Lake Tuggeranong Loop

The Lake Tuggeranong Loop is a flat, fully paved circuit of about 7km around the lake at Greenway in Canberra's south, shared with runners and cyclists. Dogs are on lead on the loop itself, but the district park around it holds a fenced off-lead area and a designated dog swimming spot, so the lead comes off in the right places.

The walk

Allow 1.5 to 2 hours at a comfortable pace on sealed, well-signed shared path with only gentle undulations. The Brindabellas sit on the horizon, playgrounds and picnic areas are spaced around the shore, and the western side near the town centre is the busy half. The eastern and southern shoreline is the quieter stretch.

Leash status

Dogs stay on lead on the shared paths around the lake, and ACT rules keep them 10 metres clear of play equipment, public barbecues and organised sport in progress. The exceptions sit inside Lake Tuggeranong District Park: the fenced dog park near the foreshore off Mortimer Lewis Drive, and the off-lead swimming area on the north-eastern side near Florence Taylor Street. Carry bags; the shared path has no grace on that.

Water and watch-outs

Drinking fountains for dogs and people sit at the fenced dog park, with toilets and taps spaced around the loop. The bitumen is exposed and holds heat, so in summer the 11am to 3pm stretch can burn paw pads. The swim spot suits nervous swimmers, with shallow water and an easy way out.

Pepsi: walk it clockwise and the paddle at the Florence Taylor Street end becomes the finish line, not a wet dog carried through six kilometres of town centre.

Getting there

Free parking sits at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre, the adjacent skate park and various points off Mortimer Lewis Drive. Transport Canberra buses serve the South.Point Tuggeranong interchange, an easy walk to the lake edge. Weekday mornings and late afternoons are the calm windows; weekends fill the western side with families and bikes.

More walks nearby

The Greenway Dog Park adds separate fenced runs for large and small dogs, and the Mount Taylor Reserve gate is the bushland option for an on-lead climb. For a post-walk coffee, EightyTwenty and Piccolo Me both take dogs outside, and Abode Tuggeranong is the closest dog-friendly bed.

More options are on the ACT dog walking guide and the Greenway destination page.