Last updated: January 23, 2024
This guide explores the 16 best dog beaches in Sydney where your furry friend can have a blast running around on the sand and in the water.
While there may be many beautiful beaches along Sydney’s coastline and in the Harbour, only a handful of those strips of sand are dog-friendly.
It’s true, dogs are not allowed on most of Sydney’s beaches, not even on a lead. And with such a large dog population in our city, that is indeed a bit disappointing.
We have listed 16 of the best dog-friendly beaches in Sydney that your best mate will love. Before visiting one of these beaches, please check the council websites for the latest rules around on and off lead times.
1. Sirius Cove Reserve
Sirius Cove Reserve is a dog-friendly hideaway in the suburb of Mosman in Sydney’s lower north shore.
Alos referred to as Little Sirius Cove, this charming little bay is home to a quiet beach, a playground, and a large picnic area.
Surrounded by a sandstone wall, the 250m wide beach faces south into a deep bay that flows into Sydney Harbour. The water is calm and shallow and, therefore, perfect for dogs to walk or run into.
Dogs are allowed off-leash in the park, on the beach, and in the water all day from Monday to Friday. Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays are restricted to non-peak hours before 9 am and after 4 pm.
Check the Mosman Council website for more information.
2. Clifton Gardens Beach
Clifton Gardens is a popular picnic spot for families, featuring a rocky beach with a netted swimming enclosure, a fenced playground, change rooms, and excellent BBQ and picnic facilities.
Dogs love it there, with lots of space to run around, both in the park as well as on the beach and in the water.
There are restrictions, though. Dogs can go off-leash before 9 am and after 4 pm from April to September, and before 9 am and after 6 pm from October to May.
Check the Mosman Council website for more information.
3. Spit West Reserve
Spit West Reserve is a large dog-friendly park area located just south of the Spit Bridge in Mosman, which has a beach area at low tide.
Dogs are permitted unleashed on the beach and in the water all day from Monday to Friday, and before 9 am and after 4 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays.
Check the Mosman Council website for more information.
4. Sandy Bay in Clontarf
Sandy Bay on Sandy Bay Road in the suburb of Clontarf is a popular dog-friendly beach along the Spit to Manly walking track.
It borders Clontarf Reserve, a beautiful park and beach area with excellent picnic and BBQ facilities, a cafe and restaurant, playgrounds, toilets and showers, and beach access.
Dogs are allowed off-leash at Sandy Bay, home to a small, shallow, sheltered beach, perfect for dogs to run into and have a fabulous time.
Check the Northern Beaches Council website for more information.
5. Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve
The grassy dunes and natural lagoon in the Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve in Curl Curl between Dee Why and Freshwater Beach make for an exciting spot for dogs to have a blast.
The good news is that dogs are allowed off-leash at all times in the reserve. The facilities are excellent, with dog waste bins, a drinking area, and public toilets nearby.
Check the Northern Beaches Council website for more information.
6. Bayview Dog Park in Rowland Reserve
One of the most popular dog parks on Sydney’s northern beaches is the Bayview dog park on Pittwater Road in Rowland Reserve.
It has a large grassy area as well as beach access into Pittwater, next to the boat launching zone.
Also, if your dog desperately needs a professional wash, you’ll typically find a mobile dog wash service in the park on the weekends.
Check the Northern Beaches Council website for more information.
7. Marrinawi Cove
Opened in 2023, Marrinawi Cove at Barangaroo Reserve is a unique little swimming area in Sydney Harbour where dogs are very welcome. While not an actual beach, we believe Marrinawi Cove deserves a spot on this list of dog beaches in Sydney.
The swimming enclosure has safety netting to keep sharks and other wildlife out. There is plenty of seating surrounding the swimming area, in addition to safety railings, signage, and shower and toilet facilities.
Be mindful that Marrinawi Cove can get quite busy during the summer months, in which case it’s recommended to come earlier in the day so that your dog has more space to run and swim.
Read our Barangaroo Reserve article for more information about this beautiful spot in Sydney Harbour.
8. Glebe Foreshore
There are various dog-friendly parks and areas along the Glebe Foreshore, but for off-leash action, the best locations are Bicentennial and Federal Park, located west of the Johnstons Creek canal.
That is where you will find a small beach with water access into Rozelle Bay, close to the Federal Park Picnic Shelter.
