For dog owners, part of the fun of outdoor exploration is having your faithful companion by your side. Fortunately, there are lots of dog-friendly parks, trails, and beaches in the Buzzards Bay region where you and your four-legged friend can get some fresh air and exercise.
For any of the places below, make sure to follow all posted rules for dogs. Some spots allow dogs “under voice control,” whereas others require dogs to be on a leash at all times. Wherever you go, always pick up after your pet to keep our local waters clean.
Peaceful Little Buttermilk Bay Woods in Bourne hits all the right notes in just under a mile of walking trails.
Size: 10.86 acres
Parking: Small gravel parking area
Facilities: None
Parking: Small gravel parking area
Facilities: None
This environmental education center in Dartmouth is also a destination for outdoor exploration on the Slocums River.
Size: 82 acres
Parking: Medium-sized gravel parking area
Facilities: Restrooms, Picnic Tables, Trash, Learning/Visitor Center
Parking: Medium-sized gravel parking area
Facilities: Restrooms, Picnic Tables, Trash, Learning/Visitor Center
Take a challenging hike up and down rocky hills within rich protected forest in Falmouth's Long Pond & Falmouth Town Forest.
Size: 585 acres
Parking: Two paved parking areas in Goodwill Park; two dirt pull-off areas along Brick Kiln Road
Parking: Two paved parking areas in Goodwill Park; two dirt pull-off areas along Brick Kiln Road
See views of Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean from the top of the Bay at Lookout Park on Cuttyhunk.
Size: 0.5 acres
Parking: None
Facilities: Trash, Picnic Tables
Parking: None
Facilities: Trash, Picnic Tables
This diverse paradise of woods, wetlands, and salt marshes in Plymouth shelters rare sea-run brook trout in Red Brook.
Size: 210 acres
Parking: Medium-sized gravel parking area
Facilities: Picnic Tables, Trash
Parking: Medium-sized gravel parking area
Facilities: Picnic Tables, Trash
Explore 2.5 miles of looping trails through coastal forest and along a sweep of bird-filled salt marshes in Wareham.
Size: 118 acres
Parking: Small paved parking area
Facilities: None
Parking: Small paved parking area
Facilities: None
The growing Mattapoisett Rail Trail offers a mile-long flat, paved bike path and a short footpath to the Mattapoisett River.
Size: 2 miles (Total length including Fairhaven trails: 6 Miles)
Parking: Limited Parking at Depot St. and Railroad Avenue, unmarked pulloff space next to path at Brandt Island Road (reserved for people with disabilities, infirmities, or parents with small children); free parking along Phoenix Bike Trail in Fairhaven
Facilities: None (Public Toilets at Mattapoisett Town Wharf)
Parking: Limited Parking at Depot St. and Railroad Avenue, unmarked pulloff space next to path at Brandt Island Road (reserved for people with disabilities, infirmities, or parents with small children); free parking along Phoenix Bike Trail in Fairhaven
Facilities: None (Public Toilets at Mattapoisett Town Wharf)
Boaters cruising into Mattapoisett Harbor will find ample tie-up space and amenities at these five historic wharves.
Parking: Public street parking on north side of Water Street; resident parking pass required for Town Wharf parking
Facilities: Boat Ramp, Pier/Dock (concrete), Restrooms (seasonal), Trash, Picnic Tables, Fuel, Water, Ice (seasonal), Concession (seasonal)
Facilities: Boat Ramp, Pier/Dock (concrete), Restrooms (seasonal), Trash, Picnic Tables, Fuel, Water, Ice (seasonal), Concession (seasonal)
Don’t let this Dartmouth reserve's small size fool you – it's full of interesting natural features, like a cultivated blueberry patch.
Size: 5 acres
Parking: Roadside parking along Smith Neck Road
Facilities: None
Parking: Roadside parking along Smith Neck Road
Facilities: None
With its wide expanse of sand, Megansett Beach is a great spot for Falmouth residents to sit and watch sailboats on the harbor.
