Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from our friends at Boston’s Best Dog Walkers & Pet Services.
A common traveler’s rule of thumb when arriving in a new city is always to “ask a local.” Whether you need the best food, the easiest parking, or the most vibrant nightlife, locals are always trying to be ahead of the curve and usually point visitors in the right direction.
Boston’s Best Dog Walkers & Pet Services, LLC has been scoping out the best spots in Boston for dogs and their owners for more than 10 years, so we definitely qualify as locals!
Now, we’d like to share our favorites with you!
9 Dog-Friendly Activities to Do in Boston
For more places to see than the dog park near the airport, check out these nine dog-friendly activities to do in Boston.
1. Walk Beacon Hill
One of Boston’s oldest and most elegant neighborhoods, Beacon Hill is nationally renowned for its architecture and design. Its well-preserved cobblestone streets are full of small parks and beautiful scenes for you and your pup to explore.
Note that it is, in fact, on one of Boston’s highest hills, so be ready to climb and enjoy some exercise with your dog!
2. Visit the Boston Public Garden
The Boston Public Garden is not only America’s first botanical garden, but it is also one of the most scenic spots in the whole city. Featuring famous statues, diverse trees and flowers, and a four-acre pond with swan boats, there is never a lack of sights to see here.
Leashed dogs are welcome, and there are free dog waste bags at the corners of the garden.
The Boston Public Garden is located adjacent to the Boston Common, which is a larger park that has an off leash area!
3. Go to the Beach
Most of the year, Boston’s beaches are known for their wind and frigid waters. However, come summertime, these beaches become focal points of the city’s daytime leisure, and many of the best beaches are dog-friendly!
Some of our favorite dog-friendly beaches in the area include:
- Revere Beach: America’s oldest public beach has been dog-friendly since 2013, and it’s well worth a visit! It is train and bus accessible and fills up rather quickly in the summer.
- Pleasure Bay Beach (South Boston): This bottle-opener-shaped bay is the most scenic spot in Southie and allows dogs year round.
- Carson Beach (South Boston/Dorchester): Located further south than Pleasure Bay, between Southie and Dorchester, this is a smaller but no less lovely beach. Dogs are welcome from Labor Day through Memorial Day.
Check out some other great dog-friendly beaches on the east coast!
4. Walk the Seaport Harborwalk
Across the harbor from Downtown is the newly bustling Seaport District. Besides the area’s dog-friendly bars and dog-friendly restaurants, the Seaport also boasts a beautiful stretch of Boston’s 43-mile long Harborwalk, which stretches from Dorchester to East Boston.
Your pup can get in some good sniffs while you bask in the views of Downtown, the airport, and some of the Harbor Islands in the distance.
Dogs must be leashed on the Harborwalk, but dog poop bags are provided at several spots along the walk.
5. Rose Kennedy Greenway
Stretching from the southern tip of Chinatown to the North End, the Rose Kennedy Greenway is a long series of parks and art installations that is sure to impress. The Greenway crosses through the heart of Downtown Boston, passing through notable landmarks such as The Aquarium and Faneuil Hall.
Located within walking distance of several of the city’s key attractions, you can enjoy several dog-friendly parks where you can socialize with other dog owners while visiting The Greenway.
We’d recommend taking the Green Line to Haymarket Station and then taking the Greenway from the North End all the way to South Station to get a good taste of the downtown atmosphere.
6. Ride the “T”
By far the best way to get around Boston is its fantastic subway system (which is the oldest in America). The “T,” as it is known, can take you all over the city for a few dollars – best of all, dogs ride free!
Boston’s public transit system allows service dogs at all hours, and non-service animals are allowed to ride at all times except rush hours. What classifies as rush hour can sometimes be up to the train operator, so be ready to occasionally wait for the next train.
Dogs riding the buses and trains must be leashed at all times, and they cannot take up their own seat.
Take the T with your pup to cover the whole city in a day!
7. Play at the Dog Park
Boston has a fantastic selection of off-leash dog parks for you to choose from! A few of our favorites include:
- South Boston Bark Park (1280 Columbia Road)
- Peters Park Dog Park (1205 Washington St., Boston)
- East 1st Dog Park (768-764 E 1st St., northern section of South Boston)
- The Underground Dog Park (S Bay Harbor Trail, Boston)
- Bay Village Dog Park (114 Charles St, Boston)
If you want to polish up your pups obedience skills our team is typically in these parks daily!
Heading to the park with your pooch? Be sure to check out our guide to dog park etiquette!
8. Go to a Dog-Friendly Event
Looking for an alternative to dog parks? Boston offers many different pet-themed events for all seasons. A couple that you may want to check out include:
- Canine Promenade – Boston hosts an annual ½-mile Halloween Parade on the Charles River Esplanade. Walk the town with your pup and enter the costume contest to win prizes from the judges!
- Carnival of Dogs – This dog carnival, held in early September, turns the Rose Kennedy Greenway into a great place to introduce your pup to new friends!
9. Blue Hills Reservation
Just nine miles south of Downtown Boston is the expansive and breathtaking Blue Hills Reservation. This 7,000 acre state park offers varied terrain, scenic views, mountain biking and skiing, as well as ponds where Spot can go swimming and trails that you and your pup can hike!
The Blue Hills hiking trails are a favorite of our team, and we regularly take dogs on 3-hour-long hikes in our hiking program.
During the summer, on-leash walking is advised as the trails can get crowded.
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As you can see, Boston has tons of great dog-friendly activities to enjoy with your four-footer! Just remember to keep your pooch’s specific likes and dislikes in mind when picking an adventure – that way, you can be sure your pup will approve!
Have you visited any of these places or enjoyed any of these activities? We’d love to hear about your experiences! Also, be sure to share your favorite things to do in Boston with your floof. We’re always eager to try out new things!
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