Dog-friendly, near you

Dog-friendly hikes near Boston

Looking for somewhere to hike with your dog around Boston? Here are the 36 closest places where a leashed dog is welcome, pulled from every national forest, park, BLM area, wildlife refuge, state park, and dog beach we have verified, and sorted by rough distance from downtown.

Each one is checked for its own dog rule, so you can see at a glance where dogs are fully welcome and where a few limits apply. Distances are a straight-line estimate, so real drive times will run a bit longer.

36 places within ~150 miles, nearest first
LONGDog-friendly

Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
3 miles away · National place
JOFILimited access

John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site

Leashed pets are welcome only in the backyard of the site. They are not allowed inside the visitor center or the historic Kennedy birthplace home.
4 miles away · National place
MALimited access

Revere Beach

No, not in summer, DCR bans dogs on Revere Beach from May 1 through September 15.
5 miles away · Dog beach
SAIRDog-friendly

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
8 miles away · National place
ADAMDog-friendly

Adams National Historical Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
8 miles away · National place
MADog-friendly

Blue Hills Reservation

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
10 miles away · State park
MIMADog-friendly

Minute Man National Historical Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
13 miles away · National place
SAMADog-friendly

Salem Maritime National Historical Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
14 miles away · National place
LOWEDog-friendly

Lowell National Historical Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
23 miles away · National place
MALimited access

Good Harbor Beach

Only off-season, dogs are prohibited April 1 through September 30.
26 miles away · Dog beach
MALimited access

Crane Beach

Only in the off-season, dogs are not allowed October 1 through March 31 only (i.e., banned the rest of the year, April-September).
27 miles away · Dog beach
MALimited access

Salisbury Beach State Reservation

Partly. Dogs are banned from the ocean beach in summer but allowed leashed on the riverside beach year-round.
36 miles away · State park
BLRVDog-friendly

Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
36 miles away · National place
RIDog-friendly

Lincoln Woods State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
37 miles away · State park
MADog-friendly

Purgatory Chasm State Reservation

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
37 miles away · State park
NHLimited access

Hampton Beach State Park

No, not in summer, pets are banned from the beach May 1 through September 30.
39 miles away · Dog beach
MADog-friendly

Myles Standish State Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
40 miles away · State park
MADog-friendly

Wachusett Mountain State Reservation

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
43 miles away · State park
NHLimited access

Jenness Beach

Yes on the town-owned sections, but summer daytime hours are off-limits, no dogs 9am-7pm from the Saturday before Memorial Day through the Saturday after Labor Day.
48 miles away · Dog beach
RIDog-friendly

Colt State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
48 miles away · State park
NEBEDog-friendly

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
50 miles away · National place
RIDog-friendly

Goddard Memorial State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
52 miles away · State park
NHLimited access

Pawtuckaway State Park

Yes on trails, but access is seasonal and dogs cannot use the main entrance or beach in summer.
52 miles away · State park
MALimited access

Sandy Neck Beach

Yes, off-season (Sept 15 - May 15) dogs are welcome; in summer they're restricted to the permit-only ORV beach.
56 miles away · Dog beach
NHDog-friendly

Bear Brook State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
56 miles away · State park
RILimited access

Easton's Beach

Only in the off-season, dogs are barred Memorial Day through Labor Day.
61 miles away · Dog beach
TOSYLimited access

Touro Synagogue National Historic Site

This is an indoor historic synagogue and adjacent visitor center seen by guided tour, with no park grounds or trails, so there is no space to walk a pet.
62 miles away · National place
RIDog-friendly

Fort Adams State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
62 miles away · State park
CACOLimited access

Cape Cod National Seashore

At Cape Cod National Seashore pets are banned from nearly all walking trails and face heavy seasonal beach closures, so access is very limited.
63 miles away · National place
RIDog-friendly

Fort Wetherill State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
63 miles away · State park
RIDog-friendly

Brenton Point State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
64 miles away · State park
RIDog-friendly

Beavertail State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
65 miles away · State park
MELimited access

Ogunquit Beach

Only in the off-season, dogs are banned on Ogunquit Beach from April 1 through September 8.
66 miles away · Dog beach
MADog-friendly

Nickerson State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
66 miles away · State park
MALimited access

Coast Guard Beach

Leashed dogs are allowed on most Cape Cod National Seashore beaches, but Coast Guard Beach has a recurring seasonal pet closure April 1 - October 15 to protect nesting shorebirds.
66 miles away · Dog beach
MELimited access

Wells Beach

Yes, but only outside of the summer midday hours, dogs must be off the beach 8am-6pm from June 16 to Sept 15.
71 miles away · Dog beach
Planning a bigger trip? See the full MA dog trail guide for every dog-friendly park and trail in the state.

Common questions

Where can I hike with my dog near Boston?

There are 36 verified spots within about a 150-mile radius of Boston where leashed dogs are welcome, including national forests, state parks, and in some cases dog beaches. The closest ones are listed above, nearest first.

Are there dog-friendly trails close to Boston?

Yes. State parks and national forests near Boston are usually the most reliable, since most welcome a leashed dog on the trails. The list above ranks them by distance so you can find the nearest.