While the beaches around Brisbane aren’t as great as those of the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast, there’s still a fair number of off-leash dog-friendly beaches in the Queensland capital to choose from for a fun time out with your pup.
Along the coastline of the Moreton Bay, Brisbane City and Redlands Coast regions there are nine off-leash dog beaches. Plus there’s another four off-leash beaches on nearby islands, that are well worth the extra effort to reach.
Take your pick from these thirteen off-leash dog beaches in and around Brisbane…
Dog Beaches in Moreton Bay Region
There’s five dog-friendly beaches in the Moreton Bay Region, to the northeast of Brisbane. Drive across the bridge to Bribie Island and its beautiful beach, or take your pick from the four beaches located along the shores of Moreton Bay.
For excellent maps of the off-leash beaches in the region, see the Moreton Bay Regional Council website.
Woorim Beach South, Bribie Island
Arguably the best off-leash dog beach near Brisbane is Woorim South Beach, or Bribie Island Dog Beach. The off-leash section of this beautiful stretch of golden sand extends for over 4km, in between Woorim Beach and Red Beach. And unlike other islands near Brisbane, Bribie Island is connected to the mainland by a bridge, so it’s easily accessible.
To access the off-leash stretch of Woorim Beach South, it’s easiest to head to the end of Lowry St in Woorim. Dogs are allowed off-leash to the right hand side of the access point, next to the sand pumping station. The beach is technically a “surf beach”, but the surf barely reached 30cm high on the day I visited. There’s also a handy dog wash down area next to the access point.
Alternatively, head to Red Beach to access the dog beach. The waters at Red Beach are more sheltered and calm. From the first carpark, there’s initially a couple of hundred metres of on-leash only beach, before the start of the off-leash beach section, which is clearly signposted.
On Bribie Island, there’s also two on-leash dog beaches. At the northern end of Woorim Beach, north of the main section where dogs are prohibited, dogs are allowed on-leash from the entrance at the northern end of North Street, heading north towards the 4WD access point. Additionally, in Bellara, dogs are allowed on-leash on the beach area alongside Sylvan Beach Esplanade in between Boronia Drive and Marina Boulevard.
Read more about dog-friendly Bribie Island
Beachmere North and Beachmere South
If you detour south off the access road to Bribie Island, you’ll reach the quiet suburb of Beachmere. There’s two off-leash beaches in Beachmere, at the northern and southern ends of the long stretch of beachfront. Both beaches are tidal mudflats, best visited at low tide.
We visited Beachmere South, marked as “Beachmere Offleash Dog Beach” on Google Maps. The off-leash exercise area starts at the end of Biggs Avenue and continues to the mouth of the Caboolture River, although dogs are prohibited in the mangrove area. There’s also a handy off-leash grassy park next to the carpark, convenient for visits at high tide.
Heading north, dogs are still permitted on the beach but must remain on-leash until you reach the Beachmere North off-leash exercise area. Its located in between the end of Louise Drive and the northern end of Bayside Drive.
Deception Bay Foreshore
Heading south, the next off-leash beach in the Moreton Bay Regional Council area is the Deception Bay Foreshore. Like Beachmere North and South, this dog beach is also a tidal mud flat, best visited at low tide.
The section of off-leash dog beach is located in between Wallin Avenue and Joseph Crescent, or just search for “Deception Bay Dog Beach” on Google Maps. At the time of my visit, there was also an off-leash trial on the foreshore footpath, but only before 8am and after 4pm.
Queens Beach North
After Woorim South Beach, the next best off-leash dog beach in northern Brisbane is probably Queens Beach North. This dog-friendly beach is located in the suburb of Scarborough, near Redcliffe.
Dogs are allowed off-leash on Queens Beach to the north of the stairs near Griffith Road. On the southern half of the beach they must remain on leash. On busy days it’s easy to pick the boundary line from the number of dogs at the northern end!
Rather than mudflats as for most of the beaches at Moreton Bay, Queens Beach is instead a gritty sand. It’s also rocky around the low tide mark.
Read more about visiting Queens Beach North, also known as Redcliffe Dog Beach
Dog Beaches in Brisbane City
The Brisbane City section of coastline is currently home to three off-leash dog beaches. For maps of each area, plus any updates to off-leash areas, see the Brisbane City Council website.
Sandgate Foreshore
The northernmost dog-friendly beach in the Brisbane City region is the Sandgate Foreshore. A huge section of the mudflats off the suburbs of Sandgate and Shorncliffe has been designated as an off-leash dog exercise area.
The northern end of the off-leash dog beach starts near the corner of Flinders Parade and Second Avenue. The southern boundary is close to the corner of Park Parade and Zeehan Street in Shorncliffe. There’s multiple staircases to get down onto the mudflats.
Find out more about visiting the Sandgate Dog Beach
Kedron Brook Beach
Just north of Brisbane Airport is the beachside suburb of Nudgee Beach, home to the Kedron Brook off-leash swimming area. The off-leash area is situated next to the fenced Tuckeroo Dog Park – search for “Nudgee Beach Dog Park” on Google Maps.
