Templestowe Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

Templestowe Reserve, off Hawtin Street in Manningham's north-east, is a big multi-use community reserve built around two sports ovals, and the open ground doubles as an off-leash area when sport is not running. It is unfenced, so the deal is simple: large room to run in exchange for solid recall.

The dog setup

Dogs can be exercised off-lead across the general open spaces and ovals under Manningham City Council's off-lead reserve status. The constraints sit around the edges rather than inside: dogs must stay on lead within 15 metres of playgrounds and barbecue areas, through the car park, and clear of any match or training session in progress. Handlers are expected to carry waste bags and keep effective voice or physical control at all times.

Worth knowing

The reserve is a working sports ground first, with AFL and cricket through their seasons, a pavilion, and a seven-court tennis complex. Weekend ovals and training slots are busy, so if your dog is unsettled around organised sport, aim for weekday mornings or mid-afternoons. The perimeter has no full fence, and it opens onto car parks and residential streets, so keep a close eye on dogs prone to wandering. Grass can turn muddy after rain.

Getting there

Access is via Hawtin Street just off Templestowe Road, with on-site parking including accessible bays. Buses run along surrounding roads such as Anderson Street. Confirm the current off-lead boundaries on the council signage when you arrive, as designated zones do get reviewed.

Close by with the dogs

For a same-suburb alternative, the Serpells Community Reserve Dog Off Leash Area is nearby, and if a fence is non-negotiable the Banksia Park Fenced Dog Park in Bulleen is a short drive down Templestowe Road.

More runs across the state are catalogued in the Victorian dog friendly parks guide, and the rest of the suburb is on the Templestowe destination page.