I live in Georgetown, MA, and I love my little town! My design studio is here, and we do have some hiking trails that are perfect to photograph dogs. If I’m looking for something close to home but with a bit more “variety”, Newburyport is my “go to” for photo sessions. Newburyport is just 15 minutes from me. They have an adorable downtown with dog friendly shops, a beautiful rail trail with art displayed along the paths, a harbor walk with gorgeous views, and a 450 acre park to easily get lost in! (yes, I admit, I’ve been lost in Maudslay State Park during a photo session!) I thought I’d share some of the different locations with you in case your in the midst of photo session planning with your dog or you just might be looking for some local dog friendly outings to enjoy! Newburyport was also one of the locations for my recent book, Tails of the North Shore.
Downtown
Newburyport is super dog friendly! Many of the shops have water bowls set up for your pooch, and good mannered pups can browse with you. The city itself makes for some great backdrops, especially the brick buildings. Fall and winter are my favorite seasons with the streets lined with leaves, or even snow! Scooter enjoyed playing in the leaves this autumn morning near Market Square. (In Memory of Scooter who left us way too soon at only 3 years young)
When you hit Pleasant St., be sure to stop in and see Judy at Just Dogs! She will be sure to have a treat ready for your pooch! This is my favorite pet boutique. I think this is Rosie’s new favorite place, too!
Harbor Walk
Downtown Newburyport runs right next to the harbor, which has a lovely, scenic path to walk. There are grassy areas to kick back, and boats to watch go by. Meet Skip, enjoying his jaunt by the boats.
Clipper City Rail Trail
The walk along Newburyport’s Harbor leads to the Clipper City Rail Trail. Entrance to the path is close to Michael’s Harborside Restaurant. The Clipper City Rail Trail is part of the “Coastal Trails Coalition”, which is developing in the four towns of Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, and Salisbury along the Merrimack River and will eventually be a link in the 28-mile Border to Boston Trail. Beautiful art aligns the trails in the form of sculptures, some being interactive for children.
Dale Rogers is a known sculptor on Boston’s North Shore. Here is Pride with his best head tilt in front of Dale’s “G-Swirl” sculpture.
Maudslay State Park
Maudslay State Park is one of my favorite trail spots north of Boston. The park features 19th century gardens and plantings, rolling meadows, towering pines, and one of the largest naturally-occurring stands of mountain laurel in Massachusetts. It’s the perfect place for a walk, bike ride or picnic. Just a heads up – there is a fee to park. For MA residents it’s just $5, but if you are from out of state it is $20. I’ve done photos here all four seasons of the year and it’s always a beautiful place! If your dog is easily “distracted”, it’s a big enough acreage where you can hide 🙂
Here’s Jacob posing in rich autumn leaves and Archie as a puppy(he’s 3 times the size now!) on a snow day.
Have you been to Newburyport? Do you have a favorite place that you visit with your dog on the North Shore? I’d love to hear about it!
Thanks for stopping by this week’s blog post. Next up is Angela Schneider of Big White Dog Photography, loving Spokane parks for portrait sessions. If you are out in the northwest adventuring with your dog, be sure to check out Angela’s amazing “Journey Sessions”. Have a great week.
Oh my goodness! I can’t imagine being lost during a session! But, those photos at Maudslay State Park surely made it worth it!
What a scenic town! Great place for dog photography!
A 450-acre park! Wow! Your little town sounds so nice! Definitely need to add this to my list of places I need to travel to.
Great shots of the town of Newburyport & surrounding Park. Love the shots taken at Just Dogs. Those Pretzels are making me hungry. They look good enough for human consumption.
Love the shots of the town of Newburyport & Maudslay State Park. The Photo of Just Dogs Pretzels are making me hungry. Those pretzels look good enough foe human consumption.
Being from the area and knowing Newburyport it was fun to see it through a dog’s point of view. Gorgeous photos, such wonderful lighting. I can relate to being lost in the woods! Your photography captures so much more than the beautiful dogs you photograph, it captures their essences and the surroundings only add to the beauty.
MA is one of my favorite states. We used to do a stop over visit somewhere in MA every time we traveled to Maine for summer vacations. Your photos proved the versatility of Newburyport. Love that shot of Jacob against the yellow trees!
I could spend a year exploring in your neck of the woods and not get bored. I love the scenery and the history of Boston, Massachusetts and all up the northeastern coast.
New England in the fall is my ultimate dream photo session (with dogs, of course). Your town looks like something out of a Hallmark movie and I want to visit. lol.
oh my gosh!! Newburyport & Maudslay State Park looks so beautiful – I will have to add this on my list of places to visit. Gorgeous photos too!!
I’ve always loved Newburyport, so quaint and you do a great job of soaking in everything it has to offer (and i didn’t know it was so pet friendly!). The image of Pride with the chin rest made me stop in my tracks – gorgeous!