Wilks Park Off Leash Area

The Wilks Park off-leash area sits on the eastern side of the park on Hampden Avenue, North Wagga Wagga: a large unfenced grassy expanse under mature shade trees, right on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. It is the north-side off-leash option for the city, and it shares the park with a free 72-hour self-contained camping area, so local dog walkers mix with travelling caravans.

The dog setup

Off-leash use is daylight hours only, and there is no fence, so effective voice control is the price of entry. You must stop your dog chasing, harassing or attacking other people, dogs or wildlife, and pick up and bin all waste. Dogs must wear a collar with ID tags and be lifetime registered, and declared dangerous, menacing or restricted-breed dogs cannot be off-leash here. Waste bins are provided and the mature trees give solid natural shade.

Worth knowing

Unfenced and beside Hampden Avenue, this ground suits dogs with solid recall rather than bolters; keep clear of the entrance road until you trust the recall completely. The grass can get potholed or overgrown in patches, so watch your footing. The park sits on the river floodplain, so check conditions after recent rain or upstream flooding. The wider park has a toilet block, an RV dump point and undercover seating. Mornings and evenings bring the best shade and fewer vans pulled in for the night; if you are camped at Wilks Park, the off-leash stretch is a proper leg-stretcher before crossing the bridge into Wagga Wagga.

Max: no fence here, so hold off on the off-leash sprint near the entrance road until you know your dog's recall cold.

Getting there and parking

Access and parking are directly off Hampden Avenue, though the access road itself is gravel and dirt, so expect dust after dry spells and puddles after rain. Wagga Wagga bus services reach North Wagga Wagga with a short walk to the park, but there is no direct public transport to the gate.

Close by with the dogs

If you are staying put, the WILKS PARK Camping Area listing covers the camping side of the same park. For a fenced alternative across the river, Narrung Street Fenced Dog Park in Wagga Wagga is the secure option, and The Early Bird does a proper post-walk breakfast in town.

More options across the state are on the NSW dog parks guide, and the local area is covered on the North Wagga Wagga destination page.