Embarkation Park

Embarkation Park is a rooftop park built on top of the Navy car park on Cowper Wharf Roadway in Potts Point, and the payoff is the view: wide-open outlooks over Woolloomooloo Bay, the harbour and the city skyline. The City of Sydney lists it as an off leash area, which makes it a rare thing in this part of Sydney, a green patch where the dog can actually run rather than just stroll.

The dog setup

Dogs are off leash from sunrise to sunset daily; outside those hours the park is open but the lead goes on. Your dog needs to stay under effective control at all times, dogs are not permitted in the children's play area, and cleaning up is required, with bags and bins provided. The park itself is a flat, grassy terrace with bench seating, some shade and a water source. It is compact rather than sprawling, so read it as a top-up exercise spot or a meeting point for local dogs, not a destination for a long session.

Max: Come in from Victoria Street at the top. It is the flat entrance, and for an older dog or a puppy the McElhone Stairs are not worth the knees.

Getting there and parking

There are two ways in: the level entrance off Victoria Street at the top, or the steep McElhone Stairs up from Brougham Street and Cowper Wharf Roadway below. Kings Cross Station is a short walk, and paid parking sits directly underneath in the Navy car park.

When to go

Local dogs keep the routine: weekday mornings around 8 to 9 and early evenings around 5 to 6, and weekend mornings until about 11. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon are the quiet windows, which suits dogs that prefer a calmer scene. Sunset here is a genuine event, so evening visits come with the skyline for free.

While you're out there

Victoria Street above the park holds dog-friendly cafes, with Tuyo an easy walk for a coffee afterwards. For a bigger session, Beare Park on the Elizabeth Bay waterfront runs its own off leash hours, and Scramble And Bean at Rushcutters Bay Park is explicitly set up for post-park dogs. If you are staying over, Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point is minutes away on foot.

Find more dog friendly parks across New South Wales on the PawScapes parks directory, or see what else welcomes dogs around Potts Point.