Harris Gully Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

Harris Gully Reserve is a natural bushland off-leash reserve running along Harris Gully Road in Warrandyte, with unsealed tracks through remnant native vegetation and a tributary feed into Andersons Creek. It has a quieter, scruffier feel than the main River Reserve, and suits dogs that would rather nose through the bush than lap an oval.

The dog setup

Parts of the reserve operate as a dog off-leash area under Manningham Council rules, so confirm the current boundaries on the signage when you arrive. Where off-leash applies, your dog needs to be under effective voice or hand control with a lead carried at all times. Leads go back on within 15 metres of playgrounds, barbecues and picnic areas. The gully is unfenced bushland, so solid recall matters, and you should carry bags and take waste with you.

Worth knowing

The tracks are informal dirt and gravel, doubling as pedestrian links through the gully and part of a local horse-riding trail network, so expect to share the path occasionally. Amenities are deliberately minimal in this conservation strip: no toilets or barbecues here, with those facilities over in the wider Warrandyte River Reserve and Stiggant Reserve areas. The track gets muddy after rain, and in the warmer months watch for snakes and keep your dog on the track. Weekend mornings are busiest; weekday evenings are the quiet window.

Max: mud, gum trees, a hundred things to sniff. This is a sniffari, not a walk.

Getting there and parking

The reserve runs alongside Harris Gully Road, with informal street parking along the road and in the surrounding pockets. It connects easily into the Warrandyte township on foot, and the walk in from the main street is pleasant if you are local.

Close by with the dogs

For a busier river-side session, Warrandyte River Reserve is the main off-leash draw in town, and Stiggant Reserve covers the sporting oval side. George's Milkbar handles the post-walk coffee stop.

More options are on the Victoria dog parks guide and the Warrandyte destinations page.