Mutch Park

Mutch Park on Wentworth Avenue offers Pagewood owners something unusual for a sports park, because Bayside Council is trialling an off-leash area here. Outside that signed zone and its hours, dogs stay on lead.

Leads and the off-leash area

Read the trial signs before you unclip. Off-leash hours have been listed as 4pm to 10am, but the signage on the day is what applies.

Everywhere else in the park, including the paved paths, the lead stays on.

The walk

Paved walking and running paths wind past open grassed sports areas, the tennis and squash courts and a skate park. Mature trees shade a good share of the park.

Bins are on site, along with toilets, picnic tables, barbecues and a rotunda. Drinking water is in the park, though it pays to find the nearest bubbler before you set off, and off-street parking makes it an easy drive-in walk.

Max: Check the trial signs every time you arrive. Hours can change, and the lead goes back on the moment you leave the zone.

Make a day of it

For a fenced run, Firmstone Reserve Fenced Dog Park is close by, and Astrolabe Park in Daceyville adds a much bigger open space.

When to go

If you want the off-leash area, aim for early morning or late afternoon, inside the listed hours. The shade makes it a fair summer option too.