Mt Morton Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

Mt Morton Reserve is a small, hilly off-leash reserve on Chaundy Road in Belgrave South, sitting against the Baluk Willam Nature Conservation Reserve on the edge of the Dandenongs. It is an official Yarra Ranges Council off-leash area, but there is no fencing and no water on site, so this is a bush reserve for dogs with solid recall rather than a quick fenced run.

The dog setup

The open space is designated off-leash with dogs under effective voice control at all times. Keep the lead on in the car park and along the public walkway in from Chaundy Road. The reserve borders conservation bushland, so you will share it with native wildlife, wallabies included, which is exactly why recall matters before you unclip. There are no water taps, no bins and no fenced area: bring your own water and carry every bag back out with you.

Max: The summit path is stone and gets slippery after rain. Stick to it rather than cutting across the grass in wet weather.

The terrain

Expect uneven, tree-scattered ground with grassy patches, a stone path climbing to the summit, and two picnic tables, one perched at the top of the hill. It is a hilly leg workout for both ends of the lead, with a proper view at the top as the reward.

Getting there and parking

Access is off Belgrave-Hallam Road via Mount Morton Road and Chaundy Road, with a small gravel car park at the reserve entrance. The reserve is open around the clock. Belgrave Station is the nearest train stop at roughly two to three kilometres, too far to walk comfortably with most dogs, so drive.

More walks nearby

The Belgrave Lake Park dog off-leash area is a short drive away with a big open grassy space and the lake circuit, a better bet for less reliable recall. The Pepis Land dog off-leash area at Emerald and the Glenfern Valley Bushlands walk at Upwey round out the hills. For caffeine, the Selby General Store and Cafe is close by, and The Railway Dog at Emerald is fittingly named for a post-walk pint.

More hills options are on the Victoria dog parks list and in the Belgrave South guide.