Willowbrook Reserve Dog Off Leash Area

Willowbrook Reserve's off-leash area runs along South Ring Road in Westmeadows, a long grassed easement of about 800 metres that gives dogs plenty of room to stretch their legs. It is an open Hume City Council off-leash zone rather than an enclosed park, and the length is the main draw.

The dog setup

Dogs must be under effective voice or hand control at all times and registered with a current Hume tag, with a maximum of two dogs per person. Leashes come back on within 10 metres of barbecues, picnic shelters, car parks or playgrounds, along the main path and the South Ring Road boundary, and outside the reserve entirely. Dogs are also kept out of active sports fields and sensitive planting zones, and waste goes in the bins at the entry points.

Worth knowing

The reserve is open and well grassed with scattered trees, water taps with bowls, and bench seating. It is not fully fenced, so dogs need reasonable recall near the road side. Because the ground is long and narrow, you can usually find a quieter stretch further along even at busy times; weekend mornings and weekday early evenings are the busiest.

Pepsi: the long open stretch here is made for a proper run if your dog has energy to burn.

Getting there and parking

Access and street parking are along South Ring Road in Westmeadows, with the suburb's main strip and the Tullamarine Freeway both close by.

Close by with the dogs

Broadmeadows Valley Park (Barry Road) Dog Off Leash Area has a large fenced setup nearby, Westmeadows Reserve Dog Off Leash Area is the suburb's other ground, and the The Ninth Ave cafe is about five minutes away with dog-friendly outdoor seating.

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