Esslemont Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

Esslemont Reserve is an off-leash oval on Cornwall Road in Pascoe Vale, run by Merri-bek City Council, with direct access to the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail. The whole reserve is designated off-leash, which makes it a flexible spot: a quick ball session on the oval, or the start of a long creek-side walk.

The dog setup

Because the reserve is open rather than fenced, the rules lean on control rather than containment: dogs must be under voice or hand command at all times, you must carry a lead, and dogs must not rush at or threaten people or other animals. Dogs stay on lead within fifteen metres of organised sport while it is in progress, and waste goes straight in the bins because bags are not supplied.

The ground is a large open oval ringed by benches, with a water tap and dog bowl usually near the playground in the southeast corner. Cricket nets, a basketball hoop and an outdoor gym share the space, so mind where you throw a ball when others are using the facilities.

Pepsi: open oval plus a creek trail out the back door. I do my zoomies here and my long walks on the trail.

The reserve's connection to the creek trail is what lifts it above a standard suburban oval: one gate of the imagination and your off-leash fetch session becomes a five-kilometre riverside ramble. Watch for cyclists on the shared path and shorten the leash through the pinch points.

Worth knowing

Shared-use etiquette is the real skill here: leash up approaching the shared paths and give cyclists and runners room, and expect weekend cricket to claim part of the oval in season. Dogs that wander toward the playground need recalling early, since the fifteen-metre buffer applies to play equipment too.

Getting there and parking

Street parking runs along Cornwall Road. Pascoe Vale railway station is a ten to fifteen minute walk, and buses along Cumberland Road and Gaffney Street stop close by. The Moonee Ponds Creek Trail gives direct walking and cycling access from the south.

While you're out there

K W Joyce Reserve Dog Off-Leash Area is the suburb's other off-leash oval. For coffee, st.derby on Derby Street is famously pet-friendly, and the Pascoe Vale Hotel covers the post-walk dinner shift.

More options are on the Victorian dog parks guide and the Pascoe Vale destination page.