- 1. Reflections Holiday Parks Lennox Head: Enjoy tea-tree waters, outdoor dining, a fenced dog park, and Seven Mile Beach.
- 2. BIG4 Saltwater at Yamba Holiday Park: Explore unspoilt nature, including rivers, sandy strolls, and an agility park back at camp.
- 3. NRMA Port Macquarie Breakwall Holiday Park: Take in beaches, bush trails and cliffs together with your dog.
- 4. BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks Ballina: Set out straight from the holiday park to 3 km of coastal path.
- 5. Reflections Shaws Bay Holiday Park East Ballina: The base for paved walks and sandy swims.
Taking your dog for their daily stroll around the street is fun. But sniffing the same lampposts and plants every day can get boring, don’t you think? Enter: our favourite dog-friendly parks with dog-friendly hikes and walks just a stone’s throw away! Your dog will love getting sandy, muddy, and wet as they play and run across this variety of beaches, trails, and paths, then head back to the camp to get either hosed down or enjoy a purpose-built dog bath!
See some of the top dog-friendly holiday parks below:
Many people say that Lake Ainsworth’s tea-tree waters have healing powers. Whatever’s true, a trip to Reflections Holiday Park will definitely be a rejuvenating, relaxing experience for you and your pooch.
The park itself is only a short drive from the busy streets of Byron Bay and Ballina, with Lennox Head’s outdoor dining scene and boutique shops just a short doggy stroll away. Dogs are allowed year-round in the park, with an on-site fenced dog park and a dog wash ready and waiting after your adventures.
Nearby is Seven Mile Beach, the perfect off-leash area for some walking and play. You can also explore other nearby relaxed bushwalks, or try the 30-minute track of Pat Morton’s Lookout. You also have almost 2 km from Lennox Head Boardwalk to Pat Morton Lookout, a straightforward, laid-back, level pathway that links the main township to the base of the headland. You and your dog will witness incredible surfing and migrating whale views, with plenty of bins, waste bags, and water bowls available when you reach the Surf Life Saving Club.
Would you love exploring 130 acres of unspoilt parkland? Then you’ll love BIG4 Saltwater Yamba, Holiday Park! At this BIG4 park, you’ll be surrounded by nature and spoilt for choice. Not only is the park adjacent to beaches for sandy strolls, but you’ll also have access to a wide variety of nearby river trails and coastal paths.
Back at the camp, you can keep your pooch agile with a dog park that includes ramps and tunnels, and wash off that sand at BIG4’s dog wash.
Check out Hastings River at the Port Macquarie Breakwall Holiday Park. As a central location in Port Macquarie, NRMA is bordered by the beach, city centre, and the stunning Hastings River.
Your pet can enjoy a wide range of nearby bush trails and dog-friendly beaches along Port Macquarie’s coastline. You can enjoy walks that move from the ocean to the bush and back.
The Port Macquarie coastal walk itself is a scenic 9km route that your dog will love. Your pooch can walk the northern sections and paved paths on a leash.
Then there’s Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park, another on-lead walk with shared boardwalks and dirt tracks through the wetland. For something shorter, try the coastal clifftop Kenny Walk, a 10-minute stroll off Pacific Drive that leads directly to popular dog-friendly sandy shores. And lastly, there’s Laurieton’s Queen’s Lake Trail, full of easy, shaded bushland, alongside wetland walking paths that your dog will enjoy, yet again, on the lead.
Moving south of Lennox Head, Reflections Shaws Bay Holiday Park sits even more directly on the water, and is a perfect pet-friendly base for many scenic hikes.
First off, we have Shaws Bay & Richmond River Breakwall Walk. This 3.5km walk is paved, and you walk with your dog from the edge of Shaws Bay through Pop Denison Park, then follow the North Wall breakwater out and watch the marine life and boats. Leash-wise, your dog has to remain on the lead when they’re on the paths. However, once you reach the Spit off-leash dog beach, your dog can run as free as they like and even swim in the calm river waters!
So, now you know about all the best dog-friendly hiking spots in New South Wales! Find your local holiday park here and head out on your fun, dog-friendly camping adventure!