Snow trip

Dinner Plain with dogs - Winter Weekend in the (lack) of Snow

We visit the one Victorian alpine village that lets dogs in. How the drive up works, where dogs can and can't go, and what the snow asks of them.

Driven June 2026

Dinner Plain is the exception in the Victorian Alps.

A snow village that welcomes dogs year round, just past Hotham on the Great Alpine Road.

Hotham itself is no-dogs, and so is the Alpine National Park that surrounds the village, so the whole weekend happens inside Dinner Plain.

We took Pepsi and Max up in June 2026. Most years this would be perfect, but in 2026 snow season was incredibly disappointing.

off-leash areas in the village: 0
shared trails dogs can walk: 3; Fitzy's Cirque, Ority's, Collector's Cirque
snow chains carried: Jun to Sep; 6 June to 6 September 2026, every vehicle over Hotham

The rules that shape the trip

Where the dogs can go

Where	Dogs	What to know
The village	On lead	Registered with your own council. There is no off-leash area.
Fitzy's Cirque, Ority's and Collector's Cirque	On lead	Shared trails: keep to one side so the groomed surface stays intact.
Cross-country and snowshoe trails east of the Cobungra Platter	No	Keep off, even on lead.
Alpine National Park	No	Dogs can't leave the village into the park.
Hotham Alpine Resort	In the car only	You can drive through with the dog inside the vehicle.

Checked against Visit Dinner Plain and Hotham Alpine Resort, September 2026.

Max's takegolden retriever

The lead stays on all weekend here. Long, sniffy walks on the shared trails do more for a big dog than the run you can't have.

Before you go

Chains in the boot

In the 2026 season (6 June to 6 September) every vehicle going over Hotham must carry snow chains, 4WDs and AWDs included. Sort them before the climb.
Alpine Resorts Victoria
Day 1 · 6:30am

Out the door

Melbourne's south-east

From Melbourne the usual route runs via Bright and Mount Hotham, roughly four and a half hours in good conditions, but took us 6. The Omeo side is longer.
Day 1 · 8:45am

Window down
Over the top

Through Hotham, dog in the car

Hotham is no-dogs, but you can drive through the resort as long as the dog stays in the vehicle. Save the leg stretch for Dinner Plain.
Hotham's pet policy
Day 1 · afternoon

Into the village

Dinner Plain

Settle in, then the first walk on lead.
Day 2

Snow time

Keep snow sessions short, then dry paws and warm up inside. We were fortunate enough to find manufactored snow for the boys to enjoy in the Toboggan area.
Heading home

Check the road before you leave

Conditions over Hotham change fast in winter. Check before you pack the car, and be ready to fit chains when the signs say so.

Cold. Thick-coated dogs cope; short-coated and small dogs feel alpine wind and wet snow quickly. Keep sessions short and watch for shivering.
Wet dog, warm room. Many chalets are unfenced, so every toilet trip is on lead, and a snow-caked dog needs somewhere to dry. Pack more towels than you think an dlisten to your dog when they want to go outside!
Energy with nowhere to go. No off-leash area means two or three days of lead walking. Plan longer walks rather than bigger ones. Lot's of wild rabbits means dogs tempted to chase like Pepsi and Max do.

One real, dog-friendly trip a week from Pepsi & Max.