Rosstown Rail Trail

A railway that never really worked left Carnegie with a useful legacy. The Rosstown Rail Trail, also called the Rosstown Railway Heritage Trail, follows the old line from Elsternwick to Oakleigh, and dogs are welcome on a lead.

Leads and off-lead play

Glen Eira City Council manages most of the trail, with the Oakleigh end inside the City of Monash. Along the shared path and the streets that connect it, dogs stay leashed.

Off-lead time belongs in the designated areas of nearby local reserves, not on the trail itself.

What the walk is like

The surface is asphalt and concrete throughout, so it is easy going for dogs of any age. Expect suburban streets, local parks and the odd underpass left over from William Murray Ross's ill-fated 19th-century railway.

Bring water for the dog on warm days.

Max: This is a shared path. Keep me on a short lead when bikes come through the underpasses.

Pair it with

Finish with a run at Lord Reserve Dog Off Leash Area, or a coffee at Left Field Cafe Carnegie.

Smooth and flat, it suits older dogs and short suburban walks. Pick up the section through Carnegie and turn back whenever your dog has had enough.