Your review
South Fremantle Dog Beach (South Beach Reserve)
South Fremantle, WA 6162
A long off lead stretch of South Beach where Fremantle dogs swim, dig and sprint all year.
The Guide's rating
The rules, in short
Before you go
Declared a dog exercise area under section 31 of the Dog Act 1976 by the City of Fremantle, which means dogs may be off lead at any hour of the day as long as they remain under effective control. The off lead section of South Beach Reserve is defined as running from the prolongation of the southern boundary of Douro Road to the prolongation of the southern boundary of Scott Street. The adjoining stretch, from that Douro Road line south to the South Beach groyne, is listed separately as a dog prohibited area, so dogs may not enter it at all, on lead or otherwise.
Off lead only inside the declared exercise area, with no time of day restriction attached to it in the council policy. The same policy notes that any declared exercise area reverts to an on lead area while an authorised council activity, function or sporting event is being held on it.
- When
- Any time
- Cost
- Free
Worth knowing before you arrive
- The beach immediately south of Douro Road, down to the South Beach groyne, is a dog prohibited area rather than an on lead area. Get the boundary wrong and you are in the one section dogs are banned from.
- Boundaries are defined by street lines rather than fences, so read the council signage at the access points before you unclip.
- Completely unfenced open coast with a shared cycling and walking path behind the dunes, so recall matters.
- Very busy on weekend mornings, which is wonderful for social dogs and hard work for reactive ones.
About South Fremantle Dog Beach (South Beach Reserve)
South Beach sits just south of the Fremantle harbour, and the northern half of the reserve is one of the few genuinely round the clock off lead beaches in the Perth metropolitan area. The water here is sheltered enough by Garden Island and the port infrastructure that it stays flat on most days, which suits dogs that like to swim rather than fight a shore break. The declared exercise area runs north from Douro Road to Scott Street, a strip of a few hundred metres backed by low dune and a shared path, so there is room for a real run without leaving the sand. It gets genuinely busy on weekend mornings, when it turns into an informal meeting point for half the dogs in the southern suburbs. The catch is the boundary: the swimming beach immediately south of Douro Road is not merely on lead, it is a declared dog prohibited area, so it pays to know which side of the line you are on.Which dogs it suits
Small
Medium
Large
Giant
What is there
- Off-lead area
- Parking
Best for
confident swimmers
early morning beach runs
sociable dogs that enjoy company
recall practice on open sand
What members say
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