Mount Sheridan Off Leash area

The Mount Sheridan Off Leash Area is a large, grassy, unfenced exercise space on George Cannon Drive in Cairns' southern suburbs. It is an open suburban paddock built around a detention basin, suited to running and ball games, with off-leash permitted inside the clearly signed zone under Cairns Regional Council rules.

Leash status

Council maps the off-leash zone as the detention basin in George Cannon Drive Park south and east of Forest Gardens Boulevard, north of George Cannon Drive and west of Des Chalmers Drive. Dogs are leashed outside that signed boundary and under effective voice control inside it. Pick up all waste, since council issues on-the-spot fines that run into the hundreds of dollars, and keep out of playgrounds, sporting fields and conservation areas entirely.

The dog setup

There is no fencing anywhere in this zone, and parts of the basin run down toward drainage and creek lines, so it is a recall test rather than a containment setup. The open basin shape gives long sightlines and room for proper ball work, and the suburban setting means passing bikes, kids and other dogs on the boundary, which is worth factoring in for a fixated dog.

Max: keep the lead on until you are well inside the signed zone and your dog has turned back to you at least twice. No fence means the recall does the fencing.

Getting there and parking

Access is via the residential streets around George Cannon Drive, with roadside parking typically available along the park edge. There is no direct transit link, so most visits are by car. Bring your own water, because bowls and taps are not guaranteed, and shade is patchy across the open ground.

When to go

Mid-morning and early afternoon on weekdays are the quiet windows; early mornings, late afternoons and weekends bring the local crew. The ground drains into the basin, so after Cairns' heavy wet season rain it gets muddy and squelchy. Give it a dry day. In the tropics, aim early or late anyway for the dog's sake.

While you're out there

The Edmonton Dog Park is the fenced alternative a few suburbs south if your dog needs a boundary, and the Henleys Hill Park Fenced Dog Park at Earlville covers the city side. The Ivan Evans Walk is a leashed bushland option nearby, and the BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Cairns Coconut at Woree takes dogs if you are visiting Cairns with a van.

More options are on the Queensland dog parks guide and the Mount Sheridan destination page.