Dog friendly parks in Melbourne
Melbourne and its surrounding suburbs have a large range of parks suitable for you and your dog to visit. While some of those parks have designated off lead areas, some do require your dog to be on a lead at all times.
A selection of some popular parks are listed below.
Albert Park
Location: Albert Park, 3 km south of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash unless in a designated off leash area
- The designated off leash areas are along Albert Road and some of the sports areas along Aughtie Drive
- View park map
Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens
Location: Sherbrooke, 45 km east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
Cardinia Reservoir Park
Location: Emerald, 45 km south-east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
- Dogs not permitted on the Kangaroo Viewing Trail or at Aura Vale Lake Park
Dandenong Police Paddocks Reserve
Location: Endeavour Hills, 32 km south-east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs allowed on a leash in some areas of the park including the picnic area and Woodland Walk
- Dogs allowed off leash on the two ovals next to Brady Road
Emerald Lake Park
Location: Emerald, 50 km east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
Fawkner Park
Location: South Yarra, 3 km south of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs allowed off leash along western side of park and south of Cordner Oval
- In all other areas, dogs must be on a leash
- Dogs prohibited in north-east corner of park between Toorak Road and Pasley Street
- View park map
George Tindale Memorial Gardens
Location: Sherbrooke, 46 km east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
Greenvale Reservoir Park
Location: Greenvale, 25 km north of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
Jells Park
Location: Wheelers Hill, 24 km south-east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
- Dogs prohibited in conservation areas and sign-posted bushland zones
Karkarook Park
Location: Heatherton, 19 km south-east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- There is a signed off leash area near Fairchild Street where dogs must be under effective voice control
- In all other areas, dogs must be on a leash
Lillydale Lake
Location: Lilydale, 39 km east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- There are two designated off-lead areas - near the lake wall at Olinda Creek and also near the wetlands
- In all other areas, dogs must be on a lead
Maroondah Reservoir Park
Location: Healesville, 65 km north-east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
- Dogs are prohibited on the walking tracks between Maroondah Reservoir Park to Donnellys Weir Park
Mullum Mullum Park
Location: Donvale and Mitcham, 26 km east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
Point Gellibrand Heritage Park
Location: Williamstown, 15 km south-west of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
RJ Hamer Arboretum
Location: Olinda, 49 km east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Location: Melbourne, 2 km south of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
- Dogs not permitted in Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden
Royal Park
Location: Parkville, 3 km north of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs allowed off leash at Poplar Oval, McPherson Field and an area surrounding the central native grasslands
- In all other areas, dogs must be on a leash
- Dogs prohibited in Australian Native Garden, at the rear of the Royal Childrens Hospital, the billabong along Flemington Road and the wetlands near Ross Straw Field
- View park map
Silvan Reservoir Park
Location: Silvan, 49 km east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
- Dogs only permitted in picnic areas and not along forested walking tracks
Wattle Park
Location: Burwood, 13 km east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
Werribee River Park
Location: Cocoroc, 34 km south-west of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
- Dogs are prohibited in designated conservation zones
Westerfolds Park
Location: Templestowe, 20 km north-east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
Westgate Park
Location: Port Melbourne, 6 km south-west of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
Yan Yean Reservoir Park
Location: Yan Yean, 36 km north-east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- Dogs must be on a leash
Yarra Bend Park
Location: Kew and Fairfield, 5 km north-east of Melbourne CBD
Information: see park website
- There are designated off leash areas near Deep Rock, along the northern side of the Eastern Freeway and Westerfield Picnic area
- The area below Deep Rock is ideal for dogs to enter the Yarra River
- In all other areas, dogs must be on a leash
- Dogs prohibited in bushland conservation areas
- View park map