Hillview Community Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

Hillview Community Reserve sits at the corner of the Nepean Highway and Palmerston Avenue in Dromana, backing onto Mornington Peninsula National Park. The draw is space plus a swimmable freshwater dam: a large grassed off-leash area, walking tracks with bay views, and no tides to plan around.

The dog setup

The western side of the reserve, including the dam, is off-leash all year, around the clock. Dogs must be under effective voice or hand control and in sight, on lead travelling to and from the zone, and on lead within 20 metres of the playground, barbecues and picnic areas. Clean up is enforced with fines.

The dam is the centrepiece for swimming dogs, though it is reed-lined and drops away quickly. Upper tracks are shared with walkers and mountain bike riders, so expect traffic in both directions.

Max: in summer I stick to the mown, open ground and skip the long grass by the dam edges. Less chance of a surprise snake, and easier to keep an eye on the ducks.

Worth knowing

Dogs are strictly banned from the adjoining national park, so respect that boundary line, and cattle in neighbouring paddocks and waterbirds on the dam are off limits. Warm months bring snakes into the longer grass, which is the main reason to keep dogs in the open. In summer, early morning and late afternoon are the comfortable windows.

Getting there and parking

The reserve is reached from the Nepean Highway in Dromana, or via the M1 and Mornington Peninsula Freeway from Melbourne, with a gravel car park at the main entrance. Facilities include public toilets locked overnight from roughly 10pm to 6am in summer and 9pm to 7am in winter, a shelter with tables and barbecues, and a water tap with a dog bowl near the toilets. The 788 Frankston to Portsea bus stops along the highway nearby.

Make a day of it

If the dam swim is not enough water, Tassells Cove at Safety Beach is a compact off-leash bay beach a few minutes down the road. For an enclosed option closer to town, Pier Street Reserve Fenced Dog Park sits near the Dromana shops, and Laneway Espresso covers the coffee stop.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly parks guide and the Dromana destination page.