Where Newburyport Dogs Can Run Once the Beach Season Ends

Since September 16, dogs have been allowed back on the Newburyport side of Plum Island for the first time since mid-May. A dog can walk the beach now, but it has to stay on a leash for every step of it, and it will through May 14 of next year.

So in the off-season, the places where a Newburyport dog can actually run free are still inland. There are three of them, all city parks, and none runs on the beach calendar. Each has its own hours and its own off-limits areas, and the only one that changes with the season gets stricter in winter.

The beach reopened as a leash walk

The City of Newburyport's Plum Island page gives the rule in three short sentences. From May 15th to September 15th, no dogs are allowed on the beach, even on a leash. In the off-season, dogs are allowed on a leash. Dogs are not allowed off leash. An older city guide gives the off-season as September 16 through May 14.

The same page has a short checklist for the trip. Your dog should be licensed with your municipality, have a current rabies vaccination and wear ID tags. Bring a leash, waste bags and fresh water. The city explains the rule in terms of wildlife, noting that Plum Island is home to nesting shorebirds and other coastal animals.

Drive south past the end of the city beach and no season applies at all. Parker River National Wildlife Refuge never allows dogs or other pets. Its official FAQ allows only ADA-defined service animals, and they must be under leash control. For anyone following last month's shorebird and owl sightings down the refuge road, the dog stays home on those trips in every month of the year.

Off-leash time runs on a clock

With the beach limited to leashed walks, off-leash time happens at the three areas the city has designated. Their hours and off-limits areas are different at each one. Here is the city's own off-leash table:

Cashman Park allows the least time. Its off-leash hours add up to four and a half hours a day, split into a morning window and an evening window. The list of exclusions is also the longest, covering every field, court and walkway. The table gives Moseley Woods and March's Hill dawn-to-dusk hours, which works out to a full day of daylight.

That difference matters more as the days shorten. Cashman's hours are set by the clock, so they stay the same all winter. Moseley Woods and March's Hill are set by daylight, so their hours shrink as sunset comes earlier through December. The 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. evening window at Cashman runs into darkness well before it ends, while the "dusk" limit at the other two parks simply moves earlier.

Winter makes March's Hill stricter

March's Hill is the one place where the season changes the rule. Its line in the city's table carries a note: no off-leash dogs at times when children are sledding.

There are no set hours for that exception. It depends on snow and on who shows up with a sled. On a snowy Saturday, the hill that allowed off-leash dogs from dawn to dusk through the fall can become leash-only, without warning, for as long as the snow lasts. The city's 2021–2022 recycling and solid waste guide made the point directly. Its table had a column for seasonal restrictions, listing Cashman Park and Moseley Woods as "year round." The March's Hill entry in that column was the sledding rule. March's Hill doesn't work the same way in January as it does in October.

For a winter morning with snow on the ground, Moseley Woods is the only one of the three with dawn-to-dusk hours and no weather exception. It's the most predictable off-leash option of the season.

The rules that apply in all three parks

The off-leash areas come with conditions set out in Section 3-26(e) of the Newburyport Code of Ordinances. The city defines the "owner" as whoever has direct care, custody and control of the dog at the time. The conditions most likely to matter on an ordinary walk:

1. Dogs must be licensed and vaccinated, whether they are on a leash or off.
2. Dogs must be on a leash when entering and when leaving an off-leash area.
3. Puppies younger than four months may not be off leash, because their vaccinations are not complete yet.
4. Female dogs in heat are not allowed off leash, and intact males must be watched closely and leashed if they interfere with other dogs.
5. Owners must stay with their dogs and watch them, and no more than two dogs per owner may be off leash at once.

The licensing rule comes with a date. The city's licensing FAQ says dogs six months or older must be licensed and tagged, with the license obtained by April first each year. That means the license renewal comes due while the beach is still open to leashed dogs, about six weeks before the summer ban returns on May 15. This is a summary of city rules for general information, not legal advice, so check the ordinance and the City Clerk's office for your own situation.

For long walks, plan on a leash

Once you take off-leash time out of the picture, Newburyport's longest walks are all leash walks. The city's 2021–2022 guide says dogs are allowed on the Clipper City Rail Trail year-round but must be held firmly on a leash, including on the stretch between the Cashman off-leash area and the river. The same guide quotes the city leash law, which requires dogs outside their owner's or keeper's property to be held firmly on a leash.

Maudslay State Park on Curzon Mill Road follows the state's rules, not the city's. The Department of Conservation and Recreation's guide to dogs in DCR parks lists specific state properties where dogs may be off leash, and Maudslay is not on that list. In on-leash areas, the guide limits leashes to 10 feet, and it requires a leash in parking areas. DCR's Maudslay page links to suggested hiking routes and a trail map, and notices posted at the park are the best guide to any seasonal trail closures on the day you go.

A fenced dog park is still only an idea

Newburyport has no fenced dog park, and none is scheduled. At its March 5, 2026 meeting, the Parks Commission discussed whether an orphaned city property might someday host one, and described the discussion as informational for future initiatives. The minutes name no site, no funding and no opening date. For this winter and probably beyond, the three shared parks are the city's off-leash options.

Around town with a leashed dog

A cold afternoon walk tends to end with an errand. The Natural Dog, a local pet supply shop at 155 State Street, shows customer reviews as recent as September 2026. Good Dog Gallery, a pet boutique at 37 Pleasant Street, posts weekly hours and offers nail trims in Newburyport. That's useful after a fall of walking on sand and pavement. Riverwalk Brewing and Taproom at 40 Parker Street posts its hours on its website, and it's worth calling ahead to ask about bringing a dog.

If dog-friendly routines are part of what your household wants from its next home, whether that means a short walk to Moseley Woods, a quick drive to the Plum Island beach, or a yard that makes the April licensing deadline the only rule to keep track of, Jamie Frontiero can help you compare Newburyport neighborhoods with those details in mind. Let's Connect.