I have to say I was very surprised how nice, large and unused North Point Park on the Charles River is when Moose and I finally figured out how to get there.  Tucked along the Charles River on the Cambridge side of the Zakim Bridge, North Point is a relatively new park made up of lush lawns, beautiful gardens crisscrossed by pathways and canals.    

What To Expect

In addition to a beautiful park, North Point is relatively isolated from the hustle of Boston, with incredible water views, gardens and lawns, you will find in the very back where there is a large area isolated from the rest of the park by the canals – you can see where the Boston Duck Tours splash into the Charles River. Pretty cool, especially for kids. Otherwise this is a great area to play with the dog, especially with the surrounding views, stunning really…

Getting There & Parking

Getting there is a little tricky, which might explain why it seems very few people are ever there. Here is a Google Map to give you an idea.  Once you are there there is some two-hour parking near the children’s play area and surrounding streets. During the week-day parking can be brutal in this area. Consider walking, taking the MBTA green line or parking in the garage at the Cambridge Side Galleria or Science Museum across the street. After 5:00pm it is much easier to find parking in this area.

Leashes & Poop Disposal

You can expect to see the usual signs throughout to keep your dog on a leash and pick up afterwards.  I don’t remember seeing bag dispensers but there are receptacles to dispose of poop all over the place.  Picking up poop is the cool thing to do, all the kids are doing it these days – leaving it behind is not cool at all.

Water for the Dog

You will find they installed a permanent dog bowl in the playground.  There are two sections to the playground with gates that close off between the two areas.  Consider closing the gate near the water area as I have noticed the nervous looks of non-dog owning parents and sitters.  The outer section of the play area has water sprayers built into the padded ground.  The sensors to activate the sprayers are on top of the posts nearby.  When I grew up, playgrounds were not this nice.  Remember to exercise your dog before coming into this area as most parents will get worked up if your dog starts marking the place.