Hillarys Dog Beach and the Whitfords Horse Beach: The Rules

Every Hillarys rule in one table

All of these come from one page, the City of Joondalup's animal exercise areas, read on 7 November 2026. We have kept the City's wording where the detail matters.

Councils can change these orders. The signs on site always win.

Hillarys Dog Beach: off-lead, all year

The City of Joondalup describes it as “a stretch of coastline dedicated all year round to the exercising of dogs.” Dogs may be exercised there off-lead, but “must remain under effective control and supervision.” There are no hours, no summer daytime ban and no horse time-share on this stretch.

It is also the only City of Joondalup beach where dogs can be off-lead at any time. The City lists the whole foreshore from Burns Beach to Marmion as dog prohibited, “apart from Hillarys Dog Beach and the Coastal dual use path.” That is why the beach is so well known across the northern suburbs: from Burns Beach to Marmion, it is the only stretch of coast where a dog can run off-lead at any hour, with the horse beach next door off-lead only in the afternoons and on Sundays.

The Whitfords Horse Beach: dogs by day and by hour

The City's exact words: “The Hillarys Horse Beach, also known as the Whitfords Horse Beach, is located immediately north of the Hillarys Dog Beach. It is used predominately for recovery from exercise or injury by horses and is most popularly used during the early morning.”

Two sets of rules apply there, one for horses and one for dogs, and they fit together:

The City writes the dog rule as “AM” and “PM” without a clock time. The horse window ends at midday, so the sensible reading is on a lead before noon and off-lead after it, Monday to Saturday. If you arrive near midday and horses are still on the sand, keep the lead on until they have gone.

Why the lead matters here. These are often horses recovering from injury, standing in the water. A dog that runs up barking can spook a horse, injure a rider and get kicked. On a Saturday morning with a dog that has not met horses, stay on the dog beach.

Two more zones near the horse access path. The City also lists dogs as permitted on a lead on the horse beach “from the horse access path northwards for 160 metres,” and as prohibited on the horse beach “from the horse access path southwards for 750 metres.” The City does not publish a map showing how those two lines sit against the dog beach and the time-share area, and on paper they are hard to square with each other. We report them as written. The signs at the horse access path are the tie-breaker, so read them before you unclip.

So is there a Whitfords dog beach?

Not under that name. Plenty of people search for a “Whitfords dog beach,” and the honest answer is that the City of Joondalup has two names on this coast: Hillarys Dog Beach and the Hillarys Horse Beach, which it says is “also known as the Whitfords Horse Beach.” When locals say Whitfords for a dog run, they usually mean the horse beach, or the whole dog and horse stretch together.

What you must not do is take “Whitfords” literally and head for Whitford Nodes. Whitford Nodes, Hillarys is on the City's dog prohibited list, and the City says dogs may not enter the beach through the Whitford Nodes South car park beach access path. You may walk your dog on a lead along the dual use pathway to the dog beach instead.

Getting there: the right path in

The beaches are in Hillarys, on the coast north of Hillarys Boat Harbour. The City of Joondalup is precise about the way in, and less precise about addresses, so here is what it does say:

• Use the Dog Beach access path. The City lists it as an on-lead path. Unclip only once you are on the dog beach sand.
• Lead on in the car park. “Dogs must be on a lead in carpark,” and on the footpath to and from the beach.
• Not from the marina. Dogs may not enter the beach from the northern Hillarys Marina groyne.
• Not from Whitford Nodes South. No dog entry via that car park's beach access path.
• The coastal path works. The coastal dual use path from Burns Beach to Marmion is on-lead, and the City says you may walk your dog along it to the dog beach.
• Horse floats. The City says horse and float car parking is available next to the horse beach. Leave those spaces for floats.

The City does not publish a bay count, opening hours for the car park, or a public transport route for the dog beach, so we do not give one. Searching for “Hillarys Dog Beach” in a map app is the simplest way to reach the access path.

What it is like for a dog

This is open Indian Ocean coastline on Perth's northern beaches. The City's page says nothing about swell, shade or facilities, so we will not invent them. Plan as you would for any exposed Perth beach: bring water and a bowl, expect wind in the afternoon, and expect the water to change with the swell.

Because it is the only off-lead beach between Burns Beach and Marmion, it draws dogs from all over the northern suburbs. Weekend mornings are the busy time. Sunday is the one day the horse beach is off-lead from dawn, which spreads dogs over a longer stretch of sand.

What effective control means at Hillarys

The City of Joondalup is one of the few Perth councils that spells this out. It says your dog is not under control if it:

• chases or disturbs wildlife, other dogs, or people
• acts in a threatening or aggressive manner
• attacks or injures another animal or person
• is a considerable distance from its owner, so it cannot respond to verbal commands, including recall

Add the state law: under section 32 of the Dog Act 1976, a dog in a dog exercise area must be held, tethered, or supervised by a competent person close by who is carrying a lead and can attach it. Pick up after your dog, and make sure it is registered with your council and wearing its tag. Our Perth dog registration guide explains how that works.

Safety: heat, sand, snakes and water

Heat and hot sand. Perth summers bring long runs of mid-30s to 40 degree days. Dry sand can burn paw pads, so use the back-of-your-hand test and go early or late. Carry fresh water (seawater is not drinking water), and never leave a dog in a parked car. Heatstroke is an emergency, so get to a vet immediately.

Snakes in the dunes. Dugites and other snakes are active around Perth in the warmer months, roughly September to April. Whitford Nodes and the foreshore outside the dog beach are dog prohibited anyway, so keep to the open sand and the paths.

Water. Not every dog can swim, and a rescue dog's history is often unknown. Let a new dog find its feet in the shallows, and keep dogs out of rough water.

Ticks are a low risk here. Paralysis ticks are not established in WA, so the tick risk at a Perth beach is low. Ask your vet about prevention only if you are travelling east with your dog.

Know your emergency vet. Perth's 24/7 hospitals include Animal Emergency Service (formerly Perth Vet Emergency) at Cannington and Osborne Park, The Animal Hospital at Murdoch University and WAVES at Success.

The nearest other dog beaches

For every metro dog beach from Two Rocks to Coogee, and the famous beaches that ban dogs, see our Perth dog beaches guide.

Is Hillarys right for a newly adopted rescue dog?

Hillarys has one real advantage for a new dog: the dog beach has no time rules, so you can pick the quietest hour rather than the hour the council allows. It also has one real risk, which is the horse beach next door. A dog that has never seen a horse, or one with a strong chase instinct, should not be loose anywhere near it on a weekday or Saturday morning.

• Read the adoption notes first. If a rescue says a dog is not suited to off-lead areas, or to livestock, take that seriously here.
• Start on a long line. A quiet weekday afternoon on the dog beach, a long line on a harness, and short recall games.
• Walk the coastal path first. The on-lead dual use path is a calm way to get a new dog used to the sights, sounds and other dogs before the sand.
• Learn the boundary together. Turn back well before Whitford Nodes and the marina groyne, both of which are off limits.
• Check the microchip and tag. The chip and council registration should carry your name and number before the first off-lead run.

Many of the dogs we list from Perth rescues live in foster homes, so the carer can often tell you how a dog handles water, recall and big animals before you adopt. Ask, if a beach is part of your plan. Our best dog rescues in Perth guide lists where to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

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