Dog-friendly beaches in Gloucester or Rockport

I%26#39;m taking a short road trip to Danvers with my dog in mid-October, and wanted to take a few hours to drive to Gloucester or to Rockport. Are dogs allowed on any of the public beaches there?

Thx.

Dog-friendly beaches in Gloucester or Rockport

I can%26#39;t help you specifically with Gloucester %26amp; Rockport, but most of the beaches are restricted during the summer, but open up to leashed dogs in the off-season.

You might think about going to spectacular Crane Beach which permits leashed dogs after Oct 1:

www.thetrustees.org/pages/294_crane_beach.cfm

This is one of the most beautiful beaches in the area. Please respect the leash requirement. The beach also has horse riding -- a dog could make this dangerous. We also have a small dog that has been terrorized (and one dislocated knee) by thoughtless dog owners who won%26#39;t leash their dogs. ';Don%26#39;t worry, he%26#39;s friendly'; doesn%26#39;t translate well when a 80 pound dog is bounding down on our 15 pound dog.

Enjoy the beach!

Dog-friendly beaches in Gloucester or Rockport

Here are the details on ';Dog Beach Rules'; in Gloucester.

bostoncentral.com/activities/beaches/p870.php

After Sept 15th, you are fine to enjoy the beach with your pooch provided you pick up after it. Also check out Halibut Point State Park in Rockport for dramatic rocky ocean shores and fun trails around a quarry. One more hiking tip: the roots of Cape Ann at Dogtown Commons, more info at tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g41580-d10…

Here your dog can roam freely in unchartered woodsy areas with great trails and tales.

I live close to Good Harbor Beach and I%26#39;m annoyed by the amount of dog droppings all over the beach. Kids cannot play in the sand because of this. Also, many people simply refuse to have their dog on the leach although it is required between April and September.

I had quite a few conversations with dog owners who always claim that his/her dog should have the same rights than the kids at the beach, i.e. playing and roaming. The way some people compare their dogs with kids is simply disgusting.

If you have a dog, let it use your backyard or the woods as a toilet and not other people%26#39;s recreational areas. Don%26#39;t make a beautiful area like Good Harbor Beach unenjoyable to people.

I have been walking my dog at Good Harbor for about 5 years. A wonderful, large community of responsible and attentive dog owners, breeders and professional pet sitters frequents Good Harbor Beach when the season allows.(Sept 15 thru May 1) Be sure you are one of the responsible ones if you are a visitor.

You must pick up after your dog and you might get confronted by another dog owner if you don%26#39;t.

You must understand your dog%26#39;s level of social skill and know the degree of freedom that is safe for everyone.

As you can see, from other posts, some people are looking for evidence so they can dislike dogs and dog-friendliness even more than they already do. Don%26#39;t make it bad for others -if you can%26#39;t do these things, don%26#39;t come.

The city of Gloucester is desperate for income. The dog officer makes plainclothes patrols of the beach during the off-limits months. The fine is $50 per dog, no discussion! Be warned!

Cards on the table, I am a dog lover and a Gloucester lover (family%26#39;s from there), but I don%26#39;t have a dog. I have observed another dynamic on Good Harbor and Crane%26#39;s and others. On weekdays - not at Long Beach - I see dogs and owners chasing balls, and the few other people who are there don%26#39;t mind. The same, any day of the week, in the ';off season'; -- even Long Beach. I have a Gloucester friend with a Golden who abides by this ';soft rule'; with no problem.