Seven Mile Beach Dog Beach Car Park (Lennox Head)

The car park beside the Lennox Head-Alstonville Surf Life Saving Club is the access point for the off-leash stretch of Seven Mile Beach, one of the better ocean dog beaches on the Far North Coast. The rule that shapes every visit: dogs run free north of the surf club, 24 hours a day, and are banned everywhere south of it and around Lake Ainsworth.

Leash status

Ballina Shire Council's off-leash zone starts immediately north of the surf club and runs continuously up the beach. Dogs must be under effective control, which means they respond to voice commands, and a supervising adult (16+) needs to be with them at all times. The southern patrolled swimming area and the Lake Ainsworth picnic and swimming spots are strictly no-dogs, and any aggressive or anti-social dog must be taken out of the zone. The boundary is enforced, so check the signage before unclipping.

Water and terrain

This is a wide, exposed ocean beach with genuine surf, so it suits water-confident dogs more than tentative paddlers. Low to mid tide gives the most running sand and a gentler water edge; at high tide in a swell the beach narrows considerably. The length works in your favour, since you can walk well north and find space away from other groups. Waste bins sit near the access points, though the dispensers can run dry, so carry your own bags.

Max: stay north of the surf club. The patrolled southern beach is a hard no-go, and the signage at the access track is the line you need to respect.

Getting there and parking

From Ballina or Byron Bay, make for Pacific Parade in Lennox Head and the surf club; the car park alongside it is free with direct sand access, and public toilets sit near the club. The coastal footpath from town connects on foot, and Ballina Buslines services the main street a short walk away. 4WD access is permitted on the beach north of the designated area.

When to go

Weekday mornings are the quietest for a proper run. Weekend mornings and Friday afternoons draw the locals, so arrive early or head further north along the sand to escape the crowd.

While you're out there

Both The Point Cafe and Kopi Lennox make easy post-beach stops in town. If you are touring the region's dog beaches, the Tallow Beach Dog Exercise Area at Suffolk Park is the next one north.

More sand is on the New South Wales dog beaches guide and the Lennox Head destination page.