Ainslie Park Dog Off Leash Area

Ainslie Park is a large sporting reserve in Croydon with generous open off-leash space, centred on a cricket and football oval plus a grassy treed area to the south. The catch is that it is a shared sports ground, so the off-leash experience depends on whether training is on.

The rules. The reserve is off-leash, but Maroondah City Council requires dogs on-leash within 15 metres of playgrounds, barbecues and picnic shelters, and during organised sport or training. If cricket or football training is using the oval, leash up there and use the southern grassy area instead. Keep a leash with you and your dog under voice control, and clean up immediately.

What's there. A main oval, a southern grassy treed section and a pavilion. There is a water tap with a bowl, bins near the pavilion, a sheltered table in the southern section and two large free car parks at the northern and southern ends.

Getting there. Access is off Dorset Road, entering via Brentnall Road, with the two car parks making drop-in easy. It is a short trip from Croydon Station on the Lilydale line, and reachable on foot or bike via local streets.

Watch-outs. The oval has some fencing but it is not fully secure, with gaps a small dog could slip through, so do not treat it as an enclosed park.

When to go. Weekday mid-morning or early afternoon is quietest. Weekday evenings after 4pm bring sport training and weekend mornings are busy. Good for dogs who need room to stretch out, as long as you can read the field and move to the southern grass when sport is on.

Sources

• Off-leash dog parks and areas - Maroondah City Council · maroondah.vic.gov.au

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.