Outings with Pets

by Christopher Coyle

Pets — domesticated animals kept by humans for companionship, friendship, and pleasure — become part of the family. It makes sense that they should come along on family outings. North Central Massachusetts, a beautiful area of the Bay State, offers many locations and opportunities for pets to join their families for activities enjoyable to all.

Many public spaces — parks, rail trails, and reservations — allow and encourage companion animals, especially dogs, to visit along with their owners. Families arriving in the North Central Massachusetts area might stop at Johnny Appleseed Visitor Center on Route 2 westbound in Lancaster. In addition to restrooms for two-legged folks, the center has a nice dog-walk area. Nearby Leominster State Park welcomes dogs as does Prospect Park, also located in Leominster.

Check out Fitchburg’s Coolidge Park for dogs and their owners at 198 Townsend Street. Not far away, Wachusett Mountain State Reservation in Princeton provides space where everyone, including dogs, can enjoy a nice outing and beautiful vistas for many miles in all directions.

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill serves as a pet-friendly attraction in Boylston. Farther west, Dunn State Park in Gardner is friendly to dogs with their keepers. Doane’s Falls in Royalston welcomes dogs along pet-friendly trails.

Many area farms and apple orchards welcome dogs and other pets. Sholan Farms in Leominster, Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, Bolton Spring Farm and Nashoba Valley Winery Orchard, both in Bolton, Clearview Farm in Sterling, and Doe Orchard in Harvard encourage pets to visit with their owners.

The Trustees of Reservations have long welcomed dogs to many, although not all, of their properties. Many rail trails take in dog-walkers — consult regulations for specific trails as to their policies. Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, DCR, welcomes dogs on leash in most parks, forests, and reservations. Most areas surrounding watersheds are off limits to pets due to concerns about contamination of drinking water. Most websites for public areas list policies on pet visits. Posted signs may spell out pet policies.

Massachusetts restaurants do not allow dogs except for service animals. Individual towns and cities have their own regulations about allowing dogs inside businesses other than restaurants. Tractor Supply, for example, welcomes leashed dogs at their stores.

Bring Fido is a great website listing many dog-friendly areas in Massachusetts.

Companion animals comprise an important part of many households — families with children, couples, and even those living alone. Enjoying good times with pets is important not only to their owners but to the pets, too. North Central Massachusetts offers good times not only to those with two legs but to those with four legs.

Rail enthusiast, historian, and retired UMass research technician, Christopher Coyle lives in Athol.