NearMeDog-friendly places in Chatswood
Last updatedThe best dog outing in Chatswood is a run at Beauchamp Park's off-leash oval, then a coffee or brunch at a cafe with outside tables an 8 to 14 minute walk away. Timing decides the rest: Lowanna Park's off-leash area closes at 10am, and Bales Park's lower oval is open only from one hour before sunset to one hour after sunrise.
A day with your dog in Chatswood
| Time | Where dogs can go |
|---|---|
| Dusk until 10am, any day | Lowanna Park's off-leash area is open, and Tea Journal opens at 10am with outside tables that take dogs. |
| One hour before sunset to one hour after sunrise | Bales Park's lower oval is open to dogs, and Cafe Markus opens at 6:30am every day. |
| Weekends, 8:30am to 2:30pm | Black Potion's outside tables are open to dogs, and a water bowl is provided. |
| Weekends, until 10pm | Youge's outside tables are open to dogs until 10pm. |
| Any time | Ferndale Park's grassed strip and Campbell Park's trial area have no set hours. |
Early start in Chatswood: Lowanna Park before 10am, then tea at Tea Journal
Lowanna Park has an off-leash dog area that is open from dusk until 10am, so it suits early risers or a day that is already warm, when the mature trees give the most shade. Dogs must stay at least 10 metres from the playground and the BBQ areas. Finish by 10am and walk 15 minutes to Tea Journal in Chatswood Interchange, which opens at 10am and lets dogs sit at its outside tables. Its black sesame cake and pistachio cake are the ones to order, with golden oolong for the owner. Visitors say the room is often full and noisy, so a dog that settles easily will do best at an outside table. For a weekend plan, the next one starts with a run at Beauchamp Park.
Weekend in Chatswood: a run at Beauchamp Park, then brunch at Black Potion
Beauchamp Park in Chatswood has its off-leash area on the oval, open to dogs only when no sport is on. The park has a water fountain for dogs and poop bags for owners to use. Take the run first, then walk 14 minutes to Black Potion on Short Street. Its outside tables take dogs, and well-behaved dogs can sit beside their owners, with a water bowl provided. Order the creamy egg sando or the pork katsu don, with a strawberry or yuzu matcha to finish. Regulars praise the sandos and katsu dishes as juicy and fresh, which makes it a fair reward after a long run. On weekend evenings, the Rose Garden oval is the run instead, followed by cake at Youge.
Weekend evening in Chatswood: a run on the oval, then a late cake at Youge
Beauchamp Park Rose Garden in Chatswood has its off-leash area on the main oval, in designated areas, and dogs stay off the oval while organised sports are on. A water station for dogs sits beside the oval, and a canopy of mature trees gives ample shade. Dogs must stay at least 10 metres from the playground. Walk 8 minutes to Youge, which is open until 10pm on weekends and has outside tables that take dogs. Visitors like the bright room and the friendly floor staff, and the cakes and macarons make a good finish to the evening. For a dawn start instead, the next plan begins at Bales Park.
Early mornings in Chatswood: Bales Park at dawn, then coffee at Cafe Markus
Bales Park in Chatswood has its off-leash area on the lower oval, open from one hour before sunset to one hour after sunrise only. The window moves with sunrise and sunset through the year. The run belongs in the early morning, since the window closes an hour after sunrise. The oval is shared with ball games and junior sport, and dogs stay out of the children's play areas. Walk 10 minutes to Cafe Markus on Spring Street, arriving around 7:30am. Its covered patio has heaters and outside tables that take dogs, and the slow-cooked beef and sweet corn fritters with prawn are the dishes to order. For a bush walk instead, Ferndale Park is the next plan.
Bush walks with a dog in Chatswood: on lead at Ferndale, then the Campbell Park trial area
Ferndale Park is a bushland reserve with Swaines Creek running through it. Keep the dog on lead on the formal tracks, including the Ferndale Walking Track, which is part of the Rail to River walk. The off-leash space is the grassed ground beside Dalrymple Avenue, the only one in the reserve. From there, a 6-minute walk brings the dog to Campbell Park, where a fenced trial off-leash area sits south of the walking path in open forest parkland. Everywhere else in Campbell Park dogs must be on lead, and they stay at least 10 metres from the playground.