Dogs love running in and out of this strip of sand, with the surrounding park areas making this a great spot to let your dog have a great time.
Check the City of Sydney website for more information.
9. Rose Bay Beach and Dumaresq Reserve
Dogs are allowed off-leash on the Rose Bay foreshore between Percival Park and Dumaresq Reserve.
With beautiful views of Sydney Harbour, this is a great spot for you and your canine friend to hang out for a few hours.
Your dog is also more than welcome at various other parks nearby as long as they are on a lead.
Check the Woollahra Municipal Council website for more information.
10. Bellamy Beach at Rose Bay Park
Rose Bay Park is located on the other side of the ferry wharf, which is both a dog-friendly park as well as a beach.
Do note though that dogs are required to be on a lead in this area, although this doesn’t appear to be strongly enforced.
Check the Woollahra Municipal Council website for more information.
11. Kutti Beach in Vaucluse
One of Sydney’s best secret beaches is Kutti Beach, a small strip of sand quietly tucked away between Parsley Bay Reserve and Watsons Bay in Vaucluse.
The beach is accessible via a narrow staircase right next to the Vaucluse Amateur Sailing Club, located at the end of Wharf Road.
It may look like a small dead-end street, which it essentially is, but don’t turn around as the staircase is there if you look closely.
Dogs are only allowed on the beach and in the water on a lead, but you’ll find many dogs running in and out of the water, and nobody seems to mind.
Check the Woollahra Municipal Council website for more information.
12. Lady Robinsons Beach in Kyeemagh
The northernmost section of Lady Robinsons Beach in Kyeemagh became a dog-friendly beach in 2018 and has since proven to be a big hit.
It’s a relatively small area but certainly big enough for dogs to have a great time running around and socialising with other dogs.
As it currently stands, dogs can go off-leash 24/7 on this stretch of sand.
Check the Bayside Council website for more information.
13. Botany Bay Foreshore Beach
While certainly not the prettiest dog-friendly park and beach area in Sydney, Botany Bay Foreshore Beach is a bit of a hidden gem for dogs and their owners.
Dogs are indeed allowed on the beach all day long, but be mindful that they must be on a leash.
The best way to access this area is from Foreshore Road, with parking available at the large car park with signs for the boat ramp.
14. Silver Beach in Kurnell
Facing Botany Bay, Silver Beach in Kurnell has a dog-friendly section towards the west at Bonna Point Reserve.
It’s a quiet strip of sand with low tides and hardly any waves, perfect for dogs to hang out and have a blast.
Accessibility is good too, with lots of street parking available in the area, but mainly along Prince Charles Parade.
Check the Sutherland Shire Council website for more information.
15. Greenhills Beach in Cronulla
Greenhills Beach is located next to Wanda Beach, north of Cronulla Beach, right in front of a new suburb with the same name. It’s the only dog-friendly beach in Sydney that is also ocean-facing.
While there may be lots of parking available in the area, be mindful that this is a very popular spot that quickly fills up on the weekends.
Dogs can run around off-leash at Greenhills Beach before 10 am and after 4 pm every day. It does get busy there, but the beach is very well looked after, with lots of space for both dogs and their owners to spend some quality time.
Check the Sutherland Shire Council website for more information.
16. Horderns Beach in Bundeena
Situated west of the Bundeena ferry wharf, Horderns Beach is a popular strip of sand that has on- and off-leash sections throughout the year.
Dogs are allowed on Hordens Beach off-leash from September to April before 8.30 am and after 4.30 pm, on weekdays only.
Check the Sutherland Shire Council website for more information.
Lady Robinsons Beach in Kyeemagh has become a 24/7 dog beach in February 2022 after a decision by Bayside Council.
Thanks Daniela, that’s great news, article has been updated.
Frankly, in my opinion, beaches are overrated. If you’re a dog owner, much better to go to a river. Less people, absolutely no rangers and beautiful scenery to boot. I am from the Blue Mountains and have no desire to drive all the way to any of the recommended beaches with my greyhound in tow, only to find that there are 101 regulations in place including off leash time misunderstandings!
Hi Geneva,
Would love to know which rivers you are going to in the Blue Mountains?
Thanks
Hi Geneva, where do you recommend specifically? I tried yarramundi river and it was too muddy, too crowded, not enough shaded spots. Cheers.
What are these rivers you speak of? I’d love to take my greyhound there.
Kutti Beach is not dog friendly!
