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    Thorndike Field Dog Park

    4.3 (41 reviews)

    Thorndike Field Dog Park Photos

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    Agility runs!
    Damien S.

    Leave it to Yelp to tell me about a dog park before the old lady does. Here's the M. Night Shamalama twist: the old lady told me through Yelp! Mind, blown. Thorndike is everything a dog park should be. Variable turfs for dainty of paws, sprawling shade for brutally sunny days, fenced-off areas for wee mutts and, of course, a Tree of Life. Yes, a Tree of Life. The McDonald's kiddie room take-away has found a new home in A-DOG's (Arlington Dog Owners Group) eighth of an acre, and it's proven to be the red carpet for newcomers and old dogs alike. Here's what goes down: some furry traipses through the double gated entry and guns it to the tree where the other dogs are chillin', sniffin', pantin'. It's also where the owners congregate, thanks to the halo of benching. New thang wants to run, so all dogs chase and as soon as new thang hits the thick layer of pebbles that constitutes 95% of the parks area, she heads back to the mulch surrounding the tree. The mulch becomes a 20 foot track that spits up dirt, slobber and more than a few laughs from the owners who refuse to move, lest the sun bake them golden-brown. And so goes the next 30 minutes. I love this park, with it's agility course, a maintenance shed full of supplies and running faucets for thirsty mutts. It's obvious A-DOG takes great pride in its upkeep. Two suggestions to make it perfect: - The gravel is a sanitary and effective as a dog park surface, but it's layered as thick and soft as beach sand. To many dogs, this feels unnatural, which may explain why they congregate around the tree. Maybe reduce the volume? - Related to the gravel height, the perimeter fence does not go all the way to the ground, and one pup actually weaseled its way out. There are many cheap fixes that will prevent smaller frame dogs from going Birdman to this Alcatraz, including two lengths of coated wire running along the base. Otherwise (and when compared to other local pooch playlands), it's a complete winner!

    Small dog area
    Kara S.

    Open since May 2012, thanks to the strong support of the Arlington Dog Owner's Group, the town of Arlington now has their first fenced in dog park. And it is...amazing! Located right on the Minuteman Bikeway or accessible via Margaret Street, the park is located directly next to Magnolia and Thorndike fields. The park itself is laid out in a large triangular design (much bigger than any of the alternatives in the area). There's a large oak tree at the center surrounded by benches for owner mingling and providing pups with shade on a hot day. One end of the park has an agility area with tunnels, "dog walks" and obstacles for dodging. Another section of the park stretches out with an expanse of open space for running, fetch and tireless games of chase. Team hydrate: there are also 2 water bubblers providing fresh H2o for thirsty pups when/if they stop for a break. A separate area for small dogs and puppies is sectioned off to one side. Usually these areas are an afterthought but Thorndike's is actually a good size- meaning smaller breeds dont' get shortchanged. Having happily grown accustomed to the other dirt patch dog parks in the area, this spot comes across as the totally lux new kid on the block. A total pleasure for pups and owners alike... we'll most definitely be back!

    Dogs in the park
    Sonya Y.

    Coming back in winter and water is shut off, so bring your own. Mostly big dogs but there's a separate area for small dogs. Though that area is usually empty.

    Jenny R.

    What a sweet little place. A big huge fenced in yard. A giant tree for shaded areas, fun tunnels and bridges for the pups and plenty of seating for the parents. There are also bags provided if you forget or run out of your own so picking up after your pooch is easy!! Plus it's right near a cite field and park. I'll check it out this fall with the baby when we do a half walk for me and babe and half dog park for Apollo. Great spot!

    Mattison C.

    My dog and I went around noon for an hour and half. Lots of friendly dogs at the dog park. He played frisbee and with other dogs! He had a great time. It was clean and had several playground toys. Great place to play with your dog off-leash.

    Running along the path in the park!
    Kristen B.

    This dog park is lovely, and definitely our new favorite in the area! I took our puppy who is still a little shy there. The dogs and owners were attentive making it a very non-intimidating visit. By the end, she was running around too! The tree, benches, fence are great. I do agree with others that the volume of gravel may be a bit high though.

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    11 years ago

    Great local park, with fun agility bridge! Gravel is a necessary evil.

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    12 years ago

    Exceeds my expectations for a dog park! Awesome location and great amenities for the dogs!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Thorndike Field Dog Park

    Review Highlights - Thorndike Field Dog Park

    Located right on the Minuteman Bikeway or accessible via Margaret Street, the park is located directly next to Magnolia and Thorndike fields.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    People searched for Dog Parks 1,583 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

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    Zero New Washington Street Dog Park

    Zero New Washington Street Dog Park

    3.8
    (34 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    There's a lot of bittersweet nightshade around the perimeter of the park. It has purple flowers and…read moregreen/red berries. It is poisonous to humans and dogs. Other than that, it's a very nice park.

    I used to like bringing my pup here but I come less and less as there have been issues. For the…read moremost part I am giving up on dog parks. 1) This park has a tendency of creating a lot of puddles. My silly dog likes to drink puddle water when i am not looking so he gets a dog flue. 2) My pup also tends to get doggie flue from other dogs even though he has had his bortadella shot and all other puppy shots. 3) Some dogs are turning aggressive and dominant towards my pup. As my pup gets older his sexual maturity is more prominent. He is 10 months old now. Most recent visit a boxer tried to attack him. 4) Obedience issues. Dog parks by nature have a tendency of making dogs less obedient. They go wild going around running and jumping so all those commands I taught my dog at home are useless here. 5) I have realized that my pup does not need dog friends. I am his only friend. That is the only friend he needs. After I bring him home from this park he is more rowdy than ever. Trying to establish his dominance on me. As a pack leader I end up spending 30 minutes calming him down. After visiting this dog park I have learned that dogs aren't meant to be at dog parks. There are way too many dangerous and obedience issues that come out of dog parks.

