Weston Park

Weston Park is 40 hectares of lakeside parkland on the Yarralumla peninsula, jutting into Lake Burley Griffin in the middle of Canberra. The peninsula loop runs about 4.2 km on easy ground, and what sets this park apart from every other lakeside walk in the city is Kurrajong Point Beach, a designated off-lead dog swimming area inside the park.

The walk

A flat 4.2 km circuit of the peninsula, taking half an hour to an hour depending on how many times your dog stops. Mature trees give real shade, the paths mix sealed and informal surfaces, and the Weston Park Peninsula Loop passes the SIEV X National Memorial with views across the Molonglo River. A fixed orienteering course, a disc golf layout and a miniature railway share the park, so expect company.

Leash status

Dogs are welcome on lead through the park, and ACT rules keep them at least 10 metres from play spaces and barbecues in use, on lead on footpaths and cycle paths, and on lead at all lakes unless signposted otherwise. Kurrajong Point Beach is the signposted exception, one of the ACT's designated dog off-lead swimming areas. Do not extend that permission to the rest of the shoreline, because the park mixes on-lead, off-lead and dog-prohibited areas, and the human swimming beach is one of the prohibited ones.

Pepsi: before the swim, check the signs or the ACT water quality report. Lake water is tested against human exposure, not dogs, and a dog that drinks while it swims takes on far more of whatever is in there.

Water and facilities

For a lakeside walk this park is unusually well served: drinking water, toilets, electric barbecues, picnic tables and shelters are all on site, and there is a cafe in the park. Carry a bowl anyway for the loop itself.

Watch-outs

Blue-green algae and bacteria in the lake are the seasonal hazards, worst in warm weather, and they are the reason to read the signposts every visit rather than once. Keep off-lead dogs inside the Kurrajong Point precinct and 10 metres clear of the cycle paths, and give the disc golf players a wide berth.

Getting there

The park sits at the end of Weston Park Road on the Yarralumla peninsula, with car parks along the main drive and easy access from Adamina Street. The fenced Yarralumla Dog Park sits nearby off Bank Street if you want a guaranteed off-lead run.

When to go

Early morning is the best window: cooler, quieter and the lake is usually at its calmest. Weekends draw picnics, the miniature railway and barbecues from late morning, so leash discipline matters more then.

The Lake Burley Griffin loop extends the outing for longer legs, and Beess and Co is a dog-friendly coffee stop in the suburb. More walks are on the ACT dog walks page and in the Yarralumla guide.