Roy Harvey Park Fenced Dog Park

Roy Harvey Park Fenced Dog Park sits on Shand Street in Stafford, in the wider parkland locals know as Sparkes Hill Reserve, and offers a large fully fenced off-leash area with agility equipment, which puts it a class above a plain grass paddock. The reserve's hilltop position also makes it a regular on Brisbane's northside exercise circuits.

The dog setup

Dogs run off-leash only within the fenced area and stay on-leash through the surrounding parkland, which carries walking paths and playing fields. Owners keep dogs under effective control at all times, and waste goes in the bins provided, which sit near the picnic area, so have a bag ready before you reach the gate. The park is open 24 hours but largely unlit after dark, so an evening visit in winter means bringing a torch or timing it before sunset.

What is on site

The fenced area includes basic agility equipment, picnic benches and shaded seating, with on-site toilets near the picnic area, though visitors note they are not always well kept. Free off-street parking sits within the reserve, and the fenced yard is big enough for a proper fetch session rather than tight-circle socialising.

Max: hilltop reserve, agility gear, room to actually run. This is what a dog park is for.

Getting there and parking

Enter from Shand Street, Stafford, off the Stafford Road corridor and a short hop from Lutwyche Road and the Inner City Bypass side. On-site parking covers peak weekend visits, buses along Stafford Road stop within walking distance, and on hot days it pays to time the visit for the shaded seating side with a portable bowl in the car.

More off-leash nearby

Stafford Dog Park and Hickey Park cover other corners of the suburb, while Kedron Brook Off Lead Dog Park in Gordon Park adds a creek-side run one suburb east. La Familia Espresso Bar on Minimine Street and Papa's Corner Cafe on Stafford Road both pour the post-park coffee within walking distance, with outdoor seating that takes a leashed dog.

More options are on the Queensland dog friendly parks guide and the Stafford destination page.