McDonald Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

McDonald Reserve is a large open sports oval on Bell Street in Coburg with a designated off-leash area: roughly 160 by 115 metres of flat, lightly treed grass. It suits a dog that wants a proper run, with one big caveat, because the oval is not fenced and its southern edge fronts busy Bell Street.

The dog setup

Under the Merri-bek council order, dogs must be under effective voice or hand control and you must carry a lead. Dogs are not allowed on the playing field while organised sport or training is on, and must be on lead within 15 metres of playgrounds or equipment and of any sporting ground in play. A maximum of four dogs per person applies, and you need to bring your own bags, as none are supplied on site.

Worth knowing

The space is a wide grass oval with a walking path along the northern boundary, light tree cover and floodlights around the oval. There is no water tap for dogs, so bring a bottle and bowl, though a few waste bins line the Bell Street side. Because the ground doubles as a sports oval, the usable area shrinks whenever cricket or soccer training is on.

Max: the oval runs unfenced onto busy Bell Street, so only let off a dog with reliable recall and stay at the northern end away from traffic. Check there is no training on first, or there is nowhere left to run.

Getting there

The reserve sits on Bell Street (State Route 55) in Coburg. There is a car park on the north side near the tennis courts, best reached from the residential streets to the north rather than turning off Bell Street itself. The Bell Street and Sydney Road tram stop is close by, and Coburg Station on the Upfield line is a 10 to 15 minute walk.

Close by with the dogs

If your dog needs a secure boundary, Richards Reserve's fenced dog park in Coburg North has separate enclosures, and Egan Reserve adds creekside tracks and water for confident swimmers.

Reward a good run with coffee at The Nicholson Coffee House. More options are on the Victoria dog park guide and the Coburg destination page.

The oval is busiest on late weekday afternoons and weekend mornings, so mid-morning is the quiet window. Confirm there is no organised sport booked before you unclip.