Cooks River Cycleway

The Cooks River Cycleway is the long, flat shared path that follows the river from Tempe out towards Botany Bay, roughly 23 kilometres end to end on sealed path. Almost nobody walks all of it in one go; the Tempe end is the gateway most dog walkers use, with riverside reserves, mangrove pockets and birdlife within a few minutes of the station.

Leash status

Inner West Council requires dogs on lead along the cycleway and in the adjoining parkland, and dogs must stay 10 metres clear of any playground. There is no off-leash section on this path. If your dog needs a proper run, the fenced Tempe Dog Park nearby is the place to do it, then pick the lead back up for the riverside leg.

Water and terrain

The surface is paved and essentially flat for the whole route, rated moderate only because of the distance. Water bubblers appear at parks along the way and there are public toilets at Kendrick Park near the Tempe Station access. Keep the dog on the left of the shared path; commuter cyclists move quickly here, particularly on weekday mornings and fine weekends.

Max: check the tide before the stretch past Tempe Station. The underpass near View Street floods at high tide and turns impassable, so be ready to cross at the main road instead.

Getting there and parking

Tempe Station is the easiest start, sitting moments from the path, with trains and buses covering most approaches. Street parking near Kendrick Park is free but limited and fills early on weekends. The full walk takes four to five hours end to end, so most visitors pick a section: west towards Steel Park and Gough Whitlam Park for a longer leg, or the loop routes inside Tempe Reserve for something shorter.

Worth knowing

Stay off the grass verges after rain, they turn boggy fast. The riverside can be exposed on hot days, and the mangrove sections are best appreciated on lead since the birdlife is exactly what pulls a curious dog towards the water. If 23 kilometres sounds like too much, the Cooks River Short Loop covers similar ground in a fraction of the distance, and the Wolli Creek Walking Track branches off nearby for a bushier alternative.

When to go

Early mornings are cool, quiet and best for reactive dogs, since the path empties out before the cycling traffic builds. Weekends are busiest from mid morning onwards. After dark the path is lit in sections but unlit in others, so treat it as a daylight walk with a dog.

While you're out there

Good Days Cafe is a short walk from the path and makes an obvious finishing point. More routes are on the New South Wales dog walks guide and the Tempe destination page.