Dog-friendly places in West Pennant Hills

Weekend mornings: an off-leash run at Colbarra Place Reserve, then breakfast at Sunny Side

Colbarra Place Reserve is a 2.94-hectare community reserve with a fully fenced off-leash dog park at its northern end. The 1.5-metre perimeter fence keeps dogs in, and the area has a water station, waste facilities and park furniture, so a dog can drink before its run. Handlers must be over 16 and able to control their dogs by voice, with up to four dogs each, and dogs must be supervised at all times. Restricted breeds and dogs declared dangerous are not permitted.

From the reserve it is a 6-minute walk to Sunny Side, a bright, colourful cafe with a relaxed feel for breakfast, lunch and coffee, and outdoor seating for dogs. For a quieter day, the next plan is a bush walk on lead.

Bush walk on lead, then a slow lunch at Cafe Saligna

Richard Webb Reserve is a bushland park on Aiken Road, and it marks the start of the Waterfall Walk, a 3.4-kilometre return trail along Darling Mills Creek past blue gums, sandstone gullies and a waterfall. The reserve is leashed, so the dog stays on lead on the trail.

A 14-minute walk from the reserve brings the owner to Cafe Saligna, which sits inside Cumberland State Forest with an outdoor deck over the trees. Dogs can sit on its outdoor seating. The cafe serves breakfast and lunch, with a kids' menu and vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, and it suits a slow meal rather than a quick coffee. The next plan is a short walk for a small or nervous dog.

Weekday mornings: a short leashed walk at Lyndhurst Court Reserve, then breakfast at Sunny Side

Lyndhurst Court Reserve is a public recreation reserve of about 10,444 square metres at 20Z Lyndhurst Court. Dogs are welcome on lead, and the reserve has no off-leash area, so it suits a small or nervous dog that does better with a short, quiet walk than a run.

A 3-minute walk takes the owner to Sunny Side, which opens at 6:30am on weekdays and has outdoor seating for dogs. The cafe is bright and colourful, with an outdoor play area beside the seating. Reviewers praise its coffee and its friendly staff, and it serves breakfast and lunch, so it works for a weekday start. The dog rules across the suburb come next.

Dog rules in West Pennant Hills: where dogs can't go

Colbarra Place Reserve is the suburb's off-leash dog area. Check its current dog rules with The Hills Shire Council before you go.

The other reserves in the suburb are leashed, unless signs say otherwise. Dogs must stay at least 10 metres from the playgrounds at Campbell Park, Moolanda Avenue Reserve and Giuffre Place Reserve, and Moolanda Avenue Reserve also keeps dogs 10 metres from its food areas. Campbell Park and New Farm Road Reserve are managed by Hornsby Shire Council, Richard Webb Reserve has Hornsby oversight for its dog policies, and the rest are managed by The Hills Shire Council, so check which council runs the reserve you plan to visit.

There are no dog beaches listed in the suburb. For a fenced off-leash area nearby, Greenway Park in Cherrybrook has separate sections for small and large dogs, Asquith Park and Fagan Park in Galston have fully fenced off-leash areas with amenities, and Ruddock Park in Westleigh is the nearest off-leash dog park to New Farm Road Reserve.