Lake Burley Griffin Loop

The full Lake Burley Griffin loop is 20.1 km of flat sealed path right around the water through the middle of Canberra. Dogs are on lead for all of it, and the one place they can legally swim off lead is the designated dog swimming area at Kurrajong Point.

The walk. AllTrails puts the circuit at 20.1 km and rates it easy, but easy here means flat rather than short: allow four and a half to five hours for the whole thing. Most people do not walk all of it. The bridges split it into sensible halves, and the shorter Bridge to Bridge loop is the usual way to take a bite out of it. The Yarralumla and Weston Park section on the southern shore is the greenest and the easiest on paws.

The rules. Parks ACT manages the lake foreshore. Dogs are on lead throughout, and they must stay at least 10 metres from play spaces and barbecue areas, which is stricter than the usual keep off the playground rule and worth knowing before you settle in somewhere for a picnic. The exception to the lead is the designated off lead dog swimming area at Kurrajong Point. The fenced Yarralumla Dog Park on Banks Street is the other off lead option nearby.

Water. Kurrajong Point is the sanctioned swim. After heavy rain the lake carries stormwater and can bloom with blue green algae, and the ACT publishes water quality advice for exactly this reason, so check it before a hot day swim rather than after.

Getting there. On the Yarralumla side, come in via Weston Park Road off Banks Street, where there is plenty of parking near the picnic areas and the dog park. The path is part of the wider Canberra cycle network, so you can join it almost anywhere on the shore. Toilets and shaded picnic tables are in Weston Park.

Nearby with the dogs. Beess and Co Cafe and Farmers Daughter are both at the Yarralumla shops with outdoor seating. If you are visiting, Abode Kingston and The Sebel Canberra Campbell take dogs, and the Mount Ainslie Kokoda Memorial Trail is the climb to pair with this flat one.

When to go. Before eight in the morning, or a weekday afternoon. Weekend mornings between nine and eleven bring out fast cyclists and runners on a shared path. Good for big runners who want distance without a hill.

Sources

• Weston Park - Parks ACT · www.parks.act.gov.au
• Dogs in public places - ACT City Services · www.cityservices.act.gov.au
• Dogs on National Land - National Capital Authority · www.nca.gov.au
• Lake Burley Griffin Loop - AllTrails · www.alltrails.com

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.