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Ward Reservation

Ward Reservation with your dog: leash rules, trails and parking

Ward is a large Trustees reservation in the Merrimack Valley, built around Holt Hill and a quaking bog. The dog policy is a single line, but the parking, the hunting season and the boardwalk each add something to plan for. Everything below comes from The Trustees' own pages, checked in fall 2026, and we say plainly where those pages are silent.

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A Rottweiler in a yellow vest walks on a leash beside a person in a blue raincoat on wet grass.

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

The rule

Leashed on every trail, because Ward is not on the Trustees' off-leash list

The Ward Reservation page says it in one line: dog walking is allowed on-leash. The Trustees' guidelines for dog walkers explain why there is no exception. Most Trustees trails require a leash, and dogs may run free only on trails the organization designates for off-leash walking. Its list of those properties includes Ravenswood Park in Gloucester and the Appleton Farms Grass Rides in Hamilton, each with conditions, but not Ward. Here the leash stays on from the lot to the summit and back.

The guidelines add rules that hold on every Trustees property. Dogs may not chase or harass animals and wildlife or disturb and destroy vegetation, and waste goes in a bag and leaves with you unless a receptacle is provided. Dogs are barred from what the Trustees call Resource Protection Areas, which include working farms and gardens, coastal dunes, children's play areas and historic buildings. Service animals fall under the ADA, which requires the handler to keep the animal under control at all times.

  • Dogs on a leash everywhere at Ward
  • No chasing wildlife and no trampling plants
  • Bag the waste and carry it out
  • Resource Protection Areas are closed to dogs on all Trustees land

The walks

Holt Hill is the climb, and the Pine Hole Bog boardwalk is the short, careful walk

Holt Hill rises to 420 feet, the highest point in Essex County according to The Trustees, and the Solstice Stones on the summit mark the sunset on the longest and shortest days of the year. The reservation's trails, almost 15 miles of them, are rated easy to moderate and strenuous in places. A fit adult dog on a loose leash usually takes the climb in stride; a puppy or an older dog does better on a shorter loop with a rest at the top.

Pine Hole Bog is a different walk. A short way from the parking lot, near Pine Hole Pond, a boardwalk crosses a quaking bog made of concentric rings of floating vegetation, with orchids, insect-eating pitcher plants and numbered stations along the way. An accessible trail of about a quarter mile out and back ends at a floating dock and a viewing platform. The Trustees publish no separate dog rule for the boardwalk, so the property-wide leash rule applies there too.

On a narrow boardwalk, shorten the leash so your dog walks at your side, and keep it on the boards and off the bog, which the guidelines' vegetation rule protects. Let people coming the other way pass at a wide spot. A dog that pulls toward water may find the floating dock exciting, so keep it behind you there, and save the boardwalk for a calm moment rather than the first five minutes out of the car.

  1. 01

    Walk a few minutes on a wider trail first so your dog settles

  2. 02

    Shorten the leash at the start of the boardwalk

  3. 03

    Keep your dog on the boards and off the floating vegetation

  4. 04

    Pause at a wide spot to let other visitors pass

  5. 05

    Turn around at the dock and viewing platform

Parking

Members park free at 65 Prospect Road; nonmembers pay at the kiosk

The entrance and parking lot are at 65 Prospect Road in Andover, and The Trustees give directions from I-93 Exit 35 and I-495 Exit 100A; accessible parking is available. Members park free and nonmembers pay a parking fee. The Trustees' parking page says nonmembers pay a small fee per car at a pay station, by credit card or member code, and leave the receipt on the dashboard. Neither page states the amount, so bring a card and read the kiosk.

The reservation is open daily from 7 AM to sunset, a later start than the sunrise opening at Greenwood Farm or Old Town Hill. The entry kiosk carries a map of the property, which helps on a 15-mile trail system where one wrong fork adds real distance for a dog. Questions about access or hunting go to The Trustees, who list info@thetrustees.org on the Ward page.

