Grant Road Reserve Fenced Dog Park

Grant Road Reserve is Somerville's main fully fenced off-leash park, a large open grassy space with mature trees along the edges at 70 Grant Road. The appeal is straightforward: secure perimeter fencing and enough room to throw a ball without your dog ever getting close to a boundary, which suits recall-in-progress dogs and nervous newcomers alike.

The dog setup

The whole reserve runs off-leash inside the fence, with a double-gated entry so you can unhclip and re-leash without a dash for the car park. It is one big enclosure rather than separate zones for big and small dogs, and the Mornington Peninsula Shire has been consulting on improvements including possible internal zoning, so expect signage and layout details to keep evolving.

House rules are the usual sensible ones: keep your dog under effective voice control, stay inside and supervise, and use the waste bags and bins provided. Drinking fountains cover water on site.

Worth knowing

The space is big enough that it rarely feels crowded, and the mix of open grass and shaded tree lines keeps it usable through summer. Because there is no small-dog separation, it is worth scoping the crowd before letting a timid dog loose.

Pepsi: the double gates mean I can be off the leash before the inner gate even opens. Sort your leads out in the airlock and nobody bolts for the road.

Getting there and parking

The reserve sits at 70 Grant Road on Somerville's eastern side, with a dedicated off-street car park near the entrance at the eastern end. Somerville Station on the Frankston line is close enough to walk from, handy if you are pairing the visit with a train trip.

Close by with the dogs

For a second off-leash option in town, Clarendon Reserve Dog Off Leash Area is the local unfenced alternative, and Pugs In Mugs covers the post-park coffee. Further down the peninsula, Stornoway Drive Reserve Fenced Dog Park in Baxter is another fully fenced run.

More options across the region are in the Victoria dog parks guide, and everything else in town sits on the Somerville destination page.