Main Yarra Trail North Side

The Main Yarra Trail north side runs 5.3 kilometres along the northern bank of the Yarra between Fairfield Boathouse and Dights Falls, threading through Yarra Bend Park with the river beside you for nearly the whole way. It is one of the busiest shared paths in inner Melbourne, and leads are compulsory from end to end.

Leash status

Parks Victoria manages Yarra Bend Park and requires dogs on lead on the main trail, with a cap of four dogs per person. The stricter rule is the no-dog zones: dogs are not permitted at Galatea Point, on the golf courses, or on active sports grounds at any time.

Some parts of the wider park do allow off lead, so read the signage at each entry rather than assuming either way. Controls are tight here partly because the park shelters a large grey-headed flying-fox colony, one of the significant wildlife populations on this stretch of river.

The walk

AllTrails puts the section at 5.3 kilometres and about an hour at a steady pace, rated moderate. The surface is concrete and gravel and mostly flat, with a few short steep pitches climbing toward Yarra Boulevard, and Fairfield Boathouse anchors the eastern end while Dights Falls closes the western one.

Max: the path narrows hard at the Pipeline Bridge and commuter cyclists come through fast and quiet. Bring your dog to the inside and hold the lead short across the whole span.

Water and hazards

Toilets, drinking fountains and picnic tables are spread through the park, with facilities concentrated at the Loop Picnic Area. Watch for bike traffic at commuter hours, and keep a firm grip on the narrow riverside sections where the path squeezes between fence lines and the water.

Getting there and parking

Free parking sits on Fairfield Park Drive with a four hour limit, and more spaces are available near the amphitheatre. Fairfield station on the Hurstbridge line is a short walk from the boathouse end, while Trenerry Crescent is the easiest access point for the Dights Falls end.

When to go

Aim for before 8:30am or mid morning on a weekday, when the path is at its quietest. This corridor carries serious cycling traffic at commuter hours and fills with walkers and runners all weekend, so nervous dogs are best kept to those calm windows.

More walks nearby

The Abbotsford to Royal Botanic Gardens via Main Yarra Trail continues the same river corridor downstream. For a proper run off the lead, Quarries Park Dog Off Leash Area at Clifton Hill and Fairfield Park Fenced Dog Park are both close by, and Fairfield Park Boathouse and Tea Gardens seats dogs outside at the trailhead.

More routes are on the Victoria trails guide and the Melbourne destination page.