Ringwood Lake Park

Ringwood Lake Park is the patch of green most of Maroondah measures its walks against: a lake with a resident duck population, looped walking tracks, shaded picnic lawns, electric BBQs and a playground, all a minute off Maroondah Highway. The paths are sealed and the park is wheelchair accessible, and it never closes, running 24 hours with the gates effectively always open. Bird life is the constant draw, from the waterbirds on the lake to the smaller stuff in the wetland plantings.

On lead at all times

Maroondah City Council requires dogs on lead at all times within Ringwood Lake Park, it is not an off lead area, and owners must clean up after dogs. Shared paths are the operative rule here: runners, prams and bikes use the same loop, so keep the lead short through the narrow sections and pick your line kindly. The duck population is the other test, because a lake full of waterbirds plus a dog on a long lead is a predictable combination; manage the approach and everyone's morning stays uneventful.

The main circuit laps the lake on mostly flat sealed track with side paths out to the playground and the picnic lawns, which makes it an easy out and back for older dogs and a flexible loop for younger ones. Morning is the peak and the bird life is best then too. Weekend middays are the busiest stretch and the car park off Maroondah Highway fills accordingly, so arrive before 9am if a calm circuit matters. Mature trees give long shaded stretches in summer, though the open lawns still bake, and there are water fountains in the park, with the dog bowl backup in the car the more reliable bet.

Close by with the dogs

If the dog earns an actual off lead run, the Towerhill Drive Reserve Dog Off Leash Area and the East Ringwood Reserve Dog Off Leash Area are both minutes away, and the Mullum Mullum Reserve Dog On Leash Area extends the on lead walking east. For coffee after the loop, Bean in the Woods is the local pick. The wider list sits on the dog friendly parks in Victoria page.