Dog Beaches in Rockingham: Every Off-Lead Stretch

All nine Rockingham dog beaches at a glance

Start and end points below use the City's own wording from its permitted dog beaches map, listed north to south (for Weld Street, which the map names without end points, the wording is from the City's 2023 Guide to Keeping Animals). Every stretch is off-lead under effective control, at any time of day, all year, except during major events. The City's dogs page says there are 10 dog beaches along its coast, while the map legend lists nine stretches. The nine below are the ones the legend names.

Source: City of Rockingham permitted dog beaches map and A Guide to Keeping Animals. Checked November 2026. Signs at each beach access are the final word.

Best Rockingham dog beach by use case

Three councils, three different beach rules

Under the Dog Act 1976, each WA local government decides where dogs can be off-lead. Rockingham sits between Kwinana and Mandurah, and the three councils treat dogs on beaches very differently.

Each Rockingham dog beach in detail

The northern beaches face the sheltered waters of Cockburn Sound, Shoalwater Bay and Warnbro Sound. From Secret Harbour south, the coast opens onto the Indian Ocean. As a rule the sound beaches are more sheltered than the ocean ones, but check conditions on the day.

1. Weld Street, Rockingham

The northernmost dog beach in the City. The City's guide describes it as the beach accessed from the Weld Street Beach car park, running north to the City's boundary with Kwinana. This is the stretch Kwinana residents are pointed to, because Kwinana's own beaches are closed to dogs. The City also allows horses to exercise and swim north of the grain terminal jetty on Rockingham Beach Road, so you may share the northern end with horses. Keep your dog close and calm when they pass.

2. Hymus Street around Point Peron to Boundary Road

The dog beach closest to the Rockingham city centre. It starts at the corner of the Esplanade and Hymus Street, runs west to Point Peron and continues around the point south to Boundary Road. Rockingham Beach in front of the foreshore cafes is not part of it, so walk west to Hymus Street before you unclip.

3. McLarty Road, Shoalwater

From McLarty Road south to the Mersey Point car park. The older City guide describes the access as Arcadia Drive. It is a short stretch, which makes it a good choice for a quick evening run rather than a long walk. It ends at the Mersey Point car park; the beach beyond that is not part of this stretch.

4. Bent Street, Safety Bay

From the Bent Street boat ramp car park south to the Donald Drive boat ramp. Boat ramps sit at both ends, so keep your dog on the lead near the ramps and car parks, where boats and trailers come and go.

5. Shelton Street, Warnbro

From Shelton Street (the guide says the corner of Shelton Street and Warnbro Beach Road) south to St Malo Cove. This and the Capella Pass stretch are the nearest dog beaches for Warnbro and much of Baldivis.

6. Capella Pass, Port Kennedy

From Capella Pass south for 1 km, ending 100 metres south of Bayeux Avenue. The City's 2026 map is precise about the end point, so pace yourself: about 1 km down and back is the whole stretch. Between this stretch and Secret Harbour, the beach is not a dog beach.

7. Siracusa Court, Secret Harbour

From the Port Kennedy and Secret Harbour boundary south to the Siracusa Court car park. This is the first stretch on the open ocean coast, so the water is more exposed than on the sound beaches. Keep a strong swimmer close on a windy day.

8. Crystaluna Drive, Golden Bay

From Crystaluna Drive, 500 metres south. The guide places the access at the northern point of the Crystaluna Beach car park. At 500 metres it is the shortest of the nine, and it is easy to drift past the end. Watch for the red “dogs are prohibited” sign.

9. Bight Reefs Road, Singleton

From Bight Reefs Road south to the City's southern boundary. The 2023 guide described this one as 500 metres from the Bight Reefs car park; the 2026 map extends it to the boundary. Across that boundary, the City of Mandurah lists the beach south to Avoca Place, Madora Bay as a dog exercise area, so on paper this is the longest continuous dog walk in the region. Signs at the boundary still apply.

Next door: Madora Bay, City of Mandurah

Mandurah's brochure lists the beach from the northern boundary of the district to Avoca Place, Madora Bay, as a dog exercise area where dogs may be on or off the lead. Dogs are then prohibited from Avoca Place south to Madora Beach Road, and allowed again from the southern end of Parmelia Way, Madora Bay, south to Ajax Place, San Remo. The brochure says it is current as of November 2023, and we could not load a newer version from Mandurah's site, so treat the signs as final.