Dog rules in Chatswood: where dogs can't go
Willoughby City Council describes its off-leash areas as shared spaces, so dogs share the ground at each one. Dogs must be on lead on the formal walking tracks, including the bushland at Ferndale Park, and they must stay at least 10 metres from the playgrounds at Campbell Park, Lowanna Park and Beauchamp Park Rose Garden. At Lowanna Park they must also stay 10 metres from the BBQ areas, and at Bales Park they stay out of the children's play areas. Blue Gum Reserve has a mowed off-leash area open 24 hours a day that opens onto the Lane Cove River, where dogs can swim. A council fox-baiting notice names Blue Gum Park, with no dogs from 12 October to 27 November 2026. It may refer to a different site, so confirm with Willoughby City Council before a visit. The trial at Campbell Park opened in August 2025, feedback closed in May 2026, and the results will feed the council's Dog Recreation Strategy, so its future is still undecided. Owners must bring their own poo bags at Bales Park and Blue Gum Reserve. For more, see the best off-leash dog parks in Chatswood and the dog-friendly cafes in Chatswood.
Where these are in Chatswood
- Beauchamp Park: An off-leash oval, a water station for dogs and three cafes with outside tables, all within a 12-minute walk.
- Ferndale Park: Bush tracks on lead, a grassed off-leash strip and a trial off-leash area, six minutes apart.
Every dog-friendly place in Chatswood
| Place | Type | Dogs |
|---|---|---|
| Beauchamp Park | Park | Off-leash area, fenced |
| Bales Park | Park | Off-leash area |
| Campbell Park | Park | Off-leash area, fenced |
| Ferndale Park | Park | Off-leash area |
| Blue Gum Reserve | Park | Off-leash area |
| Lowanna Park | Park | Off-leash area |
| Beauchamp Park Rose Garden | Park | Off-leash area |
| Tea Journal | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Cafe Markus | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Youge | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Black Potion | Cafe | Dogs outside |
FAQ
Where can I take my dog off-leash in Chatswood?
Chatswood has off-leash areas at Beauchamp Park, Beauchamp Park Rose Garden, Bales Park, Campbell Park, Ferndale Park, Lowanna Park and Blue Gum Reserve, and each one has its own hours. The oval at Beauchamp Park is off-leash only when no sport is on, and the main oval at Beauchamp Park Rose Garden follows the same rule. Bales Park's lower oval is open from one hour before sunset to one hour after sunrise, and Lowanna Park's area runs from dusk until 10am. Ferndale Park's grassed ground beside Dalrymple Avenue is its only off-leash space, and Campbell Park has a trial area south of the walking path. Blue Gum Reserve's mowed ground is signposted as open 24 hours a day, but a council notice that may cover it bars dogs for part of this year, as set out in the dog rules.
Is there a fenced dog park in Chatswood?
Campbell Park has a fenced trial off-leash area, south of the walking path and beside the playground. A fence went up around the trial in September 2025, after the area opened in August 2025. Beauchamp Park has an off-leash oval that its park page describes as fully fenced, with a water fountain and poop bags for owners, but council rules describe off-leash areas as shared spaces without fences, so check the fence on arrival. Blue Gum Reserve and Ferndale Park have no fenced dog area, and their off-leash ground is open grass.
Which cafes in Chatswood allow dogs?
Four Chatswood cafes take dogs, but only at their outside tables: Tea Journal, Cafe Markus, Youge and Black Potion. Tea Journal is a tea shop inside Chatswood Interchange, open 10am to 6pm every day, and suits a pot of tea and a cake. Cafe Markus on Spring Street opens at 6:30am every day and has a covered patio with heaters. Youge on Victoria Avenue is open until 10pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and Black Potion on Short Street closes at 2:30pm every day. A dog that settles well at a table will suit any of them.
Where can I walk my dog and get a coffee in Chatswood?
Beauchamp Park is the easiest walk-and-coffee outing in Chatswood. Walk the dog around the off-leash oval, then take an 8-minute walk to Cafe Markus, which has a covered patio with heaters. Youge is only 2 minutes from Cafe Markus, so the two are easy to pair in one trip. For a quieter walk, Ferndale Park and Campbell Park sit 6 minutes apart on Dalrymple Avenue, and Tea Journal is a 12 to 13 minute walk from either park. Keep the dog on lead on the bush tracks, and use the grassed strip for a run.
What can I do with my dog in Chatswood?
Chatswood has five outings that suit a dog, each built around an off-leash area and a cafe with outside tables. Before 10am, a run at Lowanna Park followed by tea at Tea Journal works on any day. On weekends, a run on the oval at Beauchamp Park is followed by brunch at Black Potion. On weekend evenings, the oval at Beauchamp Park Rose Garden comes before cake at Youge. From dawn, Bales Park followed by coffee at Cafe Markus starts the day well. For a bush walk, keep the dog on lead at Ferndale Park, then run in the trial area at Campbell Park.