Parking: Medium-sized paved parking area; resident beach sticker required to park in summer
Facilities: Boat Ramp, Pier (wood), Restrooms (seasonal), Trash
Facilities: Boat Ramp, Pier (wood), Restrooms (seasonal), Trash
For boaters on Cape Cod, Megansett Harbor Landing in North Falmouth is an awesome gateway to Buzzards Bay.
Parking: Medium-sized paved parking area (vehicles only; no trailer parking); resident beach sticker required to park in summer
Facilities: Boat Ramp, Pier (wood), Shower (seasonal)
Facilities: Boat Ramp, Pier (wood), Shower (seasonal)
Pick fruit at the community orchard, explore the woods, or watch the river flow by at Mill Pond Conservation Area in Westport.
Size: 8 acres
Parking: Medium-sized unpaved parking area (space for 4-5 cars)
Facilities: None
Parking: Medium-sized unpaved parking area (space for 4-5 cars)
Facilities: None
Hike or bike up and down wooded hills scattered with boulders at Mock Moraine and Eaton Preserve in West Falmouth.
Size: 26.7 acres
Parking: Medium unpaved parking area at Swift Park; small unpaved parking area on Stagecoach Way
Facilities: None
Parking: Medium unpaved parking area at Swift Park; small unpaved parking area on Stagecoach Way
Facilities: None
Explore rolling pine-and-oak woods by the edge of Bourne’s Little Bay on the network of trails at Monks Park.
Size: 9 acres
Parking: Two small unpaved parking areas on Valley Bars Circle; additional parking at kayak ramp (with town of Bourne beach sticker)
Facilities: Kayak Launch
Parking: Two small unpaved parking areas on Valley Bars Circle; additional parking at kayak ramp (with town of Bourne beach sticker)
Facilities: Kayak Launch
For a full day of swimming, boating, and playing by the Bay, look no further than Monument Beach in Bourne.
Parking: Large paved parking area
Facilities: Boat Ramp, Kayak Launch, Restrooms (seasonal), Trash, Food/Concession (seasonal)
Facilities: Boat Ramp, Kayak Launch, Restrooms (seasonal), Trash, Food/Concession (seasonal)
For a leisurely walk out to one of Buzzards Bay’s quietest coves, look no further than the Munn Preserve in Mattapoisett.
Size: 18.5 acres
Parking: Medium-sized paved parking area on Mattapoisett Neck Road by trailhead
Facilities: None
Parking: Medium-sized paved parking area on Mattapoisett Neck Road by trailhead
Facilities: None
Catch a sunset or just breathe in the fresh air this flower-filled park on Mattapoisett Harbor.
Size: 1 acre
Parking: Metered street parking
Facilities: None
Parking: Metered street parking
Facilities: None
With over 12,000 acres to hike, bike, fish, camp, and hunt, you'll never run out of ways to have fun at Myles Standish in Carver.
Size: 12,400 acres
Parking: Several paved parking areas throughout forest
Facilities: Restrooms (seasonal), Picnic Tables, Trash, Visitor Center
Parking: Several paved parking areas throughout forest
Facilities: Restrooms (seasonal), Picnic Tables, Trash, Visitor Center
Nasketucket Bay State Reservation's 200 acres of coastal forests in Mattapoisett are a treasure for all ages.
Size: 371 acres
Parking: Large gravel parking lot
Facilities: Picnic table
Parking: Large gravel parking lot
Facilities: Picnic table
This wooded conservation area on Nestles Lane in Acushnet offers local residents a lovely walk along mossy stone walls.
Size: 85 acres
Parking: Two small roadside parking areas along Nestles Lane (south of the property) and near the intersection of Nestles Lane and Butts Lane (north of the property)
Facilities: None
Parking: Two small roadside parking areas along Nestles Lane (south of the property) and near the intersection of Nestles Lane and Butts Lane (north of the property)
Facilities: None