Westerfolds Park

Westerfolds Park is 120 hectares of parkland and river woodland on a wide bend of the Yarra at Templestowe, and it works as a dog walk for a simple reason: the paths are broad, sealed and long. The resident eastern grey kangaroos are the other thing everyone remembers, and they are also the reason the lead stays on. This is a Parks Victoria park within the Yarra Valley Parklands, so the rules are set state-wide rather than by council.

The dog setup

The main circuit is the Westerfolds Loop Track, which Parks Victoria lists at 4.8 km; AllTrails maps a shorter sealed circuit of about 4.2 km that takes a bit over an hour at walking pace. Either way the surface suits any footwear and prams, and the loop passes the historic mansion site, river flats and the rapids observation points. The park also carries about 6 km of sealed paths that feed straight into the 33 km Main Yarra Trail, so instead of repeating the loop you can extend downstream towards Bulleen or upstream towards Warrandyte. That flexibility is what turns a one-hour circuit into a half-day outing.

Leash status

Dogs are welcome on lead at all times, in every part of the park. There is no off-lead area and no time-of-day exemption. Parks Victoria enforces this to protect the grazing wildlife, and the rule is taken seriously, so clip in before you leave the car park.

Water, terrain and hazards

The terrain is gentle: wide bitumen and compacted gravel with short rises through the woodland. Bring your own water because the taps serve the picnic areas, not a dedicated dog bowl, and the Yarra itself is not a drinking spot you want a dog lingering in. The hazard here is the wildlife rather than the ground. Mobs of kangaroos feed on the open slopes and often sit close to the path, and wombats and echidnas use the same ground. Give any mob a wide, calm berth at walking pace and never let a dog off the line of sight.

Max: Kangaroos hold still until they do not. Take the long way round at a walk and keep the lead short until you are well past.

Getting there and parking

Westerfolds Park sits off Porter Street and Templestowe Road in Melbourne's north east. The main car parks sit close to the loop's start points, and the sealed paths run from them, so there is no rough approach. Vehicle gates close in the early evening, later through daylight saving, so time the return leg rather than the outward one.

When to go

Early morning is the quietest walking and the best kangaroo viewing, because the mobs move onto the open grass before the cyclists and pram traffic arrive. Late afternoon runs a close second. Summer middays are exposed on the open slopes, so aim for the river corridor shade then.

While you are out there

Downstream, Main Yarra Trail: Candlebark Park to Tikalara Park continues the river corridor towards Bulleen; upstream, Main Yarra Trail: Finns Reserve to Warrandyte picks it up again past Fitzsimons Reserve. If the loop leaves you wanting a coffee more than another 4 km, Petty's Orchards is a short drive away. More dog walks across the state are listed on the Victoria trails guide, and other options around the suburb sit on the Templestowe destinations page.