Harwich

Beaches that allow dogs in Harwich

Harwich has some nice beaches facing Nantucket Sound. The waves are usually calm and the water is warmer than you’ll find on the outer cape beaches.

No dogs are allowed in the summertime on Harwich public beaches, so you’ll have to wait until the offseason to visit with your pet. Harwich isn’t a far drive from Eastham, where the cape cod national seashore beaches welcome pets all summer long.

• How to get a Harwich beach parking sticker: click here
• Map of amenities at all Harwich public beaches: click here
• Harwich beach regulations: click here

Dog rules for Harwich Beaches

• Dogs are only allowed on beaches in Harwich during the off-season.
• Dogs not allowed on harwich beaches during the summer season, which ranges from Memorial Day – Labor Day each year.
• Dogs are allowed to walk the parking lot of Red River beach year-round from 7:30am-9:00am and also after 4:30pm

Beaches in Harwich, MA

Bank Street Beach

Bank Street Beach in Harwich requires a town parking sticker. The beach is very popular and the parking lot fills up early in the day. You used to be able to walk from the free town lot (from the beach heading up Bank Street take a left at rt. 28 and its just ahead on your right, near the Chamber of Commerce). But they don’t want you parking there all day for the beach.

Dogs are only allowed at Bank Street Beach during the off-season. There’s nice long Jetty bordering Wychmere Harbor if you walk to the left. And if you walk beyond the public beach to the right you can walk past other Harwich town beaches.

Earle Road Beach

A town of Harwich beach parking sticker is required at Earle Road Beach. It is a fairly small beach with a similarly sized parking lot.

Jacknife Harbor Beach (Pleasant Bay)

Jacknife Harbor Beach sits right on the Harwich/Chatham line off of Route 28. It’s one of the few free beaches on cape cod that doesn’t require a beach sticker.

There’s limited parking on one side of busy Route 28 and a bigger lot below. No dogs are allowed on the Harwich side of the beach during the summer season, but they are allowed in the morning and evening on the Chatham side which is accessible from the same lot.

It’s not the best beach in terms of sand quality. It tends to be rocky and covered with broken shells. bring foot protection as there is also glass, but not the smooth weathered kind you find at beaches with good surf. It’s more the “you cut your foot open and now you need stitches” type. Rusty bottle caps abound too. Wear sandals.

pro tip: pleasant bay beach’s access road and parking lot can flood at high tide during certain moon cycles, be aware or your tires will get to say hello to the ocean. At high tide the beach path becomes a puddle.

#1 BEACH DOG RULE for pleasant bay beach in harwich: clean up after your dog! People go clamming here, they don’t want to eat your pet’s fertilizer.

Jackknife beach in harwich is a fun place to swim after a tennis ball. the shallow, gentle waters of pleasant bay are great for youngsters or poor swimmers, dog and human alike. lots of hermit crabs, blue crabs, horseshoe crabs, even spider crabs will keep children entertained all day long.

It’s a great place to stand up paddle board or kayak. Watch out for the currents as the tide is going out in the river though, they can be quite strong and may pose a safety hazard for kids or pets who aren’t strong swimmers. Learn more: 3 fun kayaking trips from jackknife beach

Long Pond Beach

Long Pond has beaches in Harwich and in Brewster. On the Harwich side, Long Pond Beach offers a large dirt parking area with bathroom facilities and boat ramp. There’s a designated swim area that is roped off so that the boats don’t clunk you on the head. Due to the large lot size it isn’t likely to fill up.

Long Pond – Cahoon’s Landing Beach

You can also check out the much smaller Cahoon’s Landing Beach on Long Pond, which has a very small parking area with porta-potties. This parking lot does fill up on summer days but if you get shut out you can always keep driving to the main Long Pond beach and you should be all set.

Pleasant Street Beach

Pleasant Street beach is a popular beach with a large parking lot that usually fills up during nice days in the summer. A town of Harwich parking sticker is required.

If you get there and it’s full, head back towards Lower County road and take a right to try Earle Road Beach which is close by.

Red River Beach

Red River Beach is a long, narrow beach with a large parking lot. It is the only beach in Harwich that sells daily parking passes. Because it is so long, you’ll have more room to spread out your towel here than at most other beaches in the area.

There are lots of jetties (and occasionally lots of seaweed onshore). Drive to the left to the far end of the parking lot for a great beachcombing, there’s a path down the shore side to a narrow river that fills with the tides.

Red River Beach is the only beach in Harwich that allows dogs in the summer – but not on the sand. Dog walking is allowed in the parking lot from 7:30am-9:00am and also from 4:30pm-dusk year round.

Sand Pond

The beach sand here may not be as sandy as the name implies, its kind of dirty. But Sand Pond is a nice freshwater beach with a roped off swimming area. The beaches and pond allows dogs after Labor Day. Kids can get swimming lessons here in the summertime.

You need a Town of beach sticker to park in the lot. Sand Pond’s parking lot is located at 180 Great Western Road in Harwich.