We took our new puppy there just last week and was given a citation by the ranger.
That’s interesting, thanks for sharing Michelle.
Was your puppy on or off lead?
I agree some owners need to be more responsible and it should be a legal requirement to properly train your dog and, unless it’s a show or breeding dog, then de-sexed as well.
That said, Australia is way behind in all matters of dog ownership. In the UK your dog can catch the tube with you or go to the pub with you I even once met a lady with an assistance dog which was staying in hospital with her.
Most beaches require dogs on a leash, if humans can’t swim on a leash how can our fur children/friends swim on leash. My golden retrievers love water, they can just swim and swim, it does not bother anyone. I wish rules change one day since most dog owners are very responsible.
Avoca Beach is dog friendly beach. We went there 2 Sundays and my 2 Chihuahua’s are loving it as they are unleashed.
Thanks for letting us know Alice, we’re going to check it out!
Kutti Beach is an on leash beach and is regularly patrolled by rangers.
Thank you for making us drive all the way to Greenhill beach (1 hr) with 38 degrees and discover it is not a dog friendly beach!
You wrote:
“Dogs can run around off leash at Greenhills Beach before 10am and after 4pm every day. It does get busy here but the beach is very well looked after with lots of space for both dogs and their owners to spend some quality time.”
That lead us and few other families understand that you can have the dog on leash in between 10 and 4 pm.
It is not true.
THE ONLY TIME YOU CAN HAVE THE DOGS AT THAT BEACH IS BEFORE 10 AND AFTER 4PM BUT ON LEASH! NOTHING IN BETWEEN!
Make sure you write clear information!
Hello Michela, sorry to hear you had a bad experience today. Please note though that the information provided in this article about Greenhills Beach was sourced directly from the Sutherland Shire Council website. Our article also includes a link to the Greenhills Beach page on the council website.
Also note that the council website does state that dogs can in fact go off leash Monday to Sunday between the hours of 4pm and 10am during daylight savings. If that information is incorrect, it’s best to notify council.
It also clearly states that dogs are prohibited on the beach outside of these hours. Fair enough, we didn’t mention that last piece of information, but whether your assumption that dogs can go on leash between 10am and 4pm was a fair assumption is debatable.
From council:
“Dogs allowed off-leash Monday to Sunday at the following times:
– Daylight savings time from 4pm to 10am
– Non-daylight savings (standard time) from 3pm to 10am
Dogs are prohibited on the beach outside of the above specified hours.”
You clearly just stated what Sydney Uncovered had said!
Clearly you made the mistake of not understanding their statement and it is only your fault for not reading it properly and comprehending it before jumping the loop. Well done on digging your own hole!
Can confirm Kutti Beach is dog-friendly, but yes, the rangers are a bit overzealous with doling out the fines for leashes. It is a complete joke at that location in particular (the beach is so small).
Wish more beaches were dog-friendly. Had a chat to a lifeguard this evening about it. My point is that most humans leave more rubbish, and offend one another far more than any dog ever could.
Totally agree.
If our dog owners were a lot more responsible particularly in the stick and ball throwing department and poo gathering then the powers that be may consider more venues, to be licked all over by a wet smelly dog is not a pleasant experience.
I acknowledge licking by a wet dog is not fun. But consider it a compliment. Dogs only gravitate to good people.
There aren’t many dog friendly beaches in Sydney. If you don’t like dogs, you have a lot of other beaches to visit. 🙂
Agree!
I agree with you re poo gathering. We live next to a reserve on the Parramatta River and are sick of people deliberately bringing their dogs down to the area to poo without picking up after them. We watch it all wash down into the same water that children play in and people fish in. But I don’t agree that taking access away will fix that. They just come really early in the morning or late at night so they don’t get caught. What we need to fix is the self entitlement. The idea that you are not responsible for your environment or your community. That is a problem that pervades all in Australia, not just dog owners.
Dogs are pretty good at sniffing out the good folks from the mean ones, I don’t think you have anything to worry about lol.
I have noticed in the Inner West, small beaches on the Iron Cove Bay (walk) and Blackwattle Bay (walk) are popular for dogs.
Thanks so much for the tip, Caroline.
Yes the iron cove beach is great for dogs but now the Callan Park upgrade will mean dogs will lose that area to romp in!
Can we do something? I belong to a FB group: Callan Park Dog Lovers. We are trying to keep dog access to that beach.