Glenfern Valley Bushland Loop

The Glenfern Valley Bushland Loop is a 3.2 km circuit through restored bushland in Upwey, in the Dandenong Ranges foothills, taking most walkers 45 to 60 minutes. It reads as an easy walk on paper, but the ridge sections are hilly and rutted underfoot, so it rewards dogs and owners who like a bit of a scramble.

The walk

The loop winds through grassy woodland and along Ferny Creek, passing a small frog pond and skirting old quarry ground. Surfaces shift between smooth track and rougher, root-strewn climbs, so prams struggle here even when dogs do not.

The reserve is a community-restored patch of around 40 hectares, with the Friends of Glenfern Valley Bushlands doing long-running weed and revegetation work. Interlinking tracks let you shorten or stretch the circuit if the full loop is more than the day calls for.

Worth knowing

Dogs are welcome on lead at all times, per Yarra Ranges Council, mainly to protect the birdlife and roosting areas in the restored bush. The reserve directly borders the Dandenong Ranges National Park, where dogs are prohibited entirely, so watch the boundary markers and do not drift onto the national park tracks.

Max: keep the lead short near the creek and the frog pond in spring. Ground-nesting birds are the reason this walk is on-lead, and a dog that flushes them undoes years of volunteer work in one afternoon.

Getting there

Access is via small parking bays off Glenfern Road and New Road in Upwey, with the main entry a short drive from the Upwey village strip. There are picnic tables and benches inside the reserve, but no toilets or bins, so pack out everything you carry in.

More walks nearby

The parent reserve is covered in the Glenfern Valley Bushlands entry. If you want an off-lead option to balance this on-lead walk, Belgrave Lake Park Dog Off Leash Area is the next suburb over.

Trail notes

Leash status

On-lead only, at all times, across the whole reserve.

Water

Ferny Creek crosses the route but bring your own water, as there is no tap or reliable drinking source.

Hazards

Snakes in the warmer months, steep and rutted ridge sections, and the adjacent national park boundary where dogs are banned.

When to go

Morning or late afternoon on warm days, and after rain expect mud on the lower sections near the creek.

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