Best Dog Friendly Walks Melbourne – One of the highlights of traveling with your dog, whether it’s just a day trip or a longer stay, is a nice dog-friendly walk. It’s a pleasure to walk together in new and interesting neighborhoods instead of the same suburban streets.
There are many walks in the state of Victoria, many dogs are allowed on them, usually on a leash. I tested many of these short walks around Victoria with my dog. Each walk is less than 5 km, sometimes even shorter, and is perfect for an hour or two of walking.
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You Yangs Regional Park is perfect for a day trip from Melbourne with your dog. Dogs are allowed in the park, named after the local Aboriginal word for “big hill in the middle of the plain”, less than an hour from central Melbourne and 25 minutes north of Geelong.
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The most popular walk in the park is the Flinders Peak Walk, which climbs to the top of the granite outcrop and offers excellent views across to Melbourne and the Bellarine Peninsula. The return distance of the walk is 3.2 km and takes about an hour to complete. Be aware that there are a lot of stairs to climb!
If you want a shorter, easier walk, another good option is the 800m circuit around Big Rock, which can be climbed a 100m walk from the car park.
Alternatively, for a longer walk, combine the return route to Flinders Peak with the nearby East-West Walk, a 4.5km loop departing from the same car park. Allow 3 hours for a combined walk.
Yu Yang’s isn’t the only convenient regional park on Melbourne’s doorstep, Macedon Regional Park is located in the Macedon Ranges less than an hour northwest of Melbourne.
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One of the most popular short walks in the park is the Way of the Memorial Cross, which leads from the tea room and main picnic areas. But many short and long walks with your dog are also possible.
I recommend going to the top of Kamel’s Hump, the highest point in the mountain range. It is a moderate walk through bushland, gradually increasing to the summit, with spectacular views of Hanging Rock and the surrounding countryside from the lookout. The return distance is only 1 km, so it’s only a 20-30 minute walk, but enough to stretch your legs.
If you want a longer walk, you can combine the walk with part of the 30km loop trail that connects all the main sites of Macedon Regional Park.
Daylesford is another beautiful area that’s great enough for a day trip from Melbourne, but it also offers a lot for a weekend getaway. And one of the most popular dog-friendly attractions in Daylesford is a walk around Daylesford Lake.
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The entire walking circuit is approximately 2.8 km long and takes approximately one hour to complete a full lap at a light pace. A number of car parks are available on the circuit at Foreshore, Fulcher Street and Wombat Flat, otherwise it is an easy walk from most of the town’s accommodation. It is also easy to walk part of the walk and return to your starting point, with many signs indicating distances to various points of interest.
The Daylesford area is famous for its mineral springs and you can sample some local spring water when you finish your walk. Stop at Wombat Flat Mineral Spring or take a short detour to Central Springs Reserve, home to a historic pump that delivered mineral water. Dogs must be kept on a leash.
I was looking forward to visiting Tourongo and Amphitheater Falls on my road trip around Victoria, but after a few days of heavy rain, we thought it best to skip hiking with our dog in the wettest parts of Victoria.
A couple of dog-friendly waterfalls in Victoria are at Tourongo Falls Reserve in Noogee, south of Yarra Ranges National Park, about two hours east of Melbourne. Dogs are allowed outside though. They are under effective control.
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The circular walking path visiting Tourongo and the Amphitheater Falls lookout is 2.2 km long and takes about an hour. The walking path through the forest should be well made and relatively flat, but can be passed after heavy rains.
There are many wonderful dog-friendly walks in the Bright area, but my top pick is the Canyon Walk, which runs along the banks of the Owens River through a section called “The Canyon.”
The walk starts on the west side of Star Road, however you can start walking 200m earlier at Howitt Park where there is adequate parking. The walk is approximately 3km if you start from Star Road, although there are some longer variations, including if you join the Murray to the Mountains Railway.
The walk is initially on a paved path, but the path along the valley is rough, especially on the north bank of the river. You cross the river twice on two swing bridges at either end of the canyon section.
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Although dogs are required to be on a lead in Bright City Centre, including Howitt Park, dogs are allowed off-leash as long as they remain under effective control. I haven’t seen any signs indicating this, but according to the map on the council’s website, dogs are allowed outside after the end of Riverside Avenue.
Not far from Bright in the Victorian High Country, the historic town of Beechworth is one of Australia’s best preserved gold mining towns. There are many walks around town, most of which are dog-friendly, but the Gorge Walk combines a beautiful bush walk with the chance to see some historic sites.
The Gorge Walk runs through Beechworth Historic Park on the northern edge of the town. It mostly follows the 5 km long Gorge Scenic Drive, a historic road that cuts through the park. Currently the drive is limited to one-way traffic and is popular with cyclists and walkers alike.
You can start the walk downtown at the Visitor Information Center, where you can pick up a brochure about the historic park or anywhere on the loop. The full 7km loop takes about 2 hours to walk, but you can shorten it to about 5km by walking directly to Powder Magazine from the visitor center on Camp Street.
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One of the most impressive sights on the walk is the Gunpowder Magazine, a National Trust-listed building once used to store gunpowder. Also don’t miss the Spring Creek Bridge at the end of the drive or the waterfalls around the Rocky Mountain Tunnel.
Guide dogs are allowed throughout the historic park. However, dogs are not allowed at Woolshed Falls in Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park and can also be accessed via a side trail starting at Spring Creek Bridge.
Note that the Spring Creek Bridge is currently closed to all pedestrian traffic due to safety concerns. The section of Wharf Road between Powder Magazine and Pritchard Lane is closed to vehicles, although pedestrians are permitted. Check the website for the latest updates, but the pool won’t be reopening anytime soon.
Driving the Great Ocean Road is a worthwhile world-famous excursion, but unfortunately, as I discovered in my guidebook, the area is not dog-friendly. With most of the beach within the national park, the most dog-friendly section of beach is around Martyrs Bay, where there is a dog-friendly walking path.
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Starting at the Peterborough Bayfront on the west side of Peterborough, the Peterborough – Martyrs’ Bay Trail continues for 2km to the Martyrs’ Parkpark. Best parking is at Bay of Martyrs or Wild Dog Cove parking lot. Along the way, the cliff top track passes Halladale Point and several lookouts and coves.
The track takes approximately 2 hours to walk the return length, including the paths along the way. Note that dogs are not allowed on most beaches and bays, including the actual Bay of Mortars Beach, so obey the signs. Dogs must also be kept on a leash.
If your dog is allowed to run off-leash, there is an off-leash run at the mouth of the Curdies River in Peterborough from 9th to 18th December to April.
On the opposite side of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road is the Lakes Gateway, another dog-friendly coastal walk, the Gateway Walk.
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This is a popular walking path, crossing the Cunningham Arm footbridge to the main beach, then turning right in front of the Surf Club. The walk is well marked and leads to the man-made entrance at a distance of 2.4 km
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