Annettes Place Dog Off Leash Area

Annettes Place at 5-11 River Street is a small grassy reserve right on the Yarra River in Richmond, with the Main Yarra Trail running past it. This is a local, social off-leash pocket rather than a big run: a quick leg-stretch stop for river walkers, with the water frontage doing the scenery work.

The dog setup

The off-leash area is a designated grassy square kept clear of the playground, with mesh fencing on three sides, though the gaps open toward the river path, so it is contained but not sealed. Yarra's rules apply: dogs on-lead within 10 metres of the playground and within 5 metres of the shared path, which includes the Main Yarra Trail where cyclists pass constantly. Effective voice or hand control is required off-lead. Bring your own bags and clean up; there is a bin and picnic seating, but no water tap, so carry water and a bowl.

Max: three-sided fencing with the open side to a river bank is a decision, not an accident. Watch dogs that like water, and give the edge a wider margin after rain when the bank turns slippery.

Getting there and parking

The reserve sits off River Street near the Yarra Boulevard end of Richmond, with parking available nearby on the surrounding streets. It connects directly to the Main Yarra Trail, so most visitors arrive on foot or by bike as part of a river loop rather than driving specifically for this park.

Worth knowing

The riverbank setting brings two seasonal notes: snakes are a known warm-month hazard along grassy river edges, roughly October to April, and the bank gets slick after rain. The square's size means it fills socially at peak dog-walking hours and empties fast mid-morning on weekdays. For a bigger off-leash run, the larger Yarra parks are minutes away.

Make a day of it

For more space, Barkly Gardens offers a big shaded off-leash zone and Dame Nellie Melba Memorial Park is another unfenced option nearby. Afterward, Footlong Dogs is a fittingly named stop, or settle in at The National Hotel, where the beer garden welcomes dogs via the Lambert Street entrance.

More grounds are on the Victoria dog parks list, and the Richmond destination guide pulls the suburb together.