Date visited: 7/12/2023

This was a fun trip. This is the walkway that runs along side Stacy Boulevard. Parking on the street is free, and we parked for the day right on Stacy Boulevard. The main attraction here is the Fisherman's Memorial. There is also the Fisherman's Wives Memorial, a number of small gardens, entrances to Crab Beach, Pavilion Beach, and access to Stage Fort Park. There is also a draw bridge that was raised a number of times while we were here so that boats could enter and exit the harbor.

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Date visited: 7/12/2023

This was the main purpose of our visit to Gloucester. This is a rare year round off-leash dog beach. Dog's are allowed to be off-leash here any time of year. There are two parts to this small beach, that are connected by a rocky area during low tide. There are two sets of stair cases down from the esplanade, one for each section. This serves to enclose the beach area so that the dogs don't run out. This isn't the nicest beach in the world, there is a fair amount of seaweed, but it serves it's purpose. It was great to see so many dogs running free around the beach and frolicking in the water.

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Date visited: 7/12/2023

We followed the All-Trails route for our walk around this very nice park. There are a number of picnic areas, scenic vistas, playgrounds and athletic fields. There is even a dog park, that we didn't get a chance to visit. The main attraction is probably the two beaches. The first one, Half Moon Beach looks fantastic. It's enclosed by rocks and trees that gives it a real tropical feeling. There's a cool stone stair case to get down to the beach. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed during the summer months, so we had to take the photos from the outside of the beach looking in. The other beach, Cressy Beach, isn't quite as nice. There are no lifeguards at this beach, and also no signs about dogs not being allowed, so I assumed that it was okay. There are some cool rock formations here. The Gloucester Vistior's Center is also at this park. It is a very cool looking building, with some historic informational signs out front. Keep in mind, there is a charge to park here, and I think non-residents need to buy a pass online in advance to park here. We parked on Stacy Boulevard and walked in, so we bypassed all that.

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Date visited: 7/12/2023

This is a small beach on the east end of the esplanade. I didn't see any "No Dogs" signs, or anything, and other dogs were there so I assume it was okay to bring them on the beach. This beach offers some nice views of the boats in the harbor.

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Date visited: 6/29/2025

This spot is beautiful. It's similar to some of the places we visit in Narragansett, Rhode Island. There's a short path through the woods that leads to the rocky shoreline, where waves crash against the rocks. People come here to fish, or just hang out. Besides the people fishing, there were a group of teenagers hanging out here, and even a bride and groom taking wedding photos. Mandy and Lexi were able to relax in one of the tidal pools. (I've learned to always check the tidal pools for sharks since this trip a couple weeks prior.) Unfortunately, it got cloudy and foggy about 20 minutes after we arrived. The clouds moved in fast. It was annoying because it seemed to be sunny everywhere else in the region. I also have to comment on the traffic on the way here. The Mass Pike was a parking lot, so my GPS routed me around it. Unfortunately, it seems like everyone else's GPS did the same thing. It took me over 3 hours to get here, at least 45 minutes longer than it should have taken. At least we still had some time here when it was sunny.

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