Dogs at Rye, NH beaches: state parks, town beaches and the exception zone

NH State Parks answers the dog question on each park's own page. At Odiorne Point State Park, 570 Ocean Boulevard in Rye, and at North Hampton State Beach, 27 Ocean Boulevard in North Hampton, pets are not permitted, and the state's Visiting with your pets page lists both among the parks where pets are prohibited year-round. At Jenness State Beach, Wallis Sands State Park and Rye Harbor State Park, pets are not permitted in season, and leashed pets are allowed from October 1 to April 30.

The statewide rules ride along on every visit. Animals must be on a standard or retractable leash no longer than 6 feet, owners must clean up the waste and bin it or take it off-site, and an animal must never be left unattended, including in a vehicle. Service animals are permitted under the ADA. The Wallis Sands page adds a reminder to check the signs at the park, and each of these pages warns that off-season the parks are typically unstaffed, with comfort stations unavailable and gates possibly closed.

On Ocean Boulevard the state parks and town beaches sit side by side, and the dog rule flips at each boundary. Rye's ordinance names its beach areas: Wallis Road Extension between Wallis Sands State Park and Concord Point, Foss Beach reaching to Rye Harbor State Park, Cable Road Extension up to Jenness, Brown Cottages and Sawyers south of Jenness, Philbrick's, Farragut, Bass Beach running to the North Hampton town line, and the Seavey Bridge landing west of Odiorne. A summer evening is legal on those, and not on the state park sand next door.

Parking follows the managers too. Jenness has metered parking for 67 cars at 2280 Ocean Boulevard, with meters running 8 AM to midnight until October 31, and North Hampton State Beach meters keep the same hours to the same date; Rye Harbor's meters also end October 31. Wallis Sands lists a day-use fee of $15 per passenger vehicle, a lot for 500 cars and reservations up to 30 days ahead. Odiorne charges $4 for adults 12 and over, separate from the Seacoast Science Center's admission, but that is a day without the dog.

The beach walk on the Rye shore is yours to plan; the cleanup afterwards is where we come in. A bath and brush at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester is a warm wash, a full dry and a brush-out, from $55 for a dog up to 25 pounds to $95 for an extra-large long coat, with nail clipping at $16 for nails the rocks have roughened. Grooming skips the evaluation entirely, so you can book the bath online or through the Dogtown app.

Rye is outside the Pup Van towns, so plan the bath for a day you are already heading to Cape Ann. Daycare, overnight stays and walks need a free evaluation first, on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, with Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records and the current license from your dog's home town. The next stretch of shore south has its own page on Hampton Beach, and back in Gloucester, Good Harbor and Wingaersheek open to dogs on October 1, on even and odd days.