Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk

The Balcombe Creek Estuary Boardwalk is a 4.8 km walk through the wetland and paperbark forest behind Mount Martha village on the Mornington Peninsula. It is on lead the whole way, and the flat elevated boardwalk that makes it so easy underfoot is also the thing that makes it slippery in the wet.

The walk

AllTrails records 4.8 km and grades it easy, around an hour. The route is a network of timber boardwalk and gravel track following Balcombe Creek from the reserve entrance down toward the estuary, with enough branches that you can shape a shorter circuit or walk the full length. There is no climbing of any consequence and the surface is even, which makes this one of the better peninsula options for an old dog or one coming back from injury. The boardwalk sits within the 53 hectare Balcombe Estuary Reserves, an ecologically sensitive patch actively looked after by the local friends group.

Leash status

Mornington Peninsula Shire manages the reserves and dogs stay on lead on the boardwalk and through the bushland, under effective control at all times. The wetland either side is habitat for waterbirds, echidnas and gliders, and that is the reason for the rule. Keep to the formed boardwalk and track. Separate signed off-leash reserves exist elsewhere in Mount Martha if your dog needs a run, so this is a leash-first outing by design.

Pepsi: wet boardwalk plus an excited dog equals one of us going sideways. Short lead on the timber, loose shoulders on the gravel.

Water and terrain

The creek runs alongside for much of the walk, but the boardwalk sits well above it and access is limited by design. Treat this as a walk rather than a swim, and take the dog down to the coast afterwards if it needs a splash. The trailhead area off Mirang Avenue has parking, public toilets, picnic tables and electric barbecues, so the walk pairs easily with a picnic.

Hazards

The timber gets genuinely slick after rain, and wet boardwalk sections deserve a short lead and a careful pace. Heavy weather can affect sections of the structure, so check the shire's reserve notices after storms. Snakes use the reedy margins in the warmer months. Beyond that this is one of the gentler walks on the peninsula.

Getting there and parking

The main entry and free parking sit at the end of Mirang Avenue, which reaches the reserve from Mount Martha village. The route also extends up toward the Nepean Highway end near The Briars, so fit walkers can make it a one-way outing with a car shuffle rather than a return trip.

When to go

Dry mornings are the pick: the boardwalk is at its best underfoot, the paperbarks hold the light nicely, and the waterbirds are active before the village wakes up. After rain the timber turns treacherous, so if you must walk it wet, slow down. Summer evenings work well too, though snakes are more likely around the reedy margins then.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-lead run after the on-lead boardwalk, the Community Forest Fenced Dog Park sits near The Briars end and Dunns Road Reserve offers a second fenced option. Hawker Beach handles the swim this walk will not, and Milkbar & Co. is the easy village coffee stop on the drive home.

More dog-friendly walks are listed on our Victoria trails page, and the Mount Martha destination guide covers the suburb.