978 491-5922 Book now
  1. Home
  2. Service areas
  3. Dogtown for Hamilton, MA dog owners: daycare, boarding, grooming and training

Hamilton

Dogtown for Hamilton, MA dog owners: daycare, boarding, grooming and training

Most Hamilton dog walks are trail walks: the Grass Rides at Appleton Farms, Greenbelt woodland and the land around the Patton Homestead. Those trails come with their own rules and seasons, and the town has a leash bylaw of its own. Here is what we found in October 2026, the back-road drive to Eastern Ave, and how Hamilton families use daycare, overnight stays, grooming and training in Gloucester.

Book a free evaluation See pricing
Tricolor hound peeking out of the splash pool

Last reviewed October 9, 2026 · by the Dogtown team

Getting to Eastern Ave
Route 22 into Essex, Route 133 east to Route 128 at Exit 53, then 128 to its end and Eastern Avenue: about 25 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate
The Pup Van
Outside the Pup Van towns; ask us about pick-up
Dog licensing
Town Clerk, Town Hall, 577 Bay Road: $15 spayed or neutered, $20 intact; license year April 1 to March 31, late fee $25 from June 1 and $50 from August 1 (hamiltonma.gov)
The beach rule
Appleton Farms Grass Rides (The Trustees): dogs on the Grass Rides only, sunrise to sunset; listed off leash, with grassland nesting habitat excluded April 1 to August 15 (thetrustees.org)
A trail we know
Pingree Woodland (Essex County Greenbelt), Cutler Road: 3.7 miles of trails with dog walking listed; Greenbelt asks owners to carry a leash and carry out waste (ecga.org)
Dogtown dogs from here
Ask us about Dogtown dogs from Hamilton
RockportEssexManchester-by-the-SeaGloucesterIpswichBeverlyDanversPeabodySalemWenhamMarbleheadNewburyportTopsfieldRowleyMiddletonLynnfieldSwampscottBoxfordGeorgetownNewburyAmesburyLynnSaugusNorth AndoverAndoverWakefieldReading

The drive

Route 22 to Essex, Route 133 to Route 128: about 25 minutes

Hamilton's usual way to us skips downtown Beverly altogether. Head east to Route 22, which runs along Essex Street into Essex north of Chebacco Lake and ends at Route 133 in the center of Essex. Follow 133 east into West Gloucester, join Route 128 at Exit 53, and take it to its end; 210 Eastern Ave is a couple of minutes along Eastern Avenue. By our estimate that is about 25 minutes outside rush hour, more on a summer weekend in Essex.

Hamilton is not one of the four Pup Van towns, even though the route above passes through Essex, which is. Ask us about pick-up for a Hamilton address and the front desk will check the day's route and quote. Driving yourself, aim for the weekday windows of 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6:30 PM, or Saturday's 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6 PM.

  • Route 22 along Essex Street into Essex, north of Chebacco Lake
  • Route 133 east to Route 128 at Exit 53, then 128 to its end
  • About 25 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate
  • Pup Van: Hamilton is outside the four van towns, so ask us about pick-up

Hamilton trails

Appleton Farms Grass Rides: off leash, except grassland nesting habitat from April 1 to August 15

At Appleton Farms, The Trustees welcome dogs on the 259-acre section known as the Grass Rides and not on the farmstead side of the property; dog walking is allowed at the Grass Rides only, reached from the Highland Street parking lot. The trails are open every day of the year, sunrise to sunset, and The Trustees list the Appleton Farms Grass Rides, Hamilton, among their off-leash reservations.

The calendar matters there. The Trustees' dog guidelines exclude grassland nesting habitat from off-leash areas from April 1 to August 15, and say some properties may need temporary on-leash rules while grassland birds nest, so read the signs at the lot in spring and summer. Working farms are among the resource protection areas where The Trustees allow no dogs, and the farmstead side is off limits to dogs all year.

Pingree Woodland, an Essex County Greenbelt property on Cutler Road, adds 3.7 miles of trails over 136 acres, with dog walking listed and parking on the road shoulder. Greenbelt's guidance for dogs on its land is to carry a leash, leash any aggressive dog, keep noise down, never leave a dog unattended, prevent digging and carry the waste out.

  • Appleton Farms: dogs on the Grass Rides only, sunrise to sunset
  • Grassland nesting habitat excluded from off-leash use April 1 to August 15
  • Pingree Woodland, Cutler Road: 3.7 miles of trails, dog walking listed

Licensing and the leash bylaw

Hamilton licenses run April 1 to March 31, and late fees start June 1

The Town Clerk at Town Hall, 577 Bay Road, licenses Hamilton dogs for a year that runs from April 1 to March 31. The fee is $15 for a spayed or neutered dog and $20 for an intact dog, a resident aged 70 or older on January 1 pays nothing for the first dog, and service dogs are free. For a dog licensed the year before, renewing on or after June 1 adds a $25 late fee and on or after August 1 a $50 late fee; a first-time registration carries no late fee.

