Tooronga Park Dog Off Leash Area

Tooronga Park is a long, narrow strip of green space on Weir Street, squeezed between the railway line and the freeway, with mature trees that make it a quieter option than Malvern's bigger off-leash grounds. The corridor shape means dogs get a run with a bit of length to it, and the traffic noise on both sides seems to wash over the dogs more than the owners.

The dog setup

Dogs must be under effective voice or hand control at all times off-leash, and you need to carry a lead with you even while your dog is running free. Dogs are not allowed on the playground, and waste must be picked up and binned. A paved or gravel path runs the length of the park with benches along the way, a fenced play area for kids, and enough tree cover to give solid shade in summer, with basic picnic and barbecue facilities on site.

Worth knowing

Being long and narrow works in your favour when it is busy: you can usually walk away from a crowded stretch and find a quieter patch under the trees further along. It is not fenced, so the usual recall rules apply, and the freeway and rail boundaries make this a bad place to test a unreliable dog.

Getting there and parking

Access is via Weir Street, off Tooronga Road, with on-street parking. The park runs parallel to the Glen Waverley line near Tooronga Station, so it is walkable from the train, and local bus routes on Tooronga Road serve the area too.

While you're out there

The Gardiners Creek Trail is close by for an on-lead extension, Milton Gray Reserve and Percy Treyvaud Memorial Park are the other off-leash grounds nearby, and Mr Sister in Malvern East is a reliable dog-friendly coffee stop on the way home.

When to go

Weekday mornings are the calmest time. The park gets busier on weekday afternoons and weekends, when the playground and barbecue side fill up alongside the dog walkers.