Parkwood Fenced Dog Park

Parkwood Fenced Dog Park is Maroondah City Council's purpose-built off-leash facility at 35-39 Tortice Drive, Ringwood North, and the full perimeter fencing plus double-gated entry is the reason to pick it over the district's open reserves. You can let a bolter off the lead without watching the exits.

The rules

Dogs stay leashed through the car park and surrounding grounds, then go off-leash once inside the double-gated entry under voice control. Council requires dogs to be vaccinated and over six months old, and limits handlers to a maximum of two dogs.

No dogs on heat and no dogs showing aggression. Leave personal toys and loose treats at home because both spark squabbles. Greyhounds must stay leashed under Victorian law, and council advises against taking young children into the active off-leash zones.

What's there

The park splits into separate zones, so smaller or nervous dogs get a quieter side away from the main lawn's scrum. There is a sand pit for digging, a pipe tunnel, clamber mounds and logs for the sensory side of the workout, and a perimeter walking track.

Water points, waste bag dispensers and bins are on site, with seating for handlers and shaded areas to retreat to. The dedicated car park sits right beside the gate.

Max: two separate zones is the reason to come here. If your dog is small, shy or still learning the ropes, run the quieter side first and save the main lawn for once they have found their feet.

Getting there

Drive in via Warrandyte Road (Route C724) and use the car park adjacent to the facility. Ringwood Station on the Lilydale and Belgrave lines is the nearest rail, with bus route 364 along Warrandyte Road covering the final leg.

Close by with the dogs

Slow Lane Coffee sits on the same site, so coffee-then-run is the standard move. For open runs without fencing, BJ Hubbard Reserve Dog Off Leash Area and Mahon Reserve Dog Off Leash Area are both nearby.

When to go

Weekends and the early morning and evening weekday windows are the busiest and most social. For a first visit or a cautious dog, aim for mid-morning or midday on a weekday, and if the main pen is rowdy, wait it out or walk the quieter zone first.

More options are on the Victoria dog parks guide and the Ringwood North destination page.