The rules on every Rockingham dog beach

The same rules apply at a dog beach as anywhere else dogs are allowed. The City's map lists them:

• Keep your dog within sight at all times.
• Carry a lead at all times, even when your dog is off it.
• Only let your dog off-lead if you have effective voice control.
• Keep 10 metres clear of playgrounds, picnic areas and BBQ areas.
• Pick up and bin your dog's droppings.
• Do not let your dog wander into a prohibited area.
• During major events, keep your dog on the lead, or away entirely if the organiser bans dogs.

Each access path carries a sign: a green “dogs are permitted by law on this beach” or a red “dogs are prohibited by law on this beach.” If you cannot see either, the safe reading is that the beach is not a dog beach.

One trap catches people. The City's off-lead parks list includes several foreshore reserves, such as the Esplanade foreshore, Safety Bay foreshore and Secret Harbour foreshore. Those are off-lead exercise reserves. The sand in front of them is a dog beach only where the beach map says so.

Rockingham dog beaches through the year

The City sets no seasonal hours, so the beaches are open to dogs all year. What changes is the weather and the crowd.

Summer (December to February)

Perth summers bring long runs in the mid-30s to 40 degrees. Dry sand in the middle of the day can burn paw pads, so go early or late, and use the back-of-your-hand test on the sand first. Bring fresh water and shade, because a dog that swims and runs in the heat tires fast. Summer is also when the beaches are busiest and events are most likely to bring on-lead rules.

Autumn (March to May)

Warm water and gentler afternoons make autumn a good time for a new dog's first beach outings. Snakes are still active in the warmer months, roughly September to April around Perth.

Winter (June to August)

Quieter beaches and cooler sand, which makes winter a good time for recall practice. Check the conditions before a swim on the open ocean stretches from Secret Harbour south, and dry your dog off after a cold one.

Spring (September to November)

Snake activity picks up again from September. Keep your dog on the sand and out of the scrubby dunes behind the beach, where a curious dog is most likely to disturb one.

Beach safety: heat, snakes and what not to worry about

Heat. Heatstroke is the most common serious summer risk. Heavy panting, drooling, wobbling or collapse means cool the dog and get to a vet straight away. Never leave a dog in a parked car at the beach.

Snakes. Dugites, gwardars and tiger snakes are common around Perth's bushland and wetlands, and bites rise in the warmer months. A bite needs an emergency vet fast. The nearest 24/7 hospitals for Rockingham are WAVES at Success and The Animal Hospital at Murdoch University. Save one in your phone before you go.

Paralysis ticks. Not a local risk. The paralysis tick is not established in WA, so do not import east-coast tick urgency. Ask your vet about prevention only if you are taking your dog east.

1080 baiting. Fox baiting under the state Western Shield program is a bushland and reserve issue, not a metro beach one. If you walk your dog through bush reserves on the way to the coast, watch for “1080 POISON RISK” signs.

When is my new rescue dog ready for off-lead at the beach?

A beach is the hardest place to test recall. There are other dogs, birds, waves, food and open space in every direction. A newly adopted dog does not know its name well yet and has no bond with you, so a spook can turn into a run along the sand with no fence to stop it.

Give it a few weeks on the lead first. Then practise recall on a long line, ideally at one of the City's four enclosed dog parks: Bayview Reserve in Rockingham, Barri Barri Reserve in Baldivis, Seahaven Reserve in Waikiki or St Clair Reserve in Port Kennedy. Take your first beach trips at a quiet time, on a long line, and only unclip when your dog comes back every time you call.

Read your dog's listing and adoption notes too. Some rescues note that a dog is not suitable for off-lead, or that it is reactive with other dogs, and that advice comes from people who have lived with the dog. Across the rescue listings we gather for Rockingham, many dogs are large bull breed and working crosses with plenty of energy, which suits beach walks once recall is solid. The Rockingham rescues guide explains how each local rescue works.

Once your dog is home, register it with the City. When we checked in November 2026, the City listed $20 for one year, $42.50 for three years or $100 for life for a sterilised dog (fees can change), and the City's dogs page has the forms. A registration tag on the collar is the quickest way home for a dog that bolts on the beach.

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