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Salem parks

Dogs at Salem beaches and parks: Willows, Forest River and the rules

Salem's waterfront parks sit close together on Salem Neck and along the harbor, but they do not share one dog rule. The city ordinance covers all of them, Winter Island publishes a beach season of its own, and the only off-leash ground is a fenced park on the North River. Here is each place in turn, as the city's pages read in October 2026.

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People walk several leashed dogs, including a beagle, along a paved riverside path below a city bridge.

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

The rule

A leash everywhere off your property, with the code's $50 fine for beaches and parks

Section 8-35 of Salem's code says no dog may be at large anywhere in the city except on its owner's premises, or on someone else's with their knowledge and consent; everywhere else it must be controlled and restrained by a leash of appropriate length. The code singles out a dog at large on a public beach, park, mall or market area for a $50 fine, for a first or any later offense, and adds a $25 surcharge if the fine is not paid within 21 days.

The animal control officer may also take a loose dog into custody and impound it at a licensed kennel, with the owner paying any boarding charges before the dog is released. Section 8-36 requires owners to pick up after a dog in any park or public area and to carry the means to do it. The ordinance and park rules we read set no citywide summer ban on dogs at the Salem Willows or Forest River Park, so on those grounds the leash is the rule that matters.

  • Leash of appropriate length everywhere off your own property
  • $50 for a dog at large on a beach, park, mall or market area
  • $25 surcharge if the fine is unpaid after 21 days
  • Carry bags and pick up in every park and public area

Winter Island

Winter Island keeps pets off its beaches from May 15 through September 30

Winter Island Park publishes its pet rule on its camping policies page, and the wording covers the park's beaches without limiting the rule to campers. The city's leash law is strictly enforced there, pets are not allowed on the beaches between May 15 and September 30, and pets must be leashed, attended and not disruptive at all times, with waste put in the barrels. That closing date runs two weeks past the September 15 used on the Plum Island town beaches and at Nahant Beach.

The park occupies the southern third of Winter Island, a peninsula of about 54 acres at the mouth of Salem Harbor, at 50 Winter Island Road. Its beaches include Waikiki Beach, and the grounds hold historic Fort Pickering and its lighthouse. Parking without a city recreation sticker costs $15 on weekdays and $25 on weekends and holidays, and the park gate closes at 9 PM, reopening at 7 AM on weekdays and 6 AM on weekends and holidays.

  • Winter Island beaches: no pets May 15 through September 30
  • Pets leashed, attended and not disruptive all year
  • Day parking: $15 weekdays, $25 weekends and holidays, free with a sticker
  • Gate closed 9 PM to 7 AM weekdays, 6 AM weekends

Willows and Forest River

Salem Willows and Forest River Park: leashed walks, sunset closings and a parking sticker

The Salem Willows is a park of almost 25 acres at 165 Fort Avenue on Salem Neck, established in 1888 and facing Beverly Harbor and the Danvers River, with Willows Beach at its edge. The city's park rules close parks at sunset, but the Willows stays open until 11:30 PM from Memorial Day, May 30, to October 1. The city has used the Willows for summer concerts, movie nights and festivals, so a summer evening there can be a lot for a nervous dog.

Forest River Park, at 32 Clifton Avenue, has rolling hills, picnic areas, two beaches, a playground, Pioneer Village and a city pool with a splash pad, and its sheltered cove holds osprey nests. A city recreation sticker, $25 a year per car for residents and $150 for non-residents, covers entry to Forest River, Winter Island, McCabe Park and Kernwood Marina, and designated parking at the Willows. Bring a leash and bags, and keep the dog away from the playground and the nests.

  1. 01

    Pick the park, and check Winter Island's May 15 to September 30 beach rule if you choose it

  2. 02

    Check the time: most parks close at sunset, the Willows later in summer

  3. 03

    Sort out parking: a city sticker, or the day fee at Winter Island

  4. 04

    Leash on before the dog leaves the car, and carry bags

  5. 05

    Stay clear of playgrounds, picnic tables and nesting birds

  6. 06

    Rinse and check for ticks at home, especially after the hills at Forest River

Off leash

Off leash in Salem means the fenced park at Leslie's Retreat

Salem's only off-leash ground is the dog park at Leslie's Retreat Park on the North River, off Route 114 and North Street, built by the nonprofit Salem Play Areas for Canine Exercise. Chapter 26 of the code sets its rules: dogs six months or older, spayed or neutered, with a municipal license and current vaccination tag, and an annual park tag. Dogs may go leash-free once inside the second gate, under voice control.

The park tag costs $25 per dog a year and runs April 1 to March 31; the city's Recreation department issues it against proof of license, vaccination and spay or neuter, plus a signed waiver. A guardian must be 18 or older and may supervise no more than three dogs, and breaking a park rule costs $25, then $50, with the pass open to revocation. For a dog still learning to play politely with strangers, that much freedom can be a lot to handle.

  • Leslie's Retreat Park, off Route 114 and North Street
  • Park tag: $25 per dog, valid April 1 to March 31
  • Spayed or neutered, licensed, vaccinated, six months or older
  • Fines: $25, then $50, and the pass can be revoked
Two small dogs sitting side by side on the blue play platform in the shade of the Dogtown yard in Gloucester

How Dogtown fits

When Winter Island's beaches close, a Gloucester playgroup fills the gap

For a Salem dog that loses its Winter Island beach from May 15, or that is not ready for an open dog park, a daycare day gives exercise with structure. At Dogtown, 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, our handlers run playgroups of 7 to 10 dogs matched by size and temperament, at $42 for a full day or $33 for a half day, on indoor floors and a turf yard with pools and platforms.

Salem is outside the four Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up; our Salem page has the drive and the Salem license details. Every daycare dog starts with a free weekday evaluation between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, with a current license and Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records. A muddy dog from Forest River can come in for a bath from $55 without one.

At Dogtown

For Salem dogs between beach seasons

Matched playgroups in Gloucester, and a bath without an evaluation after a muddy walk by the harbor.

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

Every price on one page

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 Salem Willows?
Yes, on a leash. The city ordinance requires a leash of appropriate length anywhere off your own property and fines a dog at large in a park $50, and the city pages we read set no separate summer ban for the Willows. The park closes at sunset most of the year and at 11:30 PM from Memorial Day to October 1.
Can dogs go on the beach at Winter Island?
Not from May 15 through September 30, when Winter Island's published policy keeps pets off its beaches. The rest of the year a dog may be there on a leash, attended and not disruptive, with waste put in the barrels. Day parking is $15 on weekdays and $25 on weekends and holidays without a city sticker.
Where can my dog run off leash in Salem?
Only at the fenced dog park at Leslie's Retreat Park, off Route 114 and North Street, with an annual park tag. The tag costs $25 per dog in person, and dogs must be at least six months old, spayed or neutered, licensed and vaccinated. Everywhere else the leash ordinance applies.
What is the fine for a loose dog on a Salem beach?
Salem's code sets $50 for a dog at large on a public beach, park, mall or market area, for a first or any later offense, plus a $25 surcharge if the fine is not paid within 21 days. A dog with four or more violations can be reported as a nuisance under state law.
Does the Pup Van come to Salem?
Salem is outside the Pup Van towns, where the $10 each-way rate applies only in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. Ask us about pick-up for your street. Daycare, overnight stays and grooming at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester are open to Salem dogs after the free evaluation, and grooming needs none.

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

Dogtown for Salem dog ownersSalem dog licenseDogs on Marblehead beachesDogs at Nahant Beach and Lynn Shore Cape Ann dogs All guides

Next step

Winter Island's beach is closed? Ours is a play yard.

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