pace with sea level rise. A dog that is off leash in the fall should be called in before the trail nears the marsh, and clipped on again if birds are working the edge.
Parking
A 10-car lot on Newman Road, off Route 1A, free from sunrise to sunset
Turn off Route 1A onto Newman Road and the parking area, with room for about 10 cars, is on the left; trailheads are along Newman Road. Entry is free and the reservation is open daily from sunrise to sunset. With a lot that small, a weekday or an early start is the easier way in, and if it is full, come back later rather than leaving the car on the roadside.
The Trustees exclude entrances and parking areas from off-leash use on all their land, so even in the off-leash months your dog leaves the car on a leash and returns on one. Do the same at each trailhead along Newman Road. A dog that learns the leash goes on at every gate and car door is also easier to manage in spring, when the leash season returns on April 1.
- 01
Check the date, because the leash season runs to August 15
- 02
Park in the Newman Road lot and leash up in the lot
- 03
Walk the Ridge Trail on leash until your dog settles
- 04
Unclip only from August 16, only where allowed, only with a solid recall
- 05
Call your dog in well before the trail meets the marsh
- 06
Leash on again for the walk back, then check for ticks
Season
The off-leash months overlap with hunting, and ticks overlap with both
Hunting runs on two tracks here. On the portions under a MassWildlife conservation easement, hunting is permitted subject to state and town laws, and a Town of Newbury bylaw requires written permission. On other portions, The Trustees run a limited bow-hunting program for deer from the first Monday in October through December. There is no hunting on Sundays. The months a dog may be off leash at Old Town Hill, from August 16, therefore include the whole hunting window.
During that window, a dog working the woods out of sight is the wrong picture. Keep it close and in view, use the leash in the wooded sections if your recall is not instant, choose Sundays if you can, and dress yourself and the dog in bright colors as a precaution. Ticks complete the list: the CDC says they live in grassy, brushy and wooded areas, are most active April to September, and can be met in any month.
- Hunting on easement land with written permission
- Bow season for deer: first Monday in October through December
- No hunting on Sundays
- Ticks most active April to September
From Newbury
Newbury is outside the Pup Van towns; Route 1A and Route 133 lead to Gloucester
Newbury is outside the four Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up. If you drive, Route 1A south toward Ipswich and Route 133 east through Essex bring you to Route 128, and 128 runs to its end in Gloucester, where Eastern Avenue leads to number 210. At that distance a full day makes more sense than a half: $42 for a full day of daycare, or $38 a day on the 10-pack.
A dog that comes home from Old Town Hill with a fall off-leash habit and a spring leash it resents can work on both at Dogtown Academy, $89 a full day, which includes a training session with our trainer every day. Training sessions start from $94. Every Academy and daycare dog starts with the free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, and our Newbury page covers the license and the drive.
At Dogtown
For every season
Off-leash play in matched groups all year, Academy days with a trainer, and a bath after the marsh.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
When can my dog be off leash at Old Town Hill?
Why do dogs have to stay out of the marsh at Old Town Hill?
Is there hunting at Old Town Hill?
Where do I park for Old Town Hill?
How long is the walk at Old Town Hill?
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.
Keep reading
Next step
Off leash in the fall, in a playgroup all year.
Book the free weekday-morning evaluation, and your Newbury dog can play off leash in a matched group at 210 Eastern Ave in every season.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
