Warrandyte Yarra River Water Frontage

The river frontage at Warrandyte runs along the Yarra through the gorge, about 40 minutes from the Melbourne CBD, on a mix of gravel track and river beach. It is one of the better dog swimming spots within an hour of the city, and dogs are welcome on lead. The one thing to understand before you go is that the land here is split between Parks Victoria and Manningham Council, and the rules change at the boundary.

The dog setup

The recorded route is 4.7 kilometres and about an hour, graded moderate, and the rating is fair: the riverside track is gravel and uneven in places, with short pinches where it climbs away from the water. It is a there and back walk rather than a clean loop, and the river stays in sight for most of it. Shallow gravel beaches give easy entry for dogs that like a swim.

Leash status

On lead is the working rule. Parks Victoria manages Warrandyte State Park sections such as Taroona Reserve, where dogs are permitted on lead only. Manningham Council manages the Warrandyte River Reserve frontage and its leash controls require dogs on lead within 15 metres of any playground or barbecue area, plus a signed on-lead stretch of about 260 metres between 183 Yarra Street and the Kangaroo Ground Warrandyte Road bridge. Dogs are not permitted inside the fenced wonguim wilam playspace at all. Check the signage at your entry point, because the boundaries are not obvious on the ground.

Water and hazards

The shallow gravel entries are the draw, and a nervous swimmer does better if you walk in alongside rather than throwing something and hoping. Two cautions: the Yarra runs fast and deep after rain, and water quality drops for a day or two following heavy falls, so keep dogs out of the river then.

Pepsi: The gravelly entries are gentler than they look from the track. Walk in beside a nervous swimmer instead of hoping.

Getting there and parking

Free parking sits at Webb Street, Stiggant Street and Taroona Avenue, all of which fill fast on weekends and on market Saturdays. The township end at Yarra Street is the easiest access for a shorter walk. Come early; this is one of the busier river spots in Melbourne's north east.

When to go

Weekday mornings give you the river almost to yourself, and summer mornings are the best swim window. Winter runs high and brown after rain in the ranges. If the forecast shows heavy rain, give the river two days before planning a paddle.

While you are out there

The township end connects with the Warrandyte River Reserve Dog Off Leash Area, and Stiggant Reserve Dog Off Leash Area sits near the Stiggant Street car park. In town, Now and Not Yet does coffee with dog-friendly outdoor seating. More walks sit on the Victoria trails guide, and the suburb is covered on the Warrandyte destinations page.