The Spit Dog Beach: Is It Open, and Where Else to Go
The short answer
As at 28 October 2026, City of Gold Coast's own pages disagree, so nobody can honestly give you a one-word answer from a desk. Council's beach pages for The Spit North and The Spit South both still carry a banner saying the beach is closed until further notice because of erosion and sand scarps from Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Council's beach restoration page, which was updated after the March 2026 swells, doesn't list The Spit as closed. ABC News reported on 4 December 2025 that all Gold Coast beaches had reopened, and the Gold Coast Waterways Authority's Doug Jennings Park page (updated May 2026) still lists the off-leash dog beach as a feature.
Our read: the closure banner is probably left over from 2025, but we can't prove that, and you don't want to find out at the car park. Before you drive, check the signs at the beach access and council's The Spit North page. If the access is fenced or signed closed, the rest of this guide is your plan B, and it's a good one.
Last checked 28/10/2026. Every park rule here comes from the council or park authority's own pages, every venue from its own website or socials plus its Google listing, and each fact was checked a second time before we published.
How The Spit dog beach works when it's open
The Spit has been the northern Gold Coast's big off-leash run for years, and it's easy to see why. The ocean-side off-leash zone runs from the Muriel Henchman Avenue beach access north to the southern Seaway rock wall, with no time limit, and the calm Marine Stadium foreshore on the Broadwater side gives nervous swimmers and puppies a gentler option. It's one of only three off-leash ocean beaches in the city, which is why its closure notice hit northern dog owners so hard.
- Off-leash: ocean beach from the Muriel Henchman Avenue access to the Seaway, plus the Marine Stadium foreshore
- No time limit in the off-leash zone
- Flags: council's Animal Control Area Register exempts the flagged swimming area by Lifeguard Tower 45, inside this zone, from the usual 200 metre rule, so swimmers and off-leash dogs share that stretch. Keep your dog close and under control near those flags, and stay 200 metres from the flags at Towers 42 and 43
- Parking: Doug Jennings Park and along Seaworld Drive
The parkland beside the beach plays by different rules. Gold Coast Waterways Authority's guide to Doug Jennings Park lists having a dog off a leash as a prohibited activity in the park itself, so the lead stays on until your paws hit the sand. Park gates for vehicles close from 8pm to 6am and overnight parking isn't allowed. Federation Walk, the bush track that runs north through the dunes, is described by local walking guides as on-lead. The sand bypass jetty is closed for works, which the Waterways Authority expects to last until the end of 2026.
Seaway Kiosk. At the very end of The Spit, and still trading with a current Google listing (open from 7am). Its takeaway menu has had a dog section with doggie ice cream, and a 2026 Tripadvisor review mentions a separate side deck for people with dogs. It's in our dog-friendly ice cream guide.
Address: 507 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach QLD 4217
Plan B: three Broadwater off-leash spots to the north
If The Spit is shut on the day, or you just want calmer water, the Broadwater foreshores to the north are every bit as good for most dogs. The water is flat, there are no waves to bowl a puppy over, and Labrador has toilets at both ends of the park.
1. Labrador foreshore at Len Fox Park: off-leash at all hours. Council designates the foreshore at Len Fox Park on Marine Parade as an off-leash area for dogs to play and swim, with no time window. Toilets are at both ends of the park, there are outdoor showers to rinse off, and parking is on-street along Marine Parade. Watch for the boat ramp at the southern end and keep out of the playgrounds. This is the closest like-for-like swap for The Spit. Our Labrador guide has the full rundown, including a cafe that does puppuccinos.
2. Biggera Waters foreshore at Quota Park: off-leash early and late. Council lists the foreshore beside Quota Park as off-leash from 5am to 8am and 4pm to 7pm. Outside those windows the lead goes back on. There are no toilets at Quota Park. See our Biggera Waters guide.
