Things to do in Rotorua with Dogs

As someone who owns two dogs myself it sometimes seems like the world is out to get you and you cannot find anywhere for things to do with dogs! Rotorua central city is off limits to dogs, and this is what most people see when they arrive but do not stress! Rotorua is home to a couple of great dog parks where you can have dogs off the lead and some great places to walk with them on the lead. As you can see from the picture below my dogs are quite large and need a lot of exercise, so I have had to find these places to keep them happy and healthy!

Off Lead Dog Parks

Dog-Off in the Rotorua Redwoods

This area of the Rotorua Redwoods has an entrance on the right-hand side almost as soon as you enter Long Mile Road heading into the redwoods. You will see a long carpark for it on the right-hand side. This area you can hang out with your dogs off lead! It is a massive park with a lot of different walking trails and some big fields. If your dog is social there are plenty of other friends for them to hang out and play with. The other amazing thing about this area is that once you get far enough in, you will find a small river that has an area for the dogs to swim! So, if you have a swimmer you can throw sticks and toys into the river and they can chase them! I have had so much fun with our dogs in this area and it is the most famous dog park in Rotorua.

For more information on the Rotorua Redwoods click here.

Hannah’s Bay Wetlands

Hannah’s Bay is located on the road that takes you out of Rotorua towards Whakatane. I only found this park recently myself! There is a popular park in Hannah’s Bay with a big playground and nice lakeside area. If you go through this park, you will see a bridge and past that bridge you can take dogs off the lead! It is basically a loop which makes it a great park to run with your dogs. There is also a huge grassy area where the dogs can run and play. For the humans it is a nice walk/run with a boardwalk area that goes through the wetlands area. Well worth checking out and tends to be a bit quieter than dog-off. Because it has lakeside there is also the chance to stop and let the dogs have a swim!

On Lead Dog Walks

Blue Lake Circuit

The Blue Lake is somewhere I spend a lot of my time. Not only because I drive Ducks and we visit this lake several times a day but also because this walk is consistently noted as one of the top short walks in the North Island. You do have to have dogs on lead, but this off-road trail is around 5.5km and is not too hilly so it is suitable for most age groups. You can bring the family including the furry family. There is a beach where the dogs can dip their feet in the water to cool off and it features some amazing views! You can see our girl Zima enjoying her time at the blue lake below.

For more information on the Blue Lake walking track click here

The Rotorua Redwoods

With walks from 30mins to 8 hours there is something for both humans and dogs in the Redwoods! This area is so versatile I could talk about it for ages, but I will try to keep it brief. You can run, walk, or bike with your dogs here. You can bring the kids, the grandparents, friends, and all points in between as there are walks for all ages and abilities. If you consider yourself a bit of an avid walker and your dogs require as much energy use as mine I would recommend the Tokorangi Pa Trail. This is a difficult trail that takes a couple of hours and features a long hill climb to kick it off. However, the rewards are worth it. You get amazing views almost the whole way including panoramic views of Rotorua. I can tell you from experience that your dogs WILL be tired after doing this trail. Just make sure you take some water for them!

For more information on walking in the Rotorua Redwoods click here

So, Rotorua is not only a mecha for humans, but dogs love it here too. I do not say this lightly. My dogs if they could talk would agree with you and you can tell this by how excited they get as soon as they see a lead! Contact us if you want some more tips otherwise keep an eye out for Zima, Pippa and myself!

For more things to do in Rotorua without dogs take a look here