Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve

Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve sits at the northern end of Curl Curl Beach, wrapped around Curl Curl Lagoon, and it is one of the Northern Beaches' most-loved 24/7 off-leash areas. The combination is the draw: open grass to run on, a shallow, calm lagoon edge for a swim, and the ocean a few steps away.

The dog setup

The off-leash zone covers the reserve and lagoon foreshore at the northern end, around the clock. The boundaries matter: dogs are not permitted on the main Curl Curl Beach sand or inside the flagged surf-lifesaving zones, and they must stay on lead on the walkways leading in and in the surrounding on-lead reserves. This is sensitive lagoon habitat with plenty of water birds, so genuine voice control is required near the water, and Northern Beaches Council rangers do patrol. Bag dispensers and bins are provided, so picking up is non-negotiable.

Max: The reserve is not fully fenced and the walkways in are on-lead, so keep the leash handy until you are inside the zone.

The water

The lagoon is the reason water-loving dogs drag their owners here: shallow, protected and calm, without the swell of the open beach. It swims best at high tide. At low tide the water drops right back and exposes soft mudflats, so time a proper swim around the tide if that is the point of the trip.

Getting there and parking

Drive in via Carrington Parade and turn into Adam Street, North Curl Curl; the main car park sits at the end of Adam Street by the lagoon, and it is free but fills fast on sunny weekends. Buses run along the Pittwater Road corridor with a short walk down to the reserve, and the coastal path connects in from Curl Curl and Freshwater, on lead until you arrive.

Worth knowing

The space mixes fenced and unfenced grass, and shared paths carry cyclists and pedestrians through the reserve, so recall matters even in the off-leash zone. Toilets and shaded seating cover the humans, and a coffee van often parks in the car park on busy days. Crowds peak on sunny weekends; early mornings are the classic local session.

While you're out there

Curl Curl dog park nearby offers a more compact fenced alternative, and Curly's on the Corner or Shaka Cafe in Freshwater both handle muddy dogs at outdoor tables. More options are on the New South Wales parks list and the Curl Curl destination page.

Browse more dog friendly parks across New South Wales at pawscapes.com.au/parks/state/nsw, and everything nearby at pawscapes.com.au/destinations/curl-curl.