Dog-friendly Ballina: Off-leash beaches, parks and cafes

Ballina is where Trent used to live, and we keep rolling back into town with Bert and Penelope. Two beagles, two noses, and you know how beagles get once they catch a scent, so we like to know exactly where they're allowed to run. Ballina has proper off-leash space for dogs, but a few of the prettiest beaches in town are a flat no. Here's where your dog can run free around Ballina and Lennox Head, where the lead stays on, the spots to skip, and the walk and cafes we've done ourselves.

Off-leash dog beaches and foreshore in Ballina and Lennox Head

Ballina Shire Council keeps a short off-leash list by the water, which makes it easy to remember. Two spots, and both are worth the trip.

Seven Mile Beach, Lennox Head

This is the big one. Off-leash starts north of the signed beach access track just north of the Lennox Head Alstonville Surf Life Saving Club. Everything south of that track, including the sand in front of the club, is a no-dog zone. Use the access track north of the club and check the sign before you unclip.

Heads up for spring and summer. Pied oystercatchers, little terns and beach stone-curlews nest above the high-tide mark, so council asks you to keep your dog on a lead on its dog-friendly beaches during nesting season and stick to the water's edge.

The Spit, Ballina

The Spit is the off-leash option on the Ballina side of the river, which makes it the easy pick when you're staying in town and don't fancy the drive up to Lennox. The same nesting-season ask applies: lead on and stay low on the sand in spring and summer.

Off-leash dog parks around Ballina

Away from the sand, five of council's seven off-leash areas are parks and reserves. Handy when the tide's wrong, the wind's howling or your beagle has already eaten half a beach.

• Bicentennial Gardens, Ballina. The northern area of the reserve is off-leash, and it's handy if you're already in Ballina town.

• Compton Drive, East Ballina. Off-leash with agility equipment, so bring the show-off in your life.

• Gap Road, Alstonville. Also has agility equipment, and it's the pick if you're heading up onto the plateau.

• Ballina Heights Estate. The eastern reserve area is off-leash.

• Headlands Drive Drainage Reserve, Skennars Head, between Ballina and Lennox Head.

Council lists these by general location rather than exact boundaries, so check the signage when you arrive. No off-leash sign means the lead stays on.

Where dogs aren't allowed in Ballina

Read this bit before you unpack the ball thrower. Ballina Shire Council lists these as dog prohibited areas:

• Lighthouse Beach

• Shelly Beach

• Seven Mile Beach south of the beach access track just north of the Lennox Head Alstonville Surf Life Saving Club

• Flat Rock reef

• The Serpentine

• The northern end of Sharpes Beach during surf patrols

• Shaws Bay

• The north-eastern corner of Chickiba Lake around the shorebird roosting area

• Lake Ainsworth and its foreshore and reserve

• The fire trail at the end of Camp Drewe Road, Lennox Head

Council also lists the areas where Section 14 of the NSW Companion Animals Act 1998 keeps dogs out: in or within 10 metres of a children's play area, food preparation or eating areas (unless you're on a public road, footpath or pathway), school grounds and child care centres without permission, shopping areas where dogs are prohibited, and wildlife protection areas. Extra council signs can add to that list, so read the sign on the day.

If any guide says otherwise, this one included, the council wins, every time.

The Richmond River loop: the easy Ballina walk

When the beagles need a leg-stretch rather than a full sprint, this is the walk we've done. Start by the water near the Ramada, follow the riverside path around the point and finish under the trees at Fawcett Park. It's flat, pram and wheelchair friendly, there are benches and bins along the way, the lead stays on, and the pelicans put on a show the whole time. We wrote the full route up in our lap of the Richmond River with the pups, including where to park.

Planning something longer? Ballina Shire Council's exercising your dog page links to its cycleways and shared paths map, which marks the dog-friendly areas.

Dog-friendly cafes and pubs in Ballina

Two East Ballina spots we've taken Bert and Penelope to, both a stone's throw from the water and both happy to see four paws at the outside tables.

The Belle General, East Ballina

Up on Shelly Beach Road, The Belle General pours Allpress coffee and blends thick dairy-free smoothies, and the menu covers gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian without anyone at the table missing out. It's a breakfast and lunch spot, so make it the reward after a morning leg-stretch. One catch: Shelly Beach across the road is a no-dog zone, so the coffee is the beach trip here.

The Shaws Bay Hotel, East Ballina

You might know this one from our Santorini paint and sip night at The Shaws Bay Hotel. Renovated, right on the water and turning out wood-fired pizzas, and dogs on a lead are welcome in the outdoor dining area. Shaws Bay itself is a no-dog zone, so enjoy the water from the table.

Bert and Penelope's Ballina tips

• Go early or late. Ballina sun doesn't muck around, and morning and late-arvo walks are kinder on paws and on the people holding the leads.

• Pack water and a collapsible bowl. Not every path has a tap, and the river isn't a drinking fountain.

• Pick up after your dog, every time. Council requires it, and it keeps these spots open to dogs.

• Lead on during nesting season. Spring and summer on the beaches means shorebird nests above the high-tide mark.

• Read the sign, not the blog. Rules change, and the sign at the access track is the final word.

Make a night of it in Ballina

Dogs walked, sand shaken out, dinner sorted. Now the fun bit. Our Ballina paint and sip nights are singalongs first: the canvas comes home with you and the chorus stays stuck in your head for a week. Check the Ballina paint and sip calendar for the next date and round up the crew.

Dog people, this one's for you: our Paint Your Pet sessions let you paint your own fur baby from a photo. Heading south? Our Stuart Island dog park wander in Nambucca Heads is a cracker. Every town we've sniffed out lives in our dog-friendly guides with Bert and Penelope.

Dog-friendly Ballina FAQs

Where can my dog go off-leash in Ballina?

Ballina Shire Council lists seven off-leash areas: Seven Mile Beach north of the signed beach access track just north of the Lennox Head Alstonville Surf Life Saving Club, The Spit, the northern area of Bicentennial Gardens, Compton Drive in East Ballina, Gap Road in Alstonville, the eastern reserve at Ballina Heights Estate and Headlands Drive Drainage Reserve at Skennars Head. During spring and summer nesting season, council asks you to keep dogs on a lead on its dog-friendly beaches.

Is Lighthouse Beach in Ballina dog friendly?

No. Lighthouse Beach is a dog prohibited area, and so is nearby Shelly Beach. For off-leash sand, head to The Spit or to Seven Mile Beach north of the signed access track just north of the Lennox Head surf club.

Can dogs go to Lake Ainsworth at Lennox Head?

No. Lake Ainsworth and its surrounding foreshore and reserve are a dog prohibited area.

Are dogs allowed at Shaws Bay?

No. Ballina Shire Council lists Shaws Bay as a dog prohibited area.

Are there dog-friendly cafes in Ballina?

Yes. We've taken our dogs to The Belle General on Shelly Beach Road, which has dog-friendly outdoor seating, and to The Shaws Bay Hotel, where dogs on a lead are welcome in the outdoor dining area. Both are in East Ballina.

Dog rules in this guide were checked against Ballina Shire Council's Exercising Your Dog page and Off-Leash Dog Exercise Areas factsheet on 14/10/2026. Rules change, so always follow the signs on the day.