Alma Park East Dog Off Leash Area

Alma Park East is the calmer half of Alma Park in St Kilda East, split from the busier west side by the Sandringham train line. It offers a generous stretch of open lawn under mature trees where dogs can run off-leash, with the added bonus of being a few minutes from both Windsor station and Chapel Street.

The dog setup

The off-leash area covers the northern part of the park, between the sports oval and Dandenong Road. Everywhere else, including the oval itself, dogs stay on the leash. City of Port Phillip rules add two buffers: dogs are prohibited within 5 metres of playgrounds, barbecues and picnic areas, and on-leash within 20 metres of organised sport in play.

The park is not fenced from the surrounding streets, so control rests entirely on recall. That is the main thing to weigh up before letting a dog off here: the boundaries run close to traffic on Dandenong Road and Alma Road. Waste bins sit near the entrances, and public toilets and water fountains on the main paths cover the rest.

Max: this side of the park is quieter than the west, so it's a better bet for dogs that get wound up around playground crowds. Still stay close enough to call them back near the boundary streets.

The vibe

Weekday mornings before work and weekend mornings between 8am and 11am are the busiest windows. For a quieter run, aim for weekday midday or late afternoon. The walking paths through the rest of the park make an easy leashed loop afterwards.

Getting there and parking

Windsor Station on the Sandringham line is a short walk away, entering the park from the Dandenong Road side. Trams along Dandenong Road and Chapel Street put you within a few minutes' walk from several directions. By car, use the timed street parking on Westbury Street, Alma Road and the surrounding side streets, and check the signage.

Close by with the dogs

The Phoenician Cafe on Westbury Street has an outdoor deck that welcomes dogs, an easy stroll from the park gate. Across the rail line, Alma Park West is the larger off-leash half of the reserve, and Northey Street Park in Windsor adds a fully fenced option if recall is still a work in progress.

More runs across the state are on the Victoria dog parks page, and the St Kilda East guide pulls the suburb together.