3. Paradise Point foreshore: off-leash swims at the north end. Council lists an off-leash dog exercise area on the foreshore at the northern end of Paradise Point Parklands, at the corner of The Esplanade and The Sovereign Mile. The rest of the parklands are on-lead, and dogs are banned from the swimming enclosure and playgrounds. There's a fenced dog park with two yards nearby at Bayview Park, Hollywell. See our Runaway Bay, Hollywell and Paradise Point guide.
| Spot | Off-leash hours | Water | Toilets |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Spit (if open) | Any time | Surf plus calm Marine Stadium | Yes, northern end |
| Labrador, Len Fox Park | Any time | Calm Broadwater | Yes, both ends |
| Biggera Waters, Quota Park | 5 to 8am, 4 to 7pm | Calm Broadwater | No |
| Paradise Point, north end | Council area, no window listed | Calm Broadwater | Check on the day |
Heading south instead? Check Tallebudgera first
The other two off-leash ocean beaches are in the south, at Tallebudgera and Palm Beach. One catch for 2026: council is repairing the Tallebudgera Creek training wall from April to December 2026, and while the works run, dogs must be on a lead in the Tallebudgera off-leash area on weekdays from 7am to 5pm. Weekends and outside those hours, it's off-leash as normal. The crest footpath and some nearby beach areas are temporarily closed. Council's training wall project page has updates, and our Gold Coast dog beaches guide covers Palm Beach and every other beach rule in the city.
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Can you take your dog to South Stradbroke Island?
No. This is the question we get every summer from boaties at The Spit, and the answer is firm. South Stradbroke Island is a conservation park managed by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and its own page says domestic animals are not permitted in the conservation park. The March 2026 park information guide repeats it: dogs are not permitted. That covers the walking tracks, the ocean beach and the campgrounds at Tipplers and North and South Currigee.
Couran Cove, the resort on the island, was showing a "temporarily closed" notice on its own website when we checked, so it isn't an option either way right now.
What about Wave Break Island? It's Gold Coast Waterways Authority land, reachable only over the water, with no camping allowed. The Authority's page doesn't publish a dog rule for the island, and we couldn't confirm one, so we won't tell you it's fine. If you're boating with a dog, the honest advice is to keep them on board around the islands and save the beach time for Labrador or Paradise Point, both a short run across the Broadwater.
Boating with a dog more generally? Our dog-friendly boat hire guide has the operators that take dogs.
Spit-day checklist
- Check the signs at the beach access before you unclip the lead
- Bring water and a bowl: there's little shade on the sand and the Broadwater is salty
- Lead on in Doug Jennings Park and on Federation Walk
- Stay 200 metres from the flags at Towers 42 and 43, and keep your dog close near the Tower 45 flags
- Rinse the salt out with fresh water before it dries, especially in the armpits and between the toes
- Check for ticks after any dune or bush walk
After a beach run, sand ends up places you didn't know dogs had. A proper bath and blow dry gets it out down to the skin, and our ticks and snakes guide covers what to check for after the dunes.
FAQs
Is The Spit dog beach open?
Council's sources conflict. The Spit's beach pages still show a "closed until further notice" banner, while council's restoration page doesn't list it as closed and a December 2025 ABC report says all Gold Coast beaches reopened. Check the signs at the access before you let your dog off-leash.
Where is the off-leash area at The Spit?
On the ocean beach from the Muriel Henchman Avenue access north to the Seaway rock wall, plus the Marine Stadium foreshore on the Broadwater side. Doug Jennings Park itself is on-lead.
Where can I take my dog if The Spit is closed?
The Labrador foreshore at Len Fox Park is off-leash at all hours, about 15 minutes north. Biggera Waters is off-leash early and late, and Paradise Point has an off-leash foreshore at its northern end.
Are dogs allowed on South Stradbroke Island?
No. It's a conservation park and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service doesn't permit domestic animals, including at the Tipplers and Currigee campgrounds.
Checked 28/10/2026. We're humans working from public council, park and venue sources, and rules, hours, fees and dog policies change without notice. Always check the signs on the day and confirm with the venue, park or council before you go. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
