Tunks Park to Artarmon Reserve

This is a 7.7 km walk that links two very different dog parks through the bush corridor between them, running from Tunks Park in Cammeray up Flat Rock Gully to Artarmon Reserve. The deciding fact is that the leash rules change three times along the way, and the middle section is the strictest.

Leash status

Three sets, in sequence. At Tunks Park, North Sydney Council allows dogs off lead on the main sports fields except during organised games. Through Flat Rock Gully in the middle, dogs must be on lead the whole way, a designated wildlife protection area. At Artarmon Reserve, Willoughby City Council allows off lead on the big oval on weekdays before 9am and after 4pm. Dogs are not permitted within 10 metres of the playgrounds at either end.

The walk

AllTrails clocks the full route at 7.7 km, rates it moderate and allows around two hours. It starts flat beside Long Bay, then climbs the gully on unpaved track and stairs beneath the road bridges before opening out onto the Artarmon oval. Walked one way it is a genuine point to point, and Artarmon station sits 250 metres from the far end, which makes the exit easy.

Pepsi: Long Bay at the Tunks Park end is calm and easy to get into. Time it for mid to high tide though. At low tide it goes shallow and muddy near the boat ramp, which is fun for exactly one of you.

Water and hazards

The gully section has stairs and roots underfoot, so it is not a pram route, and the bushland means ticks and the occasional snake in the warmer months. The track is narrow in places, so shorten the lead when passing other walkers and dogs, and bag dispensers sit at the gully entry points.

Getting there and when to go

Free parking sits at the end of Brothers Avenue in Cammeray, buses run along Miller Street about 10 to 15 minutes uphill from the park, and toilets, barbecues and bubblers are at Tunks Park with toilets, picnic shelters and water at Artarmon Reserve. Weekday early morning is the best window, because it opens the off-lead oval at Artarmon and keeps the gully quiet.

The Flat Rock Gully walk covers the middle section on its own, and the Primrose Park Walking Track adds distance from the Cammeray end. Maggio's Cafe in Cammeray finishes the loop with dogs outside. More routes are on the NSW trails guide and the Cammeray destination page.