Dog-Friendly Beaches in Sydney
Salty runs and shore-line sniffs.
Dogs are not allowed on most Sydney beaches. These 10 are the exceptions, where the local council signposts off-leash access: 5 are off-leash all day, 4 have set hours or seasons, and 1 is off-leash in one marked section only.
Rowland Reserve
Waterfront off-leash paradise with launching ramp and shady picnic lawns.
View detailsSirius Cove Reserve
A tucked-away harbour beach — off-leash all day on weekdays, timed on weekends.
View detailsGreenhills Beach
A dune-backed beach with a timed evening-to-morning off-leash window.
View detailsRose Bay Foreshore
A harbourside foreshore strip that's off-leash all day, every day.
View detailsHorderns Beach
A Royal National Park-fringed beach with generous winter off-leash hours.
View detailsMona Vale Beach (South)
A trial off-leash window on an actual ocean beach — rare on the Northern Beaches.
View detailsManly Lagoon Park
24/7 off-leash paddling in a calm tidal lagoon, not the open surf.
View detailsLawry Plunkett Reserve
A 4-hectare off-leash reserve right behind Balmoral Beach.
View detailsLady Robinsons Beach
A precisely bounded off-leash strip — 150m, not the whole beach.
View detailsSilver Beach
An all-day, precisely bounded off-leash stretch on Botany Bay.
View detailsHow to choose a dog beach
- Check the hours first. Sirius Cove Reserve in Mosman is off-leash all day on weekdays but only before 9am and after 4pm on weekends and public holidays. Greenhills Beach in Cronulla changes its hours with daylight saving.
- Check the season. Horderns Beach at Bundeena is off-leash all day from May to August, but September to April it is only before 8:30am and after 4:30pm on weekdays.
- Look for exclusion zones. Greenhills Beach bans dogs from the dunes behind the beach, and Lady Robinsons Beach is off-leash only in the signposted section between Gates 60 and 61.
- Plan for no fencing and little water. 9 of the 10 are unfenced, so recall matters near roads and car parks, and only 3 list a dog fountain or water bowls. Bring your own water.
Beach rules to know
- Outside the signposted areas and hours, dogs are either banned or must be on a leash, depending on the beach.
- Pick up after your dog. Councils set and change the access rules, and some are trials or seasonal, so check the council link on each listing before you go.