Fernleigh Track

The Fernleigh Track runs 15 kilometres from Adamstown to Belmont on the sealed bed of a former coal railway, through paperbark swamp and coastal heath, with a curved 181 metre tunnel near the middle. It is one of the most heavily used shared paths in the Hunter, and that is the deciding fact for dog walkers: on lead at all times, and the bikes are constant.

The walk. The full track is 15.4 kilometres and about three and a half hours one way, graded easy. The grade is genuinely gentle, because trains built it. The surface is sealed end to end, which makes it one of the better long walks around for an older dog or a puppy who tires on rough ground. Most people walk a leg rather than the lot, and Belmont to Redhead and back is a reasonable half day.

The rules. Dogs must be on a short, controlled lead for the full length. The track is managed jointly by Lake Macquarie City Council and the City of Newcastle. Off lead running is not permitted anywhere on the path. Keep dogs out of the bushland either side, which holds bandicoots and echidnas, and carry your own bags rather than counting on the dispensers.

Water and facilities. Toilets sit at the Belmont and Redhead access points, and several rest areas have bubblers with dog bowls built in. Between those points there is nothing, so fill up before a long leg. Shade is patchy through the heath sections.

Getting there. The southern trailhead is on Railway Parade, Belmont, with dedicated parking off the Pacific Highway. At the northern end, Adamstown station puts you on the track without a car, which is the neat way to walk it one way. From Belmont the track connects onward toward Blacksmiths.

Nearby with the dogs. Fernleigh Cafe sits at the northern end, Redhead Dog Exercise Area is the closest off lead ground to the midpoint, and Sails Holiday Park and Blacksmiths Beachside Holiday Park both take dogs.

When to go. Weekday mornings outside the eight to eleven window, when commuters and weekend riders both thin out. If your dog is reactive to bikes, this is a weekday walk or no walk at all. Good for seniors, on a surface that asks nothing of old joints.

Sources

• Fernleigh Track - Lake Macquarie City Council · www.lakemac.com.au
• Fernleigh Track - City of Newcastle · newcastle.nsw.gov.au
• Leash Free Areas report - City of Newcastle · newcastle.nsw.gov.au

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.