Lake Joondalup Circuit

The Lake Joondalup Circuit is a long, flat 17.4 km lap of the lake through Yellagonga Regional Park, almost entirely on sealed dual-use path, with paperbark wetland, open bushland and viewing platforms over the water. Dogs are welcome on lead across the park, with one exception big enough to plan the whole trip around: Neil Hawkins Park, the obvious start point, bans dogs outright. Start somewhere else.

Leash status

On lead throughout, confirmed by DBCA with the City of Joondalup and City of Wanneroo. Neil Hawkins Park appears on the City of Joondalup's list of areas where dogs are not permitted at all, so park at Perry's Paddock or off Ocean Reef Road instead. The lead also does real work here: kangaroos graze near the water and the wetland edges hold nesting waterbirds.

The walk

AllTrails measures the full circuit at 17.4 km and grades it easy, but easy means flat, not short: allow three and a half to five hours with a dog. The route runs on shared path and boardwalk the whole way, and cyclists use it actively, so keep the dog on the left and the lead short when they pass. You can walk a shorter section instead of the full lap, since the path crosses several roads around the lake.

Water and hazards

Toilets, taps and picnic facilities sit at points around the lake including Picnic Cove, but do not rely on finding them at the right moment on a 17 km lap; carry a bottle and a bowl. Snakes use the wetland edges through the warmer months and the path runs right beside them, so keep to the centre of the track from spring onward and do not let the lead trail into the reeds. Shade is thin on some long stretches.

Getting there and parking

The circuit crosses Joondalup Drive, Lakeside Drive and Winton Road, with free parking at Scenic Drive, Picnic Cove and Perry's Paddock. Joondalup train station sits close to the eastern side of the lake, which makes this one of the few long walks in Perth you can start without a car.

While you're out there

For an off-lead payoff after the lap, Elcar Park Fenced Dog Park is on Winton Road right by the circuit, and Edgar Griffiths Dog Park is the big option on the Wanneroo side. The Yaberoo Budjara Heritage Trail adds a bushland alternative south of the lake.

More options are on the WA dog friendly trails guide and the Joondalup destination page.

Max: a genuine half-day lap, flat and sealed, with kangaroos for company. Skip Neil Hawkins Park, park at Perry's Paddock, and keep out of the reeds from spring onward.