Kedron Brook is quite popular with local dog owners. On the Sunday afternoon we visited, there was even a combined coffee and dogwash van busily trading in the carpark. Once again, the beach is largely mud flats – don’t wear new shoes! The off-leash section extends to the mouth of the brook and is tidal, so better visited at higher tide.
Note that the nearby off-leash dog area on Nudgee Beach itself that was being trialled was cancelled, with no plans to be re-instated.
Manly Dog Beach
The final dog beach in the Brisbane City region is Manly dog beach, located on the southern side of Brisbane Airport. This dog beach is quite small, best visited at low tide when it is larger, but gritty sand rather than a mudflat.
The beach is located close to Manly Boat Harbour, in between the rock walls at the end of Davenport Drive, which runs along the southern side of the boat harbour. On Google Maps, search for “Inspiration Point” in Manly.
Dog Beaches on the Redlands Coast
In the Redland City Council area, there are only two off-leash dog beaches on the mainland. However, there’s also another three excellent dog beaches on the islands off the coast.
Raby Bay Foreshore Park Dog Beach
Both of the off-leash dog beaches on the mainland of the Redlands Coast region are located in the suburb of Cleveland. My preferred option is the dog beach at Raby Bay Foreshore Park, with its sandy beach.
To find the section of beach alongside the park where dogs are allowed to paddle off-leash, search for “Raby Bay Dog Beach” on Google or keep an eye out for the signs. The dog beach isn’t that large, so can get crowded on busy days, but still a decent size.
GJ Walter Park Foreshore
Another spot to head with your dog for a swim in Cleveland is GJ Walter Park. This large fenced dog park is located on the other side of Cleveland Point. The easiest access point is on the northern side, where there is a carpark at the end of Shore Street East, rather than on the southern side near the ferry terminal.
While GJ Walter Park arguably has beach access, it isn’t great in terms of dog beaches. The fenced park is edged by mangroves on one side, with some beach access in between the mangroves.
Main Beach, Coochiemudlo Island
For more dog beaches along the Redland Coast, head offshore to one of the islands. The easiest option to visit is Coochiemudlo Island, which is a quick 10 minute ferry ride from Victoria Point on the Amity Trader. Dogs are permitted on the ferry, for no additional charge, with no muzzle required.
Once you reach the jetty on Coochiemudlo Island, it’s a short 5 minute walk to the seasonal off-leash section of Main Beach, located west of the jetty. It’s best to walk along the footpath behind the beach, with dogs prohibited from the sand either side of the jetty. Once you reach the boat ramp, the off-leash section starts about 100m further along, extending for around 200m along the pretty sand beach, with the boundaries clearly signposted.
Note that depending on the time of year, dogs may be allowed off-leash or restricted to being on-leash. During the winter months, from May to August, dogs are allowed off-leash all day long. From November to February, dogs are allowed off-leash after 5pm and before 9am. However, during Spring and Autumn, dogs need to be kept on-leash all day long, due to the presence of migratory birds.
Lions Boulevard Park Beach, Russell Island
Further south from Coochiemudlo Island is Russell Island, the largest of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands. It’s also home to a seasonal off-leash dog beach, adjacent to the Lions Boulevard Park, on the southeastern side of the island.
Like the dog beach at Coochiemudlo Island, the dog beach is only off-leash during certain times of the year. In between May and August, dogs are allowed off-leash all day long, while in the summer months between November and February, dogs are only allowed off-leash before 9am or after 5pm.
During the remaining months of the year (March, April, September, October), dogs are only permitted on-leash, due to the presence of migratory seabirds.
To reach Russell Island, take either the faster passenger or slower vehicular ferry from the Weinam Creek Marina at Redland Bay, generally travelling via Karragarra and Macleay Islands.
Home Beach, North Stradbroke Island
The final dog-friendly beach in the Brisbane region is Home Beach, located on North Stradbroke Island, the largest island off the Brisbane coastline. The off-leash beach is located at Point Lookout, in between Rocky Point and the Rocky Headland.
To get to North Stradbroke Island, there’s multiple water taxi and vehicle ferry options departing from Toondah Harbour in Cleveland and heading to Dunwich on the western tip of the island. For more details, click here.
Note that once your arrive in Dunwich, it’s a 20 minute drive to Point Lookout along a sealed road. So the dog beach is easiest to access if you take your car on the vehicle ferry. Dogs are technically allowed on the buses, but they are infrequent and likely to not accept dogs when full.
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About the Author
Shandos Cleaver is the founder of Travelnuity: Dog-Friendly Travel. She has travelled extensively with her Miniature Dachshund, Schnitzel, including to 33 countries across Europe, every state and territory of Australia except Tasmania, and 10 of the United States. She’s passionate about providing inspiration and information to others wanting to travel with their dogs, whether close to home or internationally.