The rule that catches every newcomer: dogs are not allowed on beaches inside city parks from May 1 to October 1. That is the whole summer, on every beach in town, and there is a fine for it.

The upside is that Nanaimo has around a dozen year-round off-leash areas, several of them with water access, so the summer ban is an inconvenience rather than a problem once you know where to go instead.

Here is where dogs can go, where they cannot, and what changes with the season.

Can dogs go on the beach in Nanaimo?

Not between May 1 and October 1. City bylaws prohibit dogs from any beach within a park through those months, which covers Departure Bay, Pipers Lagoon, and the rest. Dogs are also prohibited year round from playgrounds, cemeteries, and water parks.

From October through April the beaches reopen to dogs, on leash. Autumn and winter beach walks here are genuinely good, with the water at its most dramatic and almost nobody about, so the season you can use them is not the one you would expect.

Outside designated off-leash areas, dogs are required to be leashed. That is bylaw, not etiquette.

Where are the off-leash areas in Nanaimo?

There are around a dozen year-round off-leash areas across the city, each with signage, a bag dispenser, and a bin. The ones that come up most:

  • Beban Park. Two fenced areas, one for small dogs and one for larger breeds. Central, and the most sociable of them.
  • Westwood Lake Park. Keep the dog on leash from the parking lot until you reach the designated area at the back of the lake along the power lines. This one is regularly misunderstood, so it is worth knowing the boundary.
  • Colliery Dam Park. The off-leash area is at the upper lake. Good for dogs that swim, with mostly flat, well-maintained trail.
  • Invermere Beach Park. Off-leash at the bottom of the stairs along the beach. Check the tide before going, since it needs to be out far enough for dogs to run.
  • Cable Bay Trail. Off-leash, leading down to the water.
  • May Richards Bennett Pioneer Park. A forested off-leash area with trails.
  • Northfield Rotary Lookout. A fenced area behind the visitor kiosk at the Parkway rest stop.
  • Beaufort Park, St. George Ravine, Wardropper Park, and Gallows Point Light Park on Protection Island.

Diver Lake Park runs an off-leash area seasonally, through the winter half of the year. The City publishes a current map of all of them, which is worth checking, since the list changes.

The best walks with a dog

Off-leash is not the only question. Plenty of the best walking here is on-leash and none the worse for it.

  • Neck Point Park. Coastal trail through Garry oak and out to rocky headlands, on leash, and one of the better walks in the city in any weather.
  • The Westwood Lake loop. A wide multi-use trail circling the lake, mostly flat, with the off-leash area at the far end as the reward.
  • Colliery Dam. An easy loop between two lakes with bridges and forest, five minutes from downtown.
  • Saysutshun, also known as Newcastle Island. On-leash trails past beaches and forest, reached by the foot ferry from downtown, which makes for a proper outing.

One to skip: Buttertubs Marsh does not permit dogs at all, being a bird sanctuary. Worth knowing before you drive there.

Beyond the city, most Regional District parks and trails are off-leash, which opens up a good deal more ground.

What else dog owners should know

  • Licensing is required. Dogs living in Nanaimo need a current licence and tag on the collar.
  • Puppies and dogs in heat. Very young puppies and female dogs in heat are not permitted in off-leash areas.
  • Pick up, everywhere. Including in off-leash areas, and in the bin rather than the bushes.
  • Wildlife is close. Deer are everywhere here, eagles overhead, and there are bears and cougars on the edges of town. The leash rule in natural areas exists partly for this.
  • The wet season is long. A dog that walks year round here is a wet dog for months. Towels by the door and a plan for the car become part of life.

Which neighbourhoods suit dog owners

What matters is what you can reach on foot, since a walk that needs a drive happens less often.

  • Harewood and the south end. Colliery Dam is right there, with off-leash, swimming, and easy trail.
  • Westwood and Jingle Pot. The lake loop and its off-leash area, plus the wider trail network climbing behind it.
  • The north end. Nearest Neck Point and the coastal walking, and closest to the beaches once they reopen in October.
  • Central, near Beban Park. The two fenced areas and the biggest regular crowd of dogs and owners.

To compare areas side by side, see the Nanaimo Neighbourhood Guide.

Frequently asked questions

Are dogs allowed on Nanaimo beaches?

Not between May 1 and October 1. City bylaws prohibit dogs from any beach within a park through those months, and a fine applies. From October through April the beaches are open to dogs on leash. Dogs are also prohibited year round from playgrounds, cemeteries, and water parks.

How many off-leash dog parks are there in Nanaimo?

Around a dozen year-round off-leash areas across the city, plus a seasonal one at Diver Lake Park through the winter half of the year. Each has signage, a bag dispenser, and a bin. The City publishes a current map, which is worth checking since the list changes.

Where can dogs swim in Nanaimo?

Colliery Dam Park has an off-leash area at the upper lake and suits dogs that swim. Invermere Beach Park is off-leash at the bottom of the stairs along the beach, though the tide needs to be out far enough for dogs to run. Through the summer, ocean beaches inside city parks are closed to dogs.

Can dogs go off leash at Westwood Lake?

Only in the designated area at the back of the lake, along the power lines. Dogs must stay on leash from the parking lot until you reach it. This is one of the more commonly misunderstood rules in the city.

Do you need a dog licence in Nanaimo?

Yes. Dogs living in the city are required to have a current licence with the tag displayed on the collar. Very young puppies and female dogs in heat are also not permitted in off-leash areas.

Getting to know the area

What you can walk to from the door matters more for a dog owner than almost anything else about a house. The Moving to Nanaimo hub covers what living here is like across the board, the Nanaimo Neighbourhood Guide walks through the areas, and you can book a quick call with Travis or Kiel to talk it through.