Arboretum - Dog Exercise Area

The Arboretum Dog Exercise Area sits inside the Kalgoorlie Arboretum at 15 Littlewood Place, West Lamington, and it is one of the Goldfields' most practical dog spaces: designated off-lead ground with a lake for swimming and real shade, all within a bushland setting on the edge of Kalgoorlie.

The dog setup

The designated exercise zone is off lead under City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder rules, and it is more natural bushland than a manicured dog park, with walking trails and native planting around the grounds. The boundary is not a fully secured fence line like the city's purpose-built enclosures, so reliable recall matters before you unclip.

The lake inside the grounds is the draw, giving dogs a genuine swim on Goldfields days when a run alone is too hot. Water levels drop in dry spells and quality varies, so check it before committing a dog to a paddle, and rinse off afterwards if it is muddy.

Max: go early. Kalgoorlie ground and gravel hold heat well into the evening in summer, and the unshaded patches are hot on paws long after the air cools.

Worth knowing

Dogs must stay under effective control even while off lead, waste bags are provided on site with bins nearby, and arriving or leaving through the wider arboretum paths means back on lead. Sections of the grounds, including grass near the parking area, are periodically cordoned off for events, so the usable footprint can shift.

Getting there and parking

Enter from the corner of Hawkins Street and Littlewood Place, with parking near the entrance and an accessible entry point. The arboretum sits a short drive from Kalgoorlie's Hannan Street, and TransGoldfields routes service West Lamington if you are not driving.

Close by with the dogs

South Boulder Dog Exercise Area is the closest alternative on the Boulder side, and Oil & Spice Cafe on Hannan Street does coffee with outdoor seating for the trip back into town. Cafe Dharma in Boulder is worth the extra few minutes for breakfast.

More off-lead options are in the Western Australia dog friendly parks guide and on the West Lamington destination page.