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Click above to find and printout UBD Maps
Off-Leash Dog Parks in the Mountain Areas of NSW
Including the Local Government Areas of Blue Mountains, Cooma-Monaro, Lithgow, Snowy River and Tumut.
Please note: It is characteristic of Mountain Areas in Australia that there are large areas of natural bush which are declared National Parks. These are invariably off-limits to dogs for very good reason. Native animals can be deterred from visiting an area where they can detect a dog has been for several days - and dog scent will linger for days after the dog has left. If this happens to be their chief feeding area, they will starve to death. Considering the many endangered species in Australia, this would be disastrous. Australia is big enough to cater for everybody so please stay away from National Parks.
In 1998, Blue Mountains did not have any off-leash areas ... now it has five. I got this information from their website but I couldn't copy the URL because it created a temporary file from my search for the word 'leash' so you shall have to do the same to check the most up-to-date information!
The off-leash areas as of January 2001 are as follows ... please note that the UBD reference is the Blue Mountains Issue ...
| Old Airstrip, Blackheath - inside perimeter of runway- Monday to Sunday 24 hours - (Not on the UBD maps but I've actually stumbled on this one when I wasn't looking for it - it's way down Hat Hill Road!) |
| Leura Oval, Leura - dirt track, gate to gate - Monday to Sunday 5 am to 9 pm (UBD 20 H15) |
| Bulls Camp, Woodford - open grassed area - Monday to Sunday 24 hours (UBD 24 F15) |
| Summerhayes Park, Winmalee - car park, southern section and park land between tennis courts and Bunnal Avenue - Monday to Friday 6am to 9pm Weekends and Public Holidays 6am to 8.30am and 5.30pm to 9pm (UBD 17 C8) |
| Lennox Bridge, Glenbrook - closed road loop south of Lennox Bridge - Monday to Sunday 24 hours (UBD 37 Q11) |
The site advises that each of the Dog Off Leash Exercise Areas have signs which outline the conditions of use and which include a map of the area. The boundaries of the map are identified by green tipped markers and dog litter bins are provided at each site.
In 1998, there were two prohibited areas in Cooma-Monaro: Centennial Park and Norris Park in the centre of Cooma. In all other public parks and reserves, dogs are to be on a leash at all times. As with other mountain areas, there are areas of National Park in and around Cooma-Monaro. The council advises contacting the NSW National Parks Office prior to entering any National Park with a pet.
A little while ago I was sent some lovely pictures of a park in Cooma. We've had a computer crash on us since then so I hope I can find them!
Pending snail-mail!
Naturally the Kosciusko National Park is prohibited to dogs - this was never doubted. In 1998 all other areas allowed leashed dogs but there were no off-leash areas. As for now ... pending e-mail!
Pending e-mail!
The
information in these pages comes directly from the councils concerned,
however, it can only be considered current on the day it is
written. Always, always look for the signs in every park you visit.
If the rules have changed, these signs take precedence over anything
written in this site. If you do discover changes, please e-bark
me immediately!
Help me keep this page up to date! If you know of any off-leash areas that I don't please e-bark
Just a final few words ...
Always remember that even in off-leash areas all dogs must still be under effective control and must not leave any deposits. Please make sure that your dog - especially your puppy - is fully up-to-date with all their vaccinations before going to any parks. Our friend Leelou, the Rottweiler, contracted Parvo Virus as a puppy shortly after a park visit - though, of course, she could have picked it up anywhere. She has recovered brilliantly but not every puppy is so lucky. Ticks are also becoming more common in the Sydney Metropolitan Area. Please ask your vet for advice.