The Bay Run

The Bay Run is the flat 7 km circuit around Iron Cove that links Drummoyne with Rozelle, Lilyfield and Haberfield along the water. It is one of the busiest shared paths in the inner west, and the single fact to know before you head out is that the entire loop is strictly on-lead.

The walk

The path is sealed, flat and continuous the whole way around, which makes it a good long walk for older dogs or a steady leg-stretch rather than a scramble. You can join at any access point and go as far as you like before turning back, and water views run most of the circuit with grassy reserves such as Menzies Reserve to rest in. It is a shared path used by thousands of runners and cyclists, so keep your dog close and short when traffic thickens.

Leash status

Dogs stay on-lead for the entire loop, and the rule is enforced on both council sides of the bay, with Inner West Council and City of Canada Bay each managing their stretches. Keep clear of the buffers around playgrounds and food areas and carry bags, since the path has no room for a loose dog.

Off-lead time is close by rather than on the circuit. Queen Victoria Reserve on Queen Victoria Street is a harbourside spot with water access for dogs that like a splash, operating under timed off-lead rules, and Brett Park on Henley Marine Drive sits right on the loop with its own dog exercise area.

Water

Public bubblers with dog bowls sit at intervals along the path, along with dog waste bins at numerous points. Public toilets are available near King George Park and along the Henley Marine Drive section. On hot days bring your own bowl, because the fixed water points are spaced well apart.

Max: pick your hour here. On a weekend morning the path is a river of runners and prams, and a dog wandering to the end of a long lead is how near misses happen.

Getting there

Parking is at King George Park, along Lilyfield Road and in residential streets near Henley Marine Drive, though these fill quickly on weekends. Buses 436, 437, 440 and 490 run through the area, and Lilyfield and Rozelle Bay light rail stops put you within walking distance of parts of the circuit.

Pair it with

For a shorter version of the circuit, the Bay Run via Brett Park route starts from the Drummoyne side. If you want off-lead time either end of the walk, the Queen Victoria Reserve Off-Leash Dog Park and Brett Park Unfenced Off-Leash Dog Park are both in Drummoyne, and White Rabbit on Lyons Road is the local dog-friendly cafe for a footpath coffee afterwards.

When to go

Weekday mid-mornings are the calmest window; weekend mornings, particularly around 7 to 9 am, are the peak of the running crowd. The path is open around the clock and lit sections make early evening walks workable in summer.

More options are on the New South Wales dog walks guide and the Drummoyne destination page.