Favorite Boston Dog-Friendly Spots

As a new-ish dog owner in Somerville, I always make an effort to meet other pup parents at our local dog parks. Why? It’s the best way to get tips on where to go with your dog around town. Over the last 8 months, here’s what I’ve learned…

Favorite Dog Parks

• Sheepfold Dog Park (pictured above) – this place is a dog owner’s dream. A 10 acre off-leash meadow, with tons of well-behaved dogs. There are hiking trails nearby that you can enjoy with your pup. It’s our favorite place to take Fritz on the weekends.
• Zero New Washington Dog Park (Somerville) – my favorite city park. It’s the largest urban park with fun obstacles for the pups. There’s always parking, and dogs to play with (all the dog walkers bring their pups there during the day).

• Others: Peters Park (South End) – great dog watching, Pacific Street Dog Park (Cambridge) – fun toys/obstacles, Danehy Dog Park (Alewife) – parking, pebbled surface, Nunziato Dog Park (Union Square) – my least favorite because it’s small and has aggressive dogs, but it’s convenient.

Dog Swim Spots

Cat Rock Park

Fresh Pond Swim Spot

• Cat Rock Park (Weston) – this trail starts with a short off-leash hike (probably a quarter-mile) that takes you to a lake. There are two little swimming holes that you can bring your pup to, and it’s pretty busy on weekends.
• Fresh Pond (Cambridge) – also two small swimming holes that you can bring your pup to. It’s significantly smaller than Cat Rock, and isn’t fenced in, so your dog needs to be under voice control.

Dog-Friendly Breweries

Fritz at Trillium (Canton)

Piper at Remnant (Somerville)

• Remnant Brewing (Somerville) – fantastic for sitting outside with your pup. The courtyard is nice and shady, with lots of seating. We’ve hung out here for hours with Fritz.
• Trillium Brewing (Canton) – they allow pups both inside and outside the brewery. There’s a big courtyard with a bar and food trucks where you can sit with your pup – or, if it’s raining, you can go inside. Trillium can get pretty crowded on weekends, so plan ahead.
• Cambridge Brewing Company (Cambridge) – when we went, they had a dog-friendly area that did not serve food. But, it also did not have shade or seating (standing high-tops only), so we didn’t hang out for too long.
• Yappier Hour at Liberty Hotel (Boston) – I’ve never been, but apparently it’s a fenced-in area where you can enjoy cocktails while your dogs are off-leash. I’ve been warned that it gets crowded, so show up early!