  • 65 Prospect Road, Andover; open 7 AM to sunset
  • Members park free; nonmembers pay at the kiosk by card
  • The fee amount is not published, so check the pay station

Season

October to December brings bow season and tick season together

The Trustees authorize seasonal bow hunting at Ward for a limited number of hunters with written permission, from the first Monday in October through December, Monday through Saturday. Hunting is not allowed on Sundays. If you walk a dog here in late fall, Sunday is the day with no hunters in the woods, and on other days staying on marked trails with your dog close is the sensible plan. Many owners add a bright vest for the dog and themselves; that is a choice, not a Trustees rule.

Ticks overlap with the start of that season. The CDC places ticks in grassy, brushy and wooded areas, most active from April to September, with exposure possible in any month, and Holt Hill's fields and woods are both. Check your dog's ears, armpits and toes before the drive home, and ask your veterinarian about prevention. If you hear of a closure, The Trustees' page for Ward is the place to confirm it.

From Andover

From Andover, Dogtown is a long drive, so full days and overnight stays make the most sense

Andover and North Andover are outside the four Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up. At that distance a half day rarely pays for the drive. A full day of daycare is $42, or $38 a day on the $380 10-pack, and an overnight suite is $78 a night with playgroups by day and monitoring around the clock. Every new dog starts with a free evaluation on a weekday between 6:30 and 9:30 AM, with vaccine records and a current town license on file.

Loose-leash walking past hikers and other dogs is a skill our trainers work on at Dogtown Academy, where every day includes a training session with our trainer, at $89 a full day. Training sessions on their own start from $94, with programs matched to the dog after a short assessment. Our Andover page covers the drive, the license and the paperwork in more detail.

At Dogtown

Full days and overnight stays

Full-day playgroups, overnight suites at $78 a night, and Academy days with a trainer for leash manners.

Husky standing on the turf play yard at Dogtown, looking at the camera Dog DaycareFrom $33 · Explore Golden retriever resting on a cozy bed in a Dogtown boarding suite Overnight StaysFrom $78 · Explore Dogtown trainer playing with a small doodle on the outdoor turf Dogtown AcademyNewFrom $69 · 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 off leash at Ward Reservation?
No. The Ward page allows dog walking on a leash, and Ward is not on the Trustees' list of properties with designated off-leash trails. That list includes Ravenswood Park in Gloucester and the Grass Rides at Appleton Farms, each with its own conditions. At Ward, keep the leash on everywhere, including the summit of Holt Hill and the bog boardwalk.
Can my dog walk the Pine Hole Bog boardwalk?
The Trustees publish no separate dog rule for the boardwalk, so the property-wide leash rule applies. The boardwalk crosses a quaking bog of floating vegetation, and the Trustees' guidelines ask that dogs not disturb or destroy plants, so keep your dog on the boards on a short leash. Ask The Trustees if you want a definite answer for a reactive dog.
How much does parking cost at Ward Reservation?
Trustees members park free. Nonmembers pay a parking fee at the kiosk in the lot at 65 Prospect Road, by credit card, and put the receipt on the dashboard. Neither the Ward page nor the Trustees parking page stated the amount when we checked in fall 2026, so read the pay station or ask The Trustees before you go.
When is hunting season at Ward Reservation?
The Trustees allow authorized bow hunting, by written permission and for a limited number of hunters, from the first Monday in October through December, Monday through Saturday. There is no hunting on Sundays. If you walk a dog there in that window, Sunday is the hunter-free day, and on other days stay on marked trails with your dog close.
Is Holt Hill a hard climb for a dog?
Holt Hill is 420 feet, and The Trustees rate the reservation's trails easy to moderate, strenuous in places. Most healthy adult dogs manage it on a loose leash with water breaks. For a puppy, a senior or a short-legged dog, choose a shorter loop or the accessible quarter-mile trail to the bog, and turn back early rather than late.

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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