Macleay Reserve

Macleay Reserve is a small, leafy neighbourhood park on Ithaca Road in Elizabeth Bay, and its headline feature is simple: it is off-leash 24 hours a day under City of Sydney rules. In a dense inner-city pocket where most green space is on-lead or time-restricted, a round-the-clock off-leash patch is genuinely useful, and this one is a short stroll from both Kings Cross and the harbour foreshore.

The dog setup

The reserve is a compact grassed area with trees for shade, a few benches and decent lighting for early or late visits. It is only partially fenced and opens onto the street in places, so it suits dogs with reasonable recall rather than bolters. Waste bags and bins are provided, and rangers do fine for uncollected waste. The park backs onto private gardens, so keep your dog out of neighbouring yards, and it stays clear of the nearby play spaces as City of Sydney rules require.

Max: this is a quick-legs park, not a training ground. Small, low-key off-leash sessions are what it does best.

Worth knowing

Even in a 24-hour off-leash zone, effective voice control is required and you must carry a leash. The space is small, so it works for a burst of exercise or a meet-up rather than a long run. Weekday mornings before work and the 5pm to 7pm after-work window are the busiest. If your dog is reactive or you would rather have the grass to yourselves, midday is the quiet pocket.

Getting there and parking

The reserve sits on Ithaca Road, Elizabeth Bay. Street parking on Ithaca Road and Macleay Street is limited and time-restricted, so arriving on foot is easier. Kings Cross station is a 10 to 15 minute walk, and several bus routes run along Macleay Street nearby.

Close by with the dogs

Beare Park is two minutes away on the harbour for a foreshore leg of the walk, and Embarkation Park sits up on the Potts Point ridge. For coffee, Greenknowe Cafe is the closest listing and RayRay Cafe on Macleay Street is the Potts Point option.

More options are on the New South Wales dog parks guide and the Elizabeth Bay destination page.