DGH Recommended Dog-Friendly Hiking Trails on the South of Massachusetts
Massachusetts is home to some of the most scenic hiking trails, and for dog owners, there's nothing better than exploring the great outdoors with your furry friend by your side. The North and South Shores of Massachusetts offer a variety of dog-friendly hiking spots, perfect for dogs of all sizes and energy levels. Whether you're looking for a peaceful stroll along the coastline or a more challenging woodland adventure, these trails provide the perfect backdrop for you and your dog to enjoy nature together. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the best dog-friendly hiking trails in the area, ensuring safe, fun, and memorable outdoor experiences for you and your four-legged companion. All properties require dogs to be leashed and waste picked up. Trails are open year-round.
Wompatuck State Park, Norwell, Hingham, Scituate and Cohasset.
This 3,500-acre Massachusetts state park served as the Hingham Naval Ammunition Annex from 1941 to 1965. It stretches into four towns – Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate, and Norwell. The park features numerous seasonal campsites, plus fishing and non-motorized boating on the Aaron River Reservoir. There are 12 miles of paved bike paths, plus 40 miles of off-road woodland trails for dog walking, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. There are many rocky outcroppings and glacial erratic boulders throughout the park and is a great place to bird watch and experience nature and the change of seasons.
Parking: Multi-vehicle parking is available at:
The Main Entrance 204 Union St, Hingham
Norwell Grove Street Parking Lot: 433 Grove St, Norwell
Cohasset Doane Street Entrance: 152 Doane St, Cohasset
Crosbie Family Preserve and Appleton Field, Scituate
These 49-acre properties are owned by the Town of Scituate and consist of 5 different marked trails – the trail map can be found here. The orange trail, which extends along the perimeter of the property, features a large loop connecting the upland areas and the South Swamp. Shorter trails marked in yellow, green, and white, interconnect in the interior of this loop. The blue trail provides pedestrian access from Clapp Road to the orange loop. Old cart roads are still in place from the time when trees were harvested from the upland area. Appleton Field is located roughly in the center of the Crosbie Preserve.
Parking: The Crosbie Preserve access-road entrance is located just east of 253 Clapp Road; this leads to a multicar parking area directly adjacent to Appleton Field. The parking area is also next to the entrance to the Orange Trail.
Bates Lane Conservation Area, Scituate
This 335-acre conservation property for the town of Scituate has 7 short, well-marked, and easy trails ranging from .4m to 1.2 miles of woodland trails. A trail map can be found here. The property features include old stone walls, glacial erratic boulders, and a bridge over a babbling brook. Don’t miss Boulder Valley — it is especially captivating. See posted hunting hours on site. Bear in mind that the Scituate Rod & Gun Club is nearby, so visitors may hear the firing of guns.
Parking: 188 Clapp Rd, Scituate. The parking area at the end of Bates Lane puts you in the heart of the property. You can explore trails in all directions.
Turkey Hill and Whitney & Thayer Woods, Hingham and Cohasset
Turkey Hill is a 62-acre Trustees of the Reservation and Cohasset Conversation property with several miles of trails connecting to the Whitney Spur Rail trail, Weir River Farm, and Whitney & Thayer Woods. Lots of areas to explore. It also has a big field that is attached to Wompatuck State Park. Turkey Hill’s 187-foot summit affords spectacular views of the Boston skyline, the Harbor Islands, Scituate Hill, and the Hull-2 wind turbine and can be accessed via foot or vehicle. There are 10 miles of carriage roads along which you can amble through resurgent hardwood forests to open fields and spectacular vistas of the South Shore and Boston skyline.
Whitney and Thayer Woods is an 834-acre nature reserve and forest. Many of the 10 miles of trails at Whitney and Thayer Woods are old carriage roads – wide, clear, shady, and well-trod. They are very well-marked with easy-to-see blazes and maps at most intersections. This extensive trail network within these properties lies within the largest contiguous tract of open space on the South Shore – nearly 5,000 acres in all.
A trail map of Turkey Hill, Weir River Farm, and Whitney & Thayer Woods can be found here.
Parking: Parking lots at two locations: off Route 3A in Cohasset near the intersection with Route 228, and in Hingham on Turkey Hill Lane.
Wheelwright Park, Cohasset
Wheelwright Park is a large town-owned property with a 1-mile woodland trail, a skating pond, and several large glacial erratic boulders. It is directly adjacent to the Cornelia & Richardson White Woods, Holly Hill Farm, as well as the Barnes Wildlife Sanctuary, with a shared trail network. A trail map of Wheelwright Park can be found here.
Parking: 202 N Main St, Cohasset
Ellis Estate Trails, Scituate
Scituate’s Ellis Estate features a 4 trail network through the woodlands surrounding the historic Bailey-Ellis House and Deke’s Pond. A trail map can be found here. This property features 2 miles of well-marked, intersecting trails through the woods and around Deke’s Pond. There are additional, unmarked “social trails” on the property as well, which are not officially maintained. The Ellsberg Trail traverses wetlands and has some steep sections. The Seaview Loop is mostly level. The Bailey-Ellis Loop is mostly dry, but also occasionally steep.
The Bailey-Ellie House is now the home base for the Scituate Arts Association. At least two horror movies were filmed here: The House By The Cemetery (1981) and Ghosthouse (1988). The property is managed by the Scituate Conservation Commission.
Parking: 709 Country Way, Scituate, MA
Great Esker Park, Weymouth
Great Esker Park on the Weymouth/Hingham line Great Esker Park is Weymouth’s largest open space area. The park features a forest-covered gravel ridge and an expansive salt marsh along the Weymouth Back River, with beautiful views of the estuary. There are over 6 miles of paved and unpaved trails. A wide paved trail extends for about 2 miles along the top of the esker ridge from Bridge Street to Osprey Overlook Park. Portions of the trail system are hilly and steep. There is also an expansive network of narrower, unpaved trails through the woods and along the edge of the salt marsh.
Great Esker Park is one of many properties linked by the Back River Trail, Great Esker Park directly abuts Abigail Adams State Park and Osprey Overlook Park, as well as Julia Road Park. Motorized vehicles are prohibited.
Parking: 7 Elva Rd, Weymouth offers ample parking, but it is situated below the ridge, and thus a steep uphill hike is required to reach the trails. Additional trail access, but with fewer parking spaces, is located at 831 Bridge Street (Route 3A) directly across the street from the entrance to Abigail Adams State Park, very close to the Harbor Medical building. Although parking is limited, this access point is flat and an easier walk than Bridge Street.
Dogs Go Hiking has provided canine enrichment via off-road hikes and walks since 1996. We enthusiastically offer dogs the chance to stay active, build social skills, and engage their minds. Our expert pup guides are located on the South Shore serving the communities of Scituate, Cohasset, Norwell, and Hingham, and some parts of Marshfield. We also have a North Shore team serving pups in the communities of Newburyport, Newbury, West Newbury, Groveland, Georgetown, Rowley, Amesbury, and Salisbury. Sign up for a pack hike today.