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Strawberry Hill

Strawberry Hill in Ipswich with your dog: two island trails off Jeffery's Neck

Strawberry Hill is town land on Jeffery's Neck, with two gentle trails out to marsh islands and a view over the Eagle Hill River marshes. Its lot is one of the smallest in Ipswich. Here is the rule, both trails, the causeway, the neighbors and what the marsh does to a dog.

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Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · rules checked for fall 2026

The rule

Leashed at all times, waste picked up, and no hunting on this town land

The Town of Ipswich lists Strawberry Hill among its open space properties, under the town-wide rule for them: dogs are welcome on town-owned trails but must be leashed at all times, and dog waste must be picked up and disposed of. The town's open space regulations repeat it as no dogs off-leash, and add that these public areas are subject to the town's leash and dog waste bylaws. Those bylaws set the leash at six feet or less and require you to carry a means of pickup.

The same regulations name Strawberry Hill, 91 acres at 56 Jeffreys Neck Road just before Ocean Drive, among the properties open to the public only between sunrise and sunset, and they prohibit hunting and disturbing wildlife there. That makes fall different here from Greenwood Farm on the same road, where The Trustees allow bow hunting Monday to Saturday from the first Monday in October through December. The regulations also bar fires, alcohol, overnight camping and cutting vegetation.

  • Leashed at all times; six feet or less under the bylaw
  • Pick up the waste and dispose of it properly
  • Open from sunrise to sunset only
  • Hunting and disturbing wildlife prohibited

Two trails

Bakers Island to the left, Smith Island to the right, after the bench under the tree

From the parking area, the trail passes through grassland bird habitat before it splits at the first bench, under a tree. The half-mile Bakers Island Trail goes left, crosses a private driveway and passes along the marsh to a bench with a view over the Eagle Hill River marshes. The three-quarter-mile Smith Island Trail goes right, following the main trail from the bench across a causeway to grassy Smith Island and another bench.

The town calls both trails gentle, which suits most dogs, including seniors that manage well on level ground. The grassland stretch near the lot is the place for a short leash in nesting season: the town's Good Dogs leaflet notes that dogs can flush birds from nests and leave eggs and nestlings exposed to the weather and to predators. Between them, the two trails give you more than a mile of walking in one visit.

The causeway

Boots for the Smith Island causeway, and a look at the tide before you go

The town's one warning for Strawberry Hill is about footing: boots are highly encouraged at this property, especially for the causeway out to Smith Island. The page does not say how often the causeway is wet, or at what tide. What is certain is the setting. The trail crosses salt marsh, and NOAA describes salt marshes as coastal wetlands flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides, often over deep, spongy mud and peat.

So plan the Smith Island leg with a tide table, wear the boots, and keep your dog close on the causeway, where one sidestep puts four paws in marsh mud. If the causeway looks flooded when you reach it, turn around and take the Bakers Island Trail instead. A towel in the car and a bottle of fresh water for rinsing make the drive home easier for everyone.

  1. 01

    Check a tide table for Ipswich and the forecast

  2. 02

    Pull into the six-car lot at 56 Jeffery's Neck Road, or come back another day if it is full

  3. 03

    Put on boots, clip on a six-foot leash and walk the grassland stretch slowly

  4. 04

    At the bench under the tree, go right for Smith Island or left for Bakers Island

  5. 05

    Cross the causeway with your dog close at your side

  6. 06

    Bag the waste, carry it out and rinse the mud off before it dries

Parking and neighbors

Six cars, a private driveway and close neighbors: visit quietly

The lot holds six cars, and the town asks visitors to be respectful of the neighbors' private property, so park only in the lot. If it is full, Greenwood Farm, a Trustees reservation at 47 Jeffrey's Neck Road on the same road, takes dogs on a leash at all times and has a lot for 10 cars a quarter mile down its driveway. It has its own page on this site.

The Bakers Island Trail crosses a private driveway, so shorten the leash there and keep walking; a dog that stops to investigate someone's front path is the fastest way to wear out a welcome. Keep barking down near the houses as well. The town's open space regulations prohibit conduct that disturbs the tranquility of a property or other people's enjoyment of it, and a neighborhood trail depends on that kind of goodwill.

  • Six-car lot: park only there
  • A private driveway on the Bakers Island Trail
  • Respect the neighbors' private property
  • If the lot is full: Greenwood Farm, leashed, 10-car lot

After the marsh

Marsh mud and a Gloucester bath and brush

Marsh mud is fine, salty and slow to brush out once it dries. At Dogtown, 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester, a bath and brush is $55 for a dog up to 25 pounds, $65 to 50 pounds, $75 to 90 pounds, $85 above that and $95 for an extra-large long-haired dog, and a full-service groom with a haircut runs $75 to $120. Grooming skips the evaluation, so you can book straight in, online or through the Dogtown app.

Ipswich is outside the Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up or drive Route 133 east through Essex. If the causeway shows you a dog that will not walk calmly beside you, private training sessions start from $94, built on fear- and force-free methods. We do not take dogs to Strawberry Hill; the island trails are a walk for you and your dog.

At Dogtown

From the causeway to the grooming table

Baths and full grooms by size at 210 Eastern Ave, with no evaluation, and daycare days in matched playgroups.

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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 Strawberry Hill in Ipswich?
Yes, leashed at all times. Strawberry Hill is town-owned open space, and Ipswich welcomes dogs on its open space trails as long as they are leashed and their waste is picked up and disposed of. The town's leash bylaw caps the leash at six feet, and the property is open from sunrise to sunset.
Which trail at Strawberry Hill should I take with my dog?
Both are gentle. The half-mile Bakers Island Trail runs along the marsh to a bench looking over the Eagle Hill River marshes, and it crosses a private driveway. The three-quarter-mile Smith Island Trail crosses a causeway, where the town highly encourages boots, to a bench on grassy Smith Island. Choose by the tide and your footwear.
Where do I park for Strawberry Hill?
In the town's six-car lot at 56 Jeffery's Neck Road, just before Ocean Drive. The town asks visitors to respect the neighbors' private property, so do not park outside the lot. If it is full, Greenwood Farm on the same road has a 10-car lot and allows dogs on a leash at all times.
Is there hunting at Strawberry Hill?
No. The town's open space regulations prohibit hunting and disturbing wildlife on Strawberry Hill and the other town properties they list. That makes it a calmer fall walk than Greenwood Farm nearby, where The Trustees allow bow hunting from the first Monday in October through December, every day except Sunday.
Do I really need boots at Strawberry Hill?
The town highly encourages them, especially for the causeway out to Smith Island. Its page gives no detail on when the causeway is wet, so check the tide before you go and expect marsh mud either way. Keep your dog on a short leash on the causeway, and bring a towel for the car.

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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