Dog Friendly Beaches In Norfolk

• Restrictions in the summer months  

East Snettisham beach is a mainly shingle beach, but at low tide it becomes wet sand and quite sticky estuary mud.  The shingle is a little tricky to walk on, but there is a more sheltered grassy sandy walk on the other side of the sand dunes if you choose.
To the West is the RSPB Snettisham Nature Reserve.  You can walk your dogs but they must be kept on a lead due to nesting birds.

• NEW TO 2021 - Restrictions in the summer months.

Heacham South has nesting birds (ringed plovers and oystercatchers) so there are restrictions during the summer months.  This is easy walking, backed by sand dunes.  Heacham North has a promenade, so obviously dogs need to be kept under control.  Heacham North beach does get busy in the summer though, but is a good dog friendly beach.

• Dog restrictions in the summer months. 

Dogs are not allowed from the power boat ramp to the northern end of the promenade. Hunstanton beach is a very popular beach backed by a promenade and attractions and gets very busy in the summer.  I would not really call this one of Norfolk's dog friendly beaches.

• Dog friendly and no restrictions. 

This is an amazing beach where you can walk for miles and miles on the golden sands of Norfolk.  Old Hunstanton beach is one of the best dog friendly beaches in Norfolk, in my opinion. Perfect for dog walking.

• Dog friendly but with restrictions around the cordoned off areas for nesting birds. 

Holme beach is a really good dog walking beach and you can walk all the way to Snettisham.  However, it does border on the Holme Nature Reserve so once off the beach, you would need to keep your dogs under control, especially during the nesting season.  Lovely long walks though and one of the  empty dog friendly beaches in Norfolk.

• Dog friendly and no restrictions

Thornham beach is very similar to Holme beach although it does require a bit of a walk to reach it (good for a dog walk though!).  As it borders a nature reserve, dogs should be kept under control in the dunes, but otherwise the beach is lovely and dog friendly.

• Dog friendly but does have a small restriction in the summer months. 

This is a very popular dog friendly beach which does get busy in the summer.    At low tide you can spot the shipwreck.  It does have a small restriction right in front of the approach to the beach and slightly to the East, but you can walk westwards on Brancaster beach away from the main beach. 

• Dog-friendly and no restrictions

You will be walking within the Holkham National Nature Reserve so should be careful at nesting times.  Due to the length of the walk to reach the beach, this isn’t a beach which is ever crowded, and your dogs will love it.  It’s a beautiful walk too, especially looking back from the beach and sand dunes towards Burnham Overy Staithe. One of the great dog friendly beaches in Norfolk.

• Dog friendly with restrictions at the beginning in Holkham Bay
  

One of the many dog friendly beaches, Holkham beach has recently put into place restrictions when you walk onto the bay.  Once past the dunes, there are no restrictions.  However, you will be walking within the Holkham National Nature Reserve if you are within the pine forest and dunes, so you should be careful at nesting times and definitely keep them under control.  This is another beach where you can walk for miles and miles.  Walk East towards Wells-next-the-Sea, or West towards Burnham Overy.  One of my favourites.

• Dog friendly to the west of the beach.  No dogs are allowed to the East.

Wells beach is yet another incredible beach and if you take your dogs out towards the sea at low tide, you won’t disturb anyone by the beach huts.  Dogs are not allowed by the beach huts and please put your poo bags in the bins, don't leave them on the beach. Very popular dog friendly beach.

• Dog restrictions in the summer months to the west
  

The whole of Cley beach is shingle, making it very difficult for dogs to walk on unless you visit at low tide.  In the nesting months there is a total ban to the west of the beach. It also backs onto two important nature reserves with ground nesting birds so they do need to be kept under control if you do decide to take you dog to this beach.

• Dog restrictions in the summer months. 

Sheringham beach is another very busy beach in the summer months, so best to avoid it with dogs, particularly as there is a promenade.  When it's high tide the sea comes right up to the promenade leaving no space on the beach. You can walk along the promenade, but not on the beach during the restricting months.

• Dog friendly but with a tiny restriction area as you enter the beach  

Once past this small restriction on West Runton beach, you have the run of the beach.  This beach is famous for its fossil collecting and where the West Runton Elephant was discovered in 1990.  Both East and West Runton are Blue Flag beaches.

• Dog friendly but restrictions in the summer months. 

You can walk from here to Cromer on the beach and is another good dog friendly beach, even though a little stony.   This is a Blue Flag beach.

• Dog restrictions in the summer months. 

Cromer beach is one of a handful of Norfolk beaches to be awarded the Blue Flag status  and another very popular North Norfolk summer holiday destination.  In the height of the season, this is not one of the best dog friendly beaches as it is so popular!  It also has restrictions either side of the pier.

• Dog restrictions on the central beach in the summer months (that is the length of the promenade). 

Overstrand is a beautiful beach when the tide is out, and also a good dog walking beach at low tide.  You can not walk them on the beach in the summer, but you can walk them along the promenade.  It even has little pictures of where you can walk the dog on the promenade!  

• Dog restrictions in the summer months (that is the length of the promenade). 

Again, very much as with Overstrand, Mundesley is a perfect dog walking beach at low tide, but also good if the tide is high too.  You can walk for a long way on this beach either side of the restrictions in the summer months and you can walk them along the promenade.

• Dog restrictions in Walcott in the summer months between the main groynes of the beach.

Both Bacton beach and Walcott beach have had a major sandscaping project carried out in 2019 to prevent coastal erosion around the Bacton gas terminal, so now there is much more of a beach than there used to be.  The summer restrictions cover most of the beach running parallel to the road.

• No dog restrictions 

Happisburgh beach is a wonderful beach for walking your dogs. Very unspoilt and quiet but coastal erosion is very evident here.  

• Dog restrictions in the summer months in the middle section of the beach. 

Sea Palling is another Norfolk beach to be awarded the Blue Flag status.  Lovely long walks here, either north  to Happisburgh or south to Waxham.  Best at low tide though otherwise you'll be walking over boulders.  In the summer months there is a restriction on the main part of the beach.  You can go south from the main entrance, or walk a little further north and bypass the main beach.  You can find more details of the exact location here. 

• No dog restrictions

Waxham is a lovely dog friendly beach with absolutely no restrictions throughout the year.  It's very popular with dog walkers.

• No dog restrictions

Horsey beach is most well known for the seals in the winter months.  Although there are no dog restrictions, please keep them under control during the seal pup season.  The beach is closed off from November to January due to seal pupping season.

• No dog restrictions. 

Winterton beach has no dog restrictions.  However, it is part of the Winterton Dunes National Nature Reserve so you do need to keep your dogs under control in the nesting season.  Lots of wonderful dunes to walk in too.

• Dog restrictions in the summer months

Hemsby beach is one of the very busy beaches in Norfolk, so it's advisable not to bring your dog to this beach.  The village is also very busy.

• Dog friendly and no restrictions

Caister beach is most definitely a dog friendly beach with a lovely long stretch of sand to exercise your pet.

• Dog friendly and no restrictions.  

Great Yarmouth beach North and South do allow dogs

• Dog restrictions in the summer months between Britannia Pier and Wellington Pier.  

One of the Norfolk beaches to be awarded the Blue Flag status.

• Dog friendly and no restrictions.

As with Gt Yarmouth North, dogs are allowed on Gt Yarmouth South beach.

• Dog restrictions in the summer months between the harbour mouth and the ravine at Gorleston

This is a thriving holiday resort and Gorleston beach is a wonderful sandy beach so probably best to keep away with your pets in the summer.