Mudjimba Off leash beach

Mudjimba Beach is a long, open stretch of sand on the northern Sunshine Coast looking out to Mudjimba Island, also known as Old Woman Island. The draw for dog owners is the signed off-leash zone along the foreshore near the surf life saving club, backed by hard-packed sand at low tide that is as good for running as any beach on this coast.

Leash status

The off-leash area runs along a signed section of the foreshore between beach access points near the Mudjimba SLSC. Keep your dog on-lead through the car parks and pathways and until you are well onto the sand, then it is off-leash under effective voice control, close enough to reach. Sunshine Coast Council refreshed its dog rules from July under its new dog exercise area plan, and it has also added a dedicated off-leash zone at Mudjimba South, so read the signage at the access point you actually use before unclipping; boundaries and time windows have changed recently.

Water and terrain

Low tide is the time to come: the receding water leaves firm, wide sand for running and shallow pools for paddlers. This is a patrolled surf beach, so respect the flagged swimming zone and keep an eye on swell if your dog is a deep-water type. Dogs are prohibited from the dunes and conservation areas at all times; the revegetation zones stay off-limits even when the beach is empty.

Pepsi: low tide turns this into a racetrack. Check the tide chart before you drive out, because high tide squeezes everyone between the water and the dune line.

Getting there and parking

Mudjimba sits 10 to 15 minutes north of Maroochydore via David Low Way, then onto Mudjimba Esplanade. Free parking runs along the Esplanade and in the beach car parks near the surf club, and TransLink route 615 stops along the Esplanade, a short walk from the sand. Beach showers at the car park entrances handle the sandy-paw rinse before the drive home.

Worth knowing

Waste bag dispensers and bins sit at the main access points, but carry your own bags as backup. There is no dog wash on the foreshore, so bring a towel. After any coastal rain, give the dune swales and creek mouths a miss, as they can hold runoff.

When to go

Early mornings are the local habit and the emptiest sand, with late afternoons a close second. Summer weekends bring swimmers to the flagged zone and pressure on parking, so a weekday trip or an early start is the reliable play.

While you're out there

The Island Surf and Espresso and Flawsome Cafe both take dogs at outdoor tables, an easy coffee after a beach run.

More options are on the Queensland dog beaches guide and the Mudjimba destination page.