You can license online by card or e-check, by mail with a check to PO Box 429, or in person, and the town needs proof of rabies vaccination either way. The town's bylaw requires a leash of appropriate length whenever a dog is off its owner's premises, unless it is on another person's property with their consent, and the license form asks owners to clean up waste. A dog picked up in town costs a $15 pick-up fee before any boarding or treatment charges.

What Hamilton books

Trail dogs come in for a bath, a playgroup and sometimes a training plan

A Grass Rides dog often comes home wet, muddy and full of burrs. A bath at Dogtown is $55 to $95 by size and needs no evaluation, a full-service groom is $75 to $120, de-matting is $15 per 20 minutes, and the $8 antiseptic or fungal shampoo add-on helps itchy skin. Book grooming on its own, or add it to a daycare day so the dog goes home clean.

Daycare gives a trail dog what trails seldom do: other dogs. A full day is $42 and a half day $33, in a group of 7 to 10 matched by size and temperament, and Dogtown Academy at $89 adds a training session and trainer time each day. Overnight suites at $78 a night come with playgroups by day. For recall and off-leash manners before the next Grass Rides season, training sessions start from $94, and Canine Campus includes pick-up and drop-off; ask whether your Hamilton address is covered.

Starting out

What a Hamilton dog brings to the first evaluation

The free evaluation is the first visit for daycare, Academy, overnight stays and walks: a temperament test, then a few supervised hours in a group so our team can see where the dog fits. It runs on weekdays between 6:30 and 9:30 AM by appointment. Grooming, for dogs and for cats, needs none of this and books straight in.

Walks at home depend on the address and the season, so ask us whether we cover your Hamilton street; walks are 20, 30 or 60 minutes at $25, $35 or $55, led by Dogtown staff, with a photo after each one. For a daycare day itself, the dog needs only a leash and a secure collar or harness at the handover.

  1. 01

    The completed new customer form, sent ahead of the visit

  2. 02

    A current Hamilton license, renewed before June 1 to avoid the late fee

  3. 03

    Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella records

  4. 04

    A leash and a secure collar or harness for the handover at Eastern Ave

  5. 05

    The code FIRST15, for 15 percent off the first daycare visit

At Dogtown

What Hamilton dogs come to Gloucester for

Daycare with real playmates, overnight suites, a bath after the trails and Academy days with a trainer.

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 Groomer blow-drying a red goldendoodle in front of the Dogtown Grooming sign Dog GroomingFrom $55 · 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.

How long is the drive from Hamilton to Dogtown?
About 25 minutes outside rush hour, by our estimate, by way of Essex. Take Route 22 along Essex Street into Essex, Route 133 east into West Gloucester, Route 128 from Exit 53 to its end and then Eastern Avenue. The route skips downtown Beverly, though summer traffic through Essex can slow the middle stretch.
Is Hamilton a Pup Van town?
No. Hamilton is outside the Pup Van towns, so ask us about pick-up. The $10 each-way rate is set for Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. Send your Hamilton street through the customer inquiry form, and the front desk will tell you what the route allows on the days you need.
Can my dog run off leash at Appleton Farms?
At the Grass Rides, The Trustees list Appleton Farms as an off-leash reservation at the time of writing. Dogs are not allowed on the farmstead side, the trails are open sunrise to sunset, and grassland nesting habitat is excluded from off-leash use from April 1 to August 15. Check the signs and the Trustees' page before each visit.
When is the Hamilton dog license late?
For a dog licensed last year, a renewal on or after June 1 carries a $25 late fee, and on or after August 1 a $50 late fee, on top of $15 for a spayed or neutered dog or $20 for an intact one. The license year runs April 1 to March 31, and first-time registrations are not charged a late fee.
Can Dogtown help with recall for the Grass Rides?
Yes. Our training is fear- and force-free and built on positive reinforcement, and recall is part of several programs, including Bright Beginnings for pups from four months and the one-week Foundation board and train. Sessions start from $94, programs are quoted after a short assessment, and the training team answers enquiries within the hour on weekdays.

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

Bradley Palmer State Park with a dogDogtown for Beverly dog ownersDog daycare in GloucesterAll Dogtown service areas Service areas All guides

Next step

Hamilton dogs, by way of Essex to Eastern Ave.

Send the new customer form, book the free evaluation for a weekday morning, and bring the Hamilton license with the vaccination records.

Book online Customer inquiry Call 978 491-5922
  1. 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
  2. 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
  3. 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
New customers FIRST15 15% off your first daycare visit · use at checkout

Follow along

Daily photos and report cards.

@dogtowndogdaycare on Instagram

Call Book now