Dog-Friendly Nature Reserves in the ACT: Where You Can Walk

By Dr Duncan Houston

Canberra has nature reserves where you can walk with your dog, but a nearby reserve can have completely different access rules. A familiar track, an open gate or another person with a dog is not proof that your route is permitted.

Choose the exact reserve and entrance before leaving home. Then check the current Parks ACT information, alerts and signs so the outing works for your dog, other visitors and wildlife.

Quick Answer

Dogs are permitted on lead in a number of ACT reserves, including Mount Ainslie, Mount Majura, Red Hill, Farrer Ridge and O’Connor Ridge. Pet dogs are not permitted in Namadgi National Park or Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Use the official reserve information and dog-exercise map to check boundaries, and do not treat an on-lead reserve as an off-lead area.

Five on-lead reserves to consider

The Parks ACT dogs page lists the following options for on-lead visits:

• Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve: check the particular track and its difficulty before choosing your route
• Mount Majura Nature Reserve: plan the entry point and a route that stays within permitted trails
• Red Hill Nature Reserve: select a walk you can shorten if conditions or your dog's comfort change
• Farrer Ridge Nature Reserve: review the reserve map rather than assuming every nearby open area has the same rules
• O’Connor Ridge Nature Park: keep your dog on lead and allow space when passing other track users

These are starting points for planning, not assurances that every track is open or suitable on the day. A dog-access permission does not describe slope, surface, shade or temporary closures.

Understand the three access categories

On-lead areas

Keep your dog physically controlled and stay on the permitted tracks. Parks ACT recommends a lead no longer than two metres in its on-lead reserve guidance. Do not interpret that recommendation as permission to let a longer lead stretch across a shared path.

Designated off-lead areas

Off-lead permission applies to specific mapped and signposted areas. It does not extend to every adjoining reserve or track. Your dog must still remain under effective control, and you must prevent unwanted approaches to people or animals.

Dog-prohibited areas

Namadgi and Tidbinbilla are not pet-dog walking destinations. Other ACT reserves also prohibit dogs, so check the exact place rather than relying on its name or proximity to a dog-friendly area. Separate assistance-animal provisions should be checked directly with the managing authority.

Check the route before leaving home

1. Identify the exact reserve. Use the official map and match it to the entrance you intend to use
2. Check the dog category. Confirm whether the whole planned route is permitted, conditional or prohibited
3. Read current alerts. Look for closures, management activity and other access changes
4. Choose an appropriate walk. Consider surface, slope, expected conditions and whether you can turn back easily
5. Have an alternative. A nearby permitted urban walk can be a better option if the reserve plan no longer fits

Use Parks ACT alerts alongside the access information. Save the relevant route details before travelling, then check entrance signs when you arrive. If information is unclear, contact Parks ACT before entering with your dog.

What to take

• A secure lead and well-fitting walking equipment
• Water and a bowl, without assuming a tap will be available
• Waste bags and a way to carry used bags out
• A charged phone and the route information you need
• Current identification details and a practical plan for returning early

Keep the first visit modest. A new environment adds wildlife, unfamiliar surfaces and passing people to the physical walk. You can choose a longer route another day after learning what the setting is like.

Protect wildlife and other visitors

Give wildlife space and do not allow pursuit, close investigation or barking at animals. Keep your dog close enough that another walker, cyclist or horse rider can pass without negotiating a lead across the track.

On-lead access is not permission to enter every waterway. Follow the water-access restrictions and signs for the specific location. Pick up waste and remove it rather than leaving a bag beside the trail.

When to change the plan

Proceed when the route is permitted, open and manageable. Shorten or relocate if the track is busier, more exposed or more difficult than expected. Do not enter if a closure, prohibited-dog sign or uncertain boundary conflicts with your plan.

Changing the destination is a sensible part of planning. Do not continue into an unsuitable area because you have already driven there.

Common mistakes

• Assuming all Canberra Nature Park reserves have identical dog rules
• Letting an on-lead dog range off the marked track
• Following another visitor into a prohibited area
• Using an old blog or map without checking current official information

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my dog to Namadgi?

Pet dogs are not permitted. Choose an officially listed dog-friendly reserve or urban walk instead.

Are Mount Ainslie and Mount Majura off-lead?

No. They appear on the Parks ACT on-lead list. Keep your dog on lead and follow local signs.

Does dog-friendly mean every trail is open?

No. Check track access and current alerts separately from the general dog permission.

What if the signs disagree with an old recommendation?

Do not proceed on the basis of the old recommendation. Follow current restrictions and ask the managing authority if clarification is needed.

Choose the exact permitted route

A good ACT dog walk starts with the right boundary, current information and a manageable route. Keep the outing flexible and leave the reserve as you found it.

Sources and access check

Access information checked on 5 October 2026 against Parks ACT's dog guidance and ACT Government dog-walk information. Recheck official restrictions before each visit.

ASK A VET™ encourages thoughtful outings that suit your dog's everyday needs. Plan the route and practical care before you leave home.