Merindah Park Dog Off Leash Area

Merindah Park at 47 Spring Street is Bayside's off-leash reserve built for running and fetching: wide open grass in Sandringham with room to actually move. It is off-leash around the clock, and the detail to know up front is that the perimeter is unfenced, so recall is the entry requirement, not a suggestion.

The dog setup

Bayside's rules shape the visit: dogs off-leash but in sight at all times, ready to be recalled and leashed on request, with the car park remaining an on-leash zone. One handler controls a maximum of four dogs, dogs must be registered and tagged, and any dog showing aggression gets leashed and removed. Watch for fenced remediation or regeneration zones inside the reserve and keep dogs out of them. Pick up after your dog; waste-bag dispensers are on site.

The facilities are unusually good for an unfenced reserve: on-site parking with EV charging, a dog water station, and a seasonal paddle pool for cooling off in summer. There are no public toilets, so plan around that.

Max: a paddle pool in a park with no fence is a captaincy test. The swimmers will be soaked and happy; the recall still has to work.

Getting there and parking

The park sits on Spring Street in Sandringham's residential grid, with on-site parking including EV chargers. Sandringham station is close enough for a walk-in visit, and the bay foreshore is minutes away, which is what makes the park-plus-beach combination work so well.

Worth knowing

This is a fetch-and-sprint ground rather than a shaded garden stroll; tree cover is limited across the open sections, so summer visits are best early or late despite the water station. The all-hours off-leash status makes it a favourite for shift workers and early risers, and the regular crowd is generally vigilant about the unfenced boundary.

While you're out there

The obvious pairing is water: Sandringham Harbour dog beach runs all-year off-leash down past the yacht club. For a second reserve, George Street Reserve is the local alternative, and the Sandringham to Brighton bay walk stretches tired legs leashed. Coffee afterward works at Sandy Kiosk by the jetty or Single Shot Cafe in the village.

More options are on the Victoria dog parks list and the Sandringham destination guide.