Outer Circle Linear Park Dog Off Leash Area (Willsmere Road to Spruzen Avenue)

This is the off-leash stretch of the Outer Circle Linear Park in Kew, running between Willsmere Road and Spruzen Avenue along a former railway alignment. It reads more like a linear walk than an open dog park: a narrow, tree-lined green corridor beside a shared walking and cycling path, and a pleasant way to give a dog a proper off-lead leg stretch while staying on the move.

The dog setup

Dogs may be off-leash in the designated section but must stay under effective voice control and within sight, and you must carry a lead. Standard Boroondara conditions apply: clean up after your dog, and keep dogs leashed near any playground and picnic or barbecue area. Check the signage for the exact off-leash boundary, because the adjoining sections of the corridor are not all off-leash.

Max: the shared path carries fast-moving cyclists and commuters, and the strip is thin. If your dog's recall is patchy, keep them leashed near the paved section and only let them off where you have clear sight lines.

Worth knowing

Substantial shade comes from mature eucalypts, with the occasional bench along the way. The corridor is largely unfenced along the edges, often bordered by residential fencing, so it is not a containment option for a bolter. Recall matters more here than at a wide open reserve precisely because the space is narrow and everything funnels past the same path.

Getting there and parking

Access is via Spruzen Avenue, Earl Street or Willsmere Road, with limited street parking on the adjacent residential streets. High Street trams and Harp Junction buses are the nearest public transport, and the corridor connects into the wider Outer Circle trail network if you want a longer route.

While you're out there

For a bigger open run, Victoria Park in Kew and Hays Paddock in Kew East are the heavyweight alternatives nearby. The Willo Cafe on High Street and Hay and Hide in Kew East are dog-friendly coffee stops for either end of the walk.

When to go

Weekday mid-mornings and early afternoons are quietest. Saturday mornings and weekday commuter peaks bring the most foot and bike traffic on the shared path, so early birds and off-peak walkers get the calmer corridor.