Quarry Hills Track

The Quarry Hills Track climbs through grassland and rocky bush on Melbourne's northern edge to a lookout with the city skyline on one side and the ranges on the other. One naming note before you go: the 114 hectare park is now officially bunjil nganga Parkland, so signs and council pages will not always say Quarry Hills. They are the same place.

Leash status

Dogs must be on lead throughout the bushland park. City of Whittlesea manages it as a conservation reserve protecting indigenous grasslands and wildlife, and the rule does real work here because kangaroos graze the slopes in numbers. A dog that chases one is starting a fight it will lose. There is no off-lead area inside the parkland.

The walk

About 5.5 km and an hour and a half at a steady pace, rated moderate. The work is in the hills rather than underfoot: the tracks are wide, formed gravel, but they climb properly with little flat ground, running up over rocky rises toward Granite Hill and the lookout platforms. The viewing platform at Eagle Lookout is the usual turning point. Gravel can be loose on the descents after a dry spell, which matters if your dog pulls.

Water and hazards

Bring all the water you and the dog will need. There is none on the track and very little shade on the climbs, which makes this a poor choice for a hot afternoon with a heavy-coated dog. It is, in fairness, an excellent sunset walk on a mild evening.

Getting there and parking

Parking is at the Gravlier Way entrance in South Morang, and it fills on sunny weekend mornings. Vehicle gates close in the evening, so check the posted closing time at the car park before setting out late. South Morang station on the Mernda line is the closest train, though it leaves a walk or short ride to the trailheads.

Close by with the dogs

For the off-lead half of the day, Delacombe Reserve Fenced Dog Park is the local option, and Redleap Recreation Reserve in Mill Park adds a large fenced zone with a separate small-dog area beside Peter Hopper Lake.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly trails guide and the South Morang destination page.

Max: skyline views from a grassland ridge and kangaroos at every turn. Lead on, water in the bag, and check the gate closing time before you start a late one.