Forestville Park

Forestville Park is the local name for the Forestville War Memorial Playing Fields on Melwood Avenue, a large sportsground and bushland precinct that doubles as one of the Northern Beaches' better used dog spaces. Between the fenced Purple Poppy Dog Park, the time slotted off leash section on Field 3, and bush tracks threading out towards Garigal National Park, this is a proper morning to evening dog spot rather than a quick lap of a pocket park.

The dog setup

The fenced Purple Poppy Dog Park inside the grounds runs off leash 24 hours a day, with water available in the enclosure. The adjoining Field 3 off leash section works on time windows: 10pm to 8am on weekdays and 10pm to 7am on weekends, on lead the rest of the time. Dogs are banned outright from the synthetic sports fields at any hour, and owners are asked to keep no more than four dogs each and clean up after them.

Max: Stay well clear of the synthetic fields when a game is on, even from the footpath. It is an easy way to end up in an argument with a coach.

Worth knowing

Beyond the dog areas, the precinct carries a lot: free on site parking, public toilets, picnic tables, a skate park, and bush walking and bike trails for a longer on lead loop. Rugby and football use the fields heavily, so the sporting calendar shapes your visit. Weekday mornings after 8am and quieter afternoons give Field 3 breathing room; weekends and weekday evenings are busiest, and the fenced Purple Poppy area is the answer when you want contained space regardless of what is on the ovals.

Getting there and parking

The park is on Melwood Avenue, reached via Warringah Road or Forest Way, with free parking on site. Sydney Buses services along Forest Way, including routes 270, 271 and 280, stop within walking distance.

Close by with the dogs

The Currie Road Dog Park at the other end of Forestville Park's bushland is the 24 hour off leash alternative with bins, seating and water, though keep dogs out of the bushland and creek on its eastern side where paralysis ticks are a known risk. For coffee, the Daisy Coffee Shop is local, and Behind the Beans at Frenchs Forest is a short drive, while the Frenchs Forest Showground adds another open space nearby.

You can browse more parks with dogs across New South Wales or read the full Forestville guide.