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    Zero New Washington Street Dog Park
    Zero New Washington Street Dog Park
    Zero New Washington Street Dog Park

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    Fresh Pond

    Fresh Pond

    3.9
    (82 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    My family and I visited Fresh Pond for the first time and it was beautiful. We were lucky to have…read morefound street parking right across from the Trader Joe's. The loop was well paved in most areas and there were a couple off trails that were a nice surprise. It was pretty crowded even for a "not so great weather day" so I can imagine how busy it gets on a nice day. Loved how it was a dog friendly place. Most people didn't have their dogs on leash. This is great for families who feel comfortable with it but imagine it could be an issue for others. We will definitely be back!

    Beautiful, well-maintained park, with a designated bike lane and separate walking path, which I…read moreLOVED - always less stressful for all parties knowing you have your own literal lane. The surroundings are gorgeous, I especially liked the smaller pond further off (think it's called Little Fresh Pond/Dog Beach on the map), with a peaceful seating area. When I went during the day, I didn't see a ton of other people milling about (lots of doggo's merrily bounding about). The one star off is for the parking situation. I actually tried coming here twice before finally succeeding. The first time, I found the nearby rotaries too daunting and gave up and went home. The second time, we finally conquered the rotaries but pulled into the parking lot right by the park to find resident only signs plastered everywhere. Seriously? No non-resident access even for one day out of the week? So here's a tip. On my third try, I just parked in the nearby Whole Foods lot and walked over. It was about five minutes with a sidewalk but I wasn't a fan of having to cross a super busy road to get into the park. Better than nothing, I guess. I've also heard there's street parking on the south end of the pond but you might need to do some circling.

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    Fresh Pond
    Fresh Pond
    Fresh Pond

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    Tudor Street Dog Park

    Tudor Street Dog Park

    2.5
    (12 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    This is a neat little dog park for folks living or visiting a little south of Central Square. The…read morepark is gravel with some grass patches, which doesn't seem to bother any dogs, but I wish there was more. Per long-term pet parents, the grass has been gradually growing year-after-year, so maybe it will be fully grass someday. There are bowls and water fountains with adequate water pressure to ensure dogs stay hydrated when playing. There are some cliques at certain times, but haven't experienced anyone being rude - actually quite the opposite. People seem to be interested to learn and meet the newcomers (we moved back in January). The only issue I have come across is a dog walker once around 12:00pm on a weekday. He had 3-4 dogs and they all ran in and started humping mine and the walker did nothing about it, so when I got the dog off I took mine and left. Outside of this, the owners seem all responsible and are good at clocking signs when their dogs may be overstimulated or not liking another dog and will recall them. My pup is still learning how to interact with people but loves playing with other dogs. All the owners have been very respectful of him & his space and allowing him to approach them when he's ready. It's nice to see there are really nice, educated dog owners around the area!

    We are from out of State, and my dogs are trying to get acclimated…read moreTo new routine and environment. Most dogs in the park were male puppies Not neutered owned by first time covid dog owners.. With little experience.. Very Cliquy Neighborhood Park and Most people were not nice or interested in helping me when my male dog had a problem with another dog being aggressive to my daughter dog..his sister. I understand the dynamics well and am very experienced in this field of positive and negative reinforcement. Lots of mean folks with big mouths.. picking on the new bees.. The Park was also very filthy with dog Poop spread all over seating. Since we were bullied Post likely not going back to give my dogs that negative thing. Happy Holidays

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    Tudor Street Dog Park
    Tudor Street Dog Park
    Tudor Street Dog Park

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    Alexander W. Kemp Playground

    Alexander W. Kemp Playground

    4.8
    (15 reviews)
    2.0 mi

    Amazing little playground designed for future little engineers to explore. There was all sorts of…read moreunique things like a water ramp, pulleys to lift up buckets of sand, and plenty of things to climb. Docking a star for limited shade and sand making it a bit slippery and dangerous for climbing up the surfaces around the slide. Worth a visit though!

    Probably one of my favorite playgrounds I've encountered in Boston…read more Here's why: -fenced in, with only one exit - great for thwarting runners -water play area, including one feature that looks kind of like showers, which is very handy in dealing with the fall out from the... -extensive sand area, including with various simple machines (levers, pulleys) and some basic toys (shovels, buckets -- although I'd bring your own) -significant wheelchair-accessible areas, including swing and turn-table thingie -good amount of parent seating -fun playscape structures that are designed to look more natural (e.g., thing to climb on that looks like logs) Very good for young kids -- our 7-month old could enjoy the water and the swings (and the sand, although he needed supervision to keep from eating it). Our almost 3-yo could do most things, but I think even a kid in the low-elementary grades would have a good amount of fun here. We found 2-hour parking along the side of the Cambridge Common; most of the rest was resident only. When we visited in the summer, there was a porta-pottie nearby.

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    Alexander W. Kemp Playground
    Alexander W. Kemp Playground
    Alexander W. Kemp Playground

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    Thorndike Field Dog Park - dog_parks - Updated July 2026

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