Bay Trail: Elwood to Sandringham

Seventeen kilometres of sealed path along the top of Port Phillip Bay, from Point Ormond in Elwood down to Sandringham. The trail itself is on lead for its whole length, but it strings together a run of beaches that are not, and that is the whole point of walking it with a dog.

The walk. AllTrails measures the route at 17.2 km and puts it at three and a half to four hours. It is flat, paved and shared with cyclists the entire way. Almost nobody walks it as a return trip. The Sandringham train line runs parallel to the whole thing, so pick a station, walk one way and ride back.

The rules. Dogs stay on lead on the path itself and in the carparks. That is Bayside City Council at the southern end and the City of Port Phillip at the northern end, and both apply a 20 metre exclusion around playgrounds, barbecues and organised sport. The beaches beside the path run to their own timetable.

Water. Elwood Beach is off lead on the sand at any hour from 1 April to 31 October. From 1 November to 31 March that shrinks to 7:30pm through to 10am, with restrictions in the middle of the day. Further south, Sandown Street beach at Brighton allows off lead, and the Sandringham Harbour beach near Jetty Road is off lead around the clock. Read the signs at whichever access point you use, because the boundaries are marked on the sand.

Getting there. Foreshore parking at Elwood is ticketed from 8am to 11pm and the side streets fill early, so the train is simpler. Public toilets, bins and water stations appear regularly along the route. Shade does not.

Nearby with the dogs. Brighton Beach Gardens via Bay Trail and Bay Trail: Brighton to Half Moon Bay break the route into shorter pieces. M.O. Moran Reserve Fenced Dog Park is the fenced option at the Elwood end, Plain Sailing Elwood and Sandy Kiosk bookend the walk, and Quest Brighton on the Bay takes dogs midway.

When to go. Early on a weekday, or before 8:30am at weekends, when the cyclists are fewer and the summer off lead window is still open. Shade is scarce, so the middle of a hot day is the wrong call. Good for nervous swimmers: the bay is flat and the entries are gentle.

Sources

• Foreshore dog regulations - City of Port Phillip · www.portphillip.vic.gov.au
• Dog-friendly or dog-free beaches - Bayside City Council · www.bayside.vic.gov.au
• Bay Trail: Elwood to Sandringham - AllTrails · www.alltrails.com

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.