Sandringham Jetty to Ricketts Point

The coast from Sandringham Jetty south to Ricketts Point is one of Port Phillip Bay's classic dog walks: sand, shallow water, sandstone reef and a path running above it all, with Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary at the far end. AllTrails logs the round trip at 15.6 km. The thing to get right before you set out is the rules, because they change beach by beach along the way.

The walk

Graded moderate at 15.6 km all up, three and a half to four hours, walked as an out-and-back along the Bay Trail rather than a loop. It alternates between sealed clifftop path, beach access steps and stretches of sand, passing Red Bluff Lookout, Half Moon Bay and Black Rock Beach. Sandringham, Hampton and Beaumaris each give you an exit point if you want a shorter version.

Leash status

Bayside City Council manages the foreshore, and dogs are on lead on every Bayside footpath and shared path at all times, in any season. Individual beaches vary: some sections near Sandringham allow off-lead swimming, Hampton Beach runs off-lead only through the winter months, and the Ricketts Point stretch between McGregor Avenue and the Beaumaris Yacht Club is a permanent off-lead area. Summer beach restrictions run from 1 November to 31 March and vary beach by beach, so read the sign at whichever access point you use.

The one non-negotiable is the sanctuary: dogs are prohibited from the intertidal rocky platforms and seagrass beds inside Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary at all times, which is exactly the part of the walk that looks like an invitation to let a dog explore.

Max: the rock platforms at Ricketts Point are the exclusion, not just the water. If you are standing on reef with pools in it, you are somewhere the dog should not be.

Water

Where dogs are allowed in, the bay along here is shallow, calm and sandy, which is why this stretch is popular with owners of cautious swimmers. Fresh water and toilets sit at the main beach nodes at Sandringham, Hampton and Beaumaris. Rinse the salt off before the drive home.

Hazards

The sandstone reef is sharp and slick with weed at low tide, and it is the surface most likely to cut a paw on this walk. The cliff sections have crumbling edges, the shared path carries cyclists, and the summer sun is unrelenting on the exposed stretches. Carry water in the warmer months even for a short section.

When to go

Early morning beats the heat and the beach crowd, and in summer it is really the only comfortable window. Winter opens up the off-lead beach time at Hampton, so a cold sunny morning between April and October is arguably the best outing of the year.

More walks nearby

For a guaranteed run off the lead whatever the season, Ricketts Point Dog Off Leash Area sits right at the southern end of the walk, and R J Sillitoe Reserve Dog Off Leash Area is a few streets inland. The Hamptons Bakery and Merrymen both do a post-walk coffee in Hampton.

The wider list runs through the Victoria dog friendly trails guide and the Hampton destination page.