Francis St Fully Fenced Dog Park

Francis St Fully Fenced Dog Park is the Francis Street entrance to the fenced off-leash ground in the north-west corner of McIvor Reserve, Yarraville. The enclosure is roughly 9,100 square metres of L-shaped, fully fenced grass with a rocky hill, some shade and a bit of agility gear, and it doubles as the most practical entry point if you are coming from the Seddon side of the suburb.

The dog setup

Inside the fence dogs run off-lead, with a water tap and bowl, seating, and three hurdles of varying heights plus weave poles for dogs who like a job to do. Bag stations sit near each gated entrance. The wider reserve adds a public toilet, BBQs and a playground if the whole household is along, and beyond the fence the rest of the reserve is off-lead too provided your dog stays under effective voice control.

Max: the ground gets muddy after rain. If the fenced grass is heavy going, the paved paths around the wider reserve hold up much better.

Worth knowing

The usual Maribyrnong rules apply: stay on-lead within 30 metres of the playground and keep off the soccer, hockey and baseball fields while games or training are on. Sunday mornings and Tuesday to Thursday evenings draw the biggest crowds, while weekday mornings tend to be quieter if your dog prefers fewer distractions.

Getting there and parking

The entrance is on Francis Street, Yarraville VIC 3013, with parking inside McIvor Reserve itself. Buses run along the nearby main roads, but this is mainly a car or walk-in park for locals rather than a train-adjacent option. Yarraville Village and its dog-friendly Anderson Street cafes are about five minutes away by car.

Close by with the dogs

Barbara Beyer Reserve is the suburb's smaller on-lead-friendly open space if you want a change of scene, and Hansen Reserve in West Footscray has its own off-lead area a short drive east. For somewhere with water views, The Warmies at Newport is worth the detour on a calm evening.

More options are on the Victoria dog parks guide and the Yarraville destination page.