Find out where you can and can't exercise your dog in Lower Hutt.
Dog exercise areas
In designated dog exercise areas your dog doesn’t need to be on a lead but you need to have one with you. Even when you're exercising off-leash, you must keep your dog under control at all times.
In public places your dog needs to be on a lead. This includes all walking and multi-use tracks in Lower Hutt.
If you're taking your dog out in public it’s your responsibility to clean up after it. Used litter bags can be placed in public rubbish bins on the street.
Use the map to see specific areas where you:
- Can exercise your dog off-leash
- Can walk your dog on-lead
- Can't take your dog. For more information, skip to where you can't take your dog
Avalon Park – dogs are only allowed:
- on-lead on the designated sealed paths. The paths are stamped with yellow dog walking signs. If there is no yellow stamp, you can’t walk your dog there.
- on-lead at the northend of the park, past the treeline.
- Belmont Recreation Reserve (Owen Street to Belmont Domain).
- Redvers Drive Reserve.
- Muritai Beach - 200m south of Rona Bay Wharf to Miro Street
- Days Bay Beach, north of the wharf:
- between 7pm and 10am from 1 December - 31 March
- at all times from 1 April to 30 November.
- Williams Park (on-lead only).
- Hutt Recreation Ground (excluding sports surfaces).
Eastern bank from:
- Stokes Valley south entrance to White Line West
- Firth’s Industrial Plant to Ava Park
- Reynolds Bach Drive to Port Road. If you’re using the sealed pathway on top of the riverbank, your dog must be on a lead.
Western bank from:
- Benmore Crescent south to Belmont Domain (excluding the Rhododendron Dell)
- Kennedy Good Bridge south to Firth’s industrial Plant
- Manor Park Road to the Benmore Crescent extension
- Kelson Reserve (excluding sports surfaces)
- Bell Park (excluding sports surfaces)
- York Park (excluding sports surfaces)
- Naenae Park (excluding sports surfaces)
- Ava Park
- Frank Cameron Park (excluding sports surfaces)
- North Park
- Petone Beach west of Petone Wharf and the far east end
- Petone Recreation Ground (excludes the playground and sports surfaces)
- Sladden Park
- Te Mome stream – east side section from Bracken Street, along the back of Wilford School to Petone Central Croquet Club.
- Delaney Park (excluding sports surfaces)
- Kamahi Park (excluding sports surfaces)
- Black Creek west bank
- Burden Avenue Riverbank Reserve
- Drainage Reserves between:
- Norfolk Street and Nelson Street
- Mohaka Street and Momona Street
- Wainuiomata Road and Fraser Street
- Hine Road Reserve
- Karaka Park (excluding play area)
- Leonard Wood Park (excluding sports surfaces)
- Pencarrow Hall Reserve
- Richard Prouse Park
- Rotary Park
- Wainuiomata Riverbank
- Wood Street Reserve
- Te Whiti Park (excluding sports surfaces)
- Trafalgar Park (excluding sports surfaces)
Where you can't take your dog
Unless your dog is a guide dog, hearing ear dog, companion dog, or a working dog being used by the Police or a security company, you can't take your dog to:
- public libraries
- playgrounds
- council swimming pools
- kindergartens and play centres
- marked sports fields
- special events where advertised.
- Belmont Recreation Reserve (south end)
Dogs prohibited at all times
- CL Bishop Park/Rona Bay Beach and bird protection area
- HW Shortt Park and bird protection area
- Pumping Station (Sunshine Bay/Days Bay)
- Sorrento Bay Beach and bird protection area
- Whiorau Reserve bird protection area
Council made changes under the Dog Control Bylaw on 28 May 2024 which include prohibiting dogs from Bird Protection Areas (BPAs) at Sorrento Bay, Whiorau Reserve, CL Bishop Park and HW Shortt Park.
They also include prohibiting dog access at Sorrento Bay and the beach adjacent to CL Bishop Park, and removing the daylight-saving dog restriction at Whiorau Reserve. Dog access at HW Shortt Park outside of the BPA remains unchanged.
Visit hutt.city/tupuahoronuku for more information.
Dogs prohibited 9am-8pm during daylight savings time
The following beaches (including picnic and leisure areas) are dog prohibited where there are signs prohibiting dogs between 9am and 8pm during daylight savings:
- Days Bay
- Lowry Bay
- Mahina Bay
- Robinson Bay
- Rona Bay
- York Bay.
Dogs prohibited 10am-7pm from 1 December - 31 March
The following areas are dog prohibited between 10am and 7pm from 1 December to 31 March every year:
- Days Bay Beach, north of the wharf
Pencarrow Coast Road:
- including Lake Kohangapiripiri and Lake Kohangatera
- south of Pencarrow Head where there are signs prohibiting dogs.
- Burdan’s Gate, south to Pencarrow Head during lambing season. There is a total ban on dogs (including leashed dogs) during lambing season, from 1 August to 30 October. At other times dogs must be leashed.
- Mitchell Park
- McEwan Park east section
- Memorial Park
- Percy's Scenic Reserve
- Petone Beach from Hikoikoi Reserve to Petone Wharf between 9am-8pm during daylight savings
- footpath and berms on the road at the front of the commercial properties on Norfolk Street and Ruthven Road
- Turakirae Head Scientific Reserve
- Queen Street road reserve including the footpath and berm on the road at the front of the commercial properties on Wainuiomata Road and Fitzherbert Road next to Queen Street
- Wainuiomata Recreational Area - keep your dogs on a leash at all times, no dogs are allowed at the Lower Dam area
- camping areas next to Catchpool Stream
- landcare Research Station (formerly DSIR Field Station)
- picnic areas next to Catchpool Valley Road, upstream from the vehicle ford
- Speldhurst Park
- Fraser Park
More information
Dog Control Bylaw 2015 (PDF 391.4 KB)