Abbett Park Reserve Fenced Dog Park

Abbett Park Reserve keeps a fully fenced off-leash enclosure on the northern side of the sporting oval at 105 Deanmore Road, Scarborough, run by the City of Stirling. It is the inland, secure alternative to the coast: a grassy open run with shade around the edge, handy on a high-tide day or for a dog that needs a fence between it and the road.

The rules

Inside the enclosure dogs run off-lead, but they must stay under effective control and you should step in early if play turns rough. The wider sporting ovals are on-lead, and dogs are not permitted on the ovals during scheduled training sessions or weekend fixtures. Bags and bins are provided, so clean up as you go. Reserve lighting and the car park switch off around 9pm.

What's there

A secure fenced run with grass underfoot and perimeter trees for shade, a public water fountain with a dog bowl, picnic shelters and benches near the enclosure, and public toilets within the wider reserve. Parking is on-street along Deanmore Road.

Max: check the gate latches behind you before unclipping, and read the room on the way in. A fenced run is only as calm as the dogs already in it.

Getting there

Deanmore Road is an easy turn off West Coast Highway or Scarborough Beach Road, with street parking out front. Transperth buses run along Deanmore Road and Scarborough Beach Road, both a short walk away.

Close by with the dogs

When the tide is out and sand is wide, Peasholm Dog Beach is the coastal off-lead option a few minutes south. Bazil&Co. and Good Company are Scarborough cafes that work for a post-park coffee, and Charles Riley Memorial Reserve Fenced Dog Park is the similar fenced option up the coast at North Beach.

When to go

Weekday mornings and early afternoons are quietest, while fine-weather afternoons and weekends draw the crowd. Expect extra foot traffic around the ovals through winter football and summer cricket seasons. It suits dogs that prefer a contained space to open coast, and it is a dependable option when the beach is busy or the surf is rough.