The Esplanade via Oak Park

The Esplanade via Oak Park is a flat, 6.4 kilometre foreshore walk through Bundeena, the village tucked inside the Royal National Park on the southern shore of Port Hacking. One fact decides everything about bringing a dog here: the Royal National Park wraps around Bundeena on every landward side and bans dogs completely, so the entire walk has to stay on Sutherland Shire Council land inside the village and along the water.

Leash status

Dogs on-lead at all times along The Esplanade, the village streets and the foreshore reserves. Step off council land into the national park and you are in a no-dogs area, and that covers every walking track leaving the village, with penalties applying. Dogs are also not permitted on Jibbon Beach or within ten metres of playgrounds. Horderns Beach has a council-designated off-leash area, but it runs to posted times: weekday mornings and evenings only from September to April, banned on weekends and public holidays in those months, then off-leash around the clock from May to August. Read the sign at the beach rather than trusting memory.

The walk

Allow about ninety minutes at a dog's pace. The route runs from the ferry wharf along The Esplanade past Horderns Beach on a mix of paved path, sandy edge and quiet residential street, with calm water views across Port Hacking the whole way. Oak Park sits across the water at Cronulla and is reached by the ferry rather than on foot, so treat this as a village foreshore walk with a boat ride attached. Port Hacking is sheltered and flat here, which makes it a good swim for dogs unsure about surf.

Max: the ferry is the best part and the lead never comes off. Mind the park boundary on the headland side, the signs are real and so are the fines.

Water and hazards

Bubblers with dog bowls sit at Horderns Beach and in the reserves along the foreshore. The main hazard is a boundary rather than a bite: the national park edge is not fenced and is not always obvious, so keep to the Esplanade side. Through summer the open foreshore has limited shade, so go early.

Getting there

The Cronulla Ferries passenger service from Cronulla Wharf carries dogs on lead, making it the scenic approach and half the day out. You can also drive in via Bottle Forest Road from Heathcote and park around the village, though the car parks fill early on summer weekends.

While you're out there

Bundeena Beach Cafe is the village coffee stop near the water, and Grind Espresso works on the Cronulla side before the ferry. More routes are on the NSW dog walks guide and the Bundeena destination page.