Are dogs allowed at Zoo Lake?

Dogs are allowed at Zoo Lake. Check the listing for leash or permit rules — some reserves need a SANParks My Activity permit or restrict dogs to one section.

What does Zoo Lake cost?

Zoo Lake has no listed entry fee. Parking, permits or seasonal charges can still apply — confirm with the operator before you go.

Where do you park for Zoo Lake?

At the park, corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Westwold Street, Parkview. Confirm on the JCPZ page.

Parkview, Johannesburg · Gauteng · Picnic spot

Zoo Lake picnic

FeeFree
DogsAllowed
Map Directions
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Footbridge over a waterfall in a Johannesburg nature garden — Johannesburg region · representative photograph, not this specific trail

Johannesburg City Parks lists Zoo Lake as a picnic area. The park opened to the public in 1908 on land donated in 1904, split between a public park and the neighbouring zoo. JCPZ names picnicking, dog walking, boat rides, a children’s play area, ablutions, a restaurant and the Zoo Lake Sports Club. Corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Westwold Street, Parkview / Saxonwold. Phone on the official page: 011 483 1017. Entry is not listed as a charge — treat it as a free municipal park and confirm any event booking separately.

Questions

Are dogs allowed at Zoo Lake?: Dogs are allowed at Zoo Lake. Check the listing for leash or permit rules — some reserves need a SANParks My Activity permit or restrict dogs to one section.
What does Zoo Lake cost?: Zoo Lake has no listed entry fee. Parking, permits or seasonal charges can still apply — confirm with the operator before you go.
Where do you park for Zoo Lake?: At the park, corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and Westwold Street, Parkview. Confirm on the JCPZ page.

Spot an error or a closed path?

Trail facts change. Tell us what you saw and we'll check it against the reserve.

Nearby on the map

From this pin: Johannesburg Botanical Gardens 3.3 km; Melville Koppies Nature Reserve 4.3 km; Delta Park 5.2 km; Golden Harvest Park 13 km.

Johannesburg Botanical Gardens

Emmarentia, Johannesburg · 3.3 km away

Official JCPZ picnic lawns at Emmarentia Dam: 81ha, sunrise to sunset, dogs in designated areas, no open fires or braais.

Picnic
Dogs OK
Free entry
Open sunrise to sunset.

Melville Koppies Nature Reserve

Melville, Johannesburg · 4.3 km away

Official JCPZ 150-hectare ridge reserve in three sections. Central is Sunday-only (Friends: R100 adult). East is the daily dog walk, about 1km. No picnic.

Central: Sundays 08:00–11:30 except Christmas and New Year. East and West: daily, dawn to dusk.

Delta Park

Victory Park, Johannesburg · 5.2 km away · easy

A free, dog-friendly green space in Victory Park with three tree-lined dams, walking trails and the Florence Bloom Bird Sanctuary.

Picnic
Dogs OK
Free entry

Golden Harvest Park

Northgate, Johannesburg · 13 km away

Official JCPZ 55-hectare fenced park near Northgate Dome: walks around a dam and bushveld, iron-smelting koppie, guard at the gate. There is an entrance fee — confirm the current amount.

Hike at your own risk. Trail conditions change — weather, fire damage, water crossings and rockfalls can make a route unsafe with little or no notice. Distance, difficulty and other details here are compiled from public sources and may be outdated. Always verify current conditions with the relevant park or reserve authority before setting out, and hike within your own ability.