Minak Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

Minak Reserve is a bushland reserve in the Dandenong Ranges at Selby, where a grassy plateau ringed by tall gums and tree ferns serves as the dog exercise space. It plays more like a nature walk than an open play park, and it sits in one of the quieter corners of the hills.

The dog setup

The open plateau at the corner of Minak and Wombalana Roads is the area where dogs can run off lead, and it is unfenced, so your dog needs to stay within sight and call back range with a lead carried at all times. One caution matters more than usual here: the surrounding bushland is managed for conservation, and dogs are prohibited in specific sensitive sections of the reserve, so follow the signage and keep your dog out of the fern understorey and onto the open ground. Do not let your dog wander toward the private properties that border the reserve.

Worth knowing

This bush is home to echidnas and lyrebirds, and a dog with a strong prey drive is safer kept leashed for the whole visit. The dense ferns also make it easy to lose sight of your dog if they drift toward the tree line, which is worth thinking about before you unclip a nervous or reactive dog. Facilities are minimal to none: no toilets, no bins and no water taps. Bring water for both of you and pack your waste bags back out.

Getting there and parking

The reserve is on Minak Road, Selby, with street parking nearby that is limited, so arrive early on weekends. Belgrave Station is the nearest train stop, but the walk from there is steep, so driving is the practical option.

Close by with the dogs

The Selby General Store & Cafe is a short distance away for a coffee and a puppacino afterwards. For a bigger off lead session, Belgrave Lake Park Dog Off Leash Area down the hill has a dedicated play zone with a water tap, and the Glenfern Valley Bushlands at Upwey offer a longer on lead bushwalk.

Max: Unfenced and thick with ferns is a bad combination if the recall is shaky. Keep the lead in hand until you know the trail, and stay on the open plateau.

Weekend mornings are the busiest stretch. If your dog is reactive, an early start or a drizzly day gives you the plateau to yourselves. Best for dogs with reliable recall that ignore wildlife.