Correction (3 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources between 2 October 2026 and 3 October 2026.
Dogs may run unleashed in an area only where the council or park manager has allowed it, and the gate sign beats any claim to the contrary. This page lists seven parks in and around Mulgrave and gives each one’s status first, as the council or park page states it.
Three are in Mulgrave, two in Wheelers Hill and two in Springvale, so this is a page for “in and around Mulgrave”, and each heading carries the park’s own suburb. One of the seven, Jells Park, is on-lead only. No venue prices apply here, and we give no off-leash hours, because none are in the sources we read. Where a time or zone matters, check the council order.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Where |
|---|---|---|
| A council off-leash area with partly fenced zones and a playground | Gladeswood Reserve | 23 Maygrove Way (entrance; reserve is 2-24 Maygrove Way and 43-63 Gladeswood Drive), Mulgrave |
| An off-leash area with an agility zone | Whitehaven Crescent Reserve | 20-30 Whitehaven Crescent, Mulgrave |
| A designated off-leash area with a fenced oval listed | Southern Reserve | 27 Rupert Drive, Mulgrave |
| An off-leash stretch on the Scotchmans Creek Trail | Jells Road Reserve (dog off-leash area) | 73 Jells Road (and 38-52 Sunnybrook Drive), Wheelers Hill |
| A fenced dog park in Springvale | Springvale Reserve (fenced dog park) | 1 Harris Street, Springvale |
| A second Springvale off-leash area, with little on record | Warner Reserve (dog off-leash area) | 29 Flynn Street, Springvale |
| A big park where dogs stay on lead | Jells Park (Dandenong Valley Parklands) | Waverley Road, Wheelers Hill |
Gladeswood Reserve — 23 Maygrove Way (entrance; reserve is 2-24 Maygrove Way and 43-63 Gladeswood Drive), Mulgrave VIC 3170
Monash Council’s page says “Some areas within this reserve are fully or partially fenced, and dogs must still be under effective control in off-leash areas.” The same page lists a playground “with swings, slide and climbing equipment” and a reserve with “a pavilion, walking track, bocce, tennis courts, baseball practise area and basketball/netball half-court.” The dog-park listing adds a rule about not being off lead near the playground, so watch the signs. We found no off-leash hours for this one, so check the council order.
Off-leash status: an off-leash area per Monash Council, with some areas fully or partially fenced.
Whitehaven Crescent Reserve — 20-30 Whitehaven Crescent, Mulgrave VIC 3170
Monash Council says “The dog off-leash area features a dedicated agility zone that includes mudstone rocks, agility hoops, timber logs and a paws table”. It also says “Dogs must also be on lead within 20 metres of the playspace when it’s being used.” The council lists picnic table and bench seating at the playspace, and the playspace has “a quad swing set * flying fox * play tower with slides * nature play area * sensory play items.” An older listing says there is a bin but no water tap, so treat water as unconfirmed.
Bring: a lead for the playspace edge, water, because an older listing records no tap, and bags.
Southern Reserve — 27 Rupert Drive, Mulgrave VIC 3170
The council page says “This reserve is a designated off-leash area and some areas within this reserve are fully or partially fenced.” A dog-park listing is more specific: “The highlight of the reserve is an oval which is fully fenced and has a lockable gate for access.” Read together, the council describes some fenced areas and the listing describes a fully fenced oval, so look at the signage on the day. The council also lists “the Southern Community Centre, BBQ, drinking fountain, off-leash dog area”.
Off-leash status: a designated off-leash area per Monash Council, with a fully fenced oval described by the listing.
Jells Road Reserve (dog off-leash area) — 73 Jells Road (and 38-52 Sunnybrook Drive), Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
This one is in Wheelers Hill. The council page says “Dogs are allowed off-leash in the public open space area east of the Wheelers Hill Tennis Club courts and west of Jells Road.” The Scotchmans Creek Trail runs through the space, and the council puts dogs on-lead 10 m either side of it. A listing records a bin only and no water tap.
Off-leash status: off-leash in the area east of the Wheelers Hill Tennis Club courts and west of Jells Road, per Monash Council, and on-lead near the trail.
Springvale Reserve (fenced dog park) — 1 Harris Street, Springvale VIC 3171
A dog-park listing says the reserve “has a triangular shaped fenced dog park.” It also says “There are toilets on the western side of the reserve near the pavilion.” The listing says the park is managed by Greater Dandenong City Council, not Monash, so the council order to check is theirs. We found no off-leash hours. The listing says the rest of the reserve, with the oval, cricket nets and pavilion, is a dog on-leash area, so keep the lead on outside the fenced park.
Off-leash status: a fenced dog park per the listing; check Greater Dandenong’s signage for the rest of the reserve.
Warner Reserve (dog off-leash area) — 29 Flynn Street, Springvale VIC 3171
There is little on record for this one. A dog-park listing says “To the east of the path, which is a dog off leash area, is a rectangular grassy area with some trees.” That is all we could confirm, so we give no fencing, water or bin details. It is also in Springvale, and the listing says it is managed by Greater Dandenong City Council, so the council order to check is theirs.
Off-leash status: a dog off-leash area east of the path, per the listing; check the council order for times and rules.
Jells Park (Dandenong Valley Parklands) — Waverley Road, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
Parks Victoria says “Visitors can bring up to four dogs into Jells Park, and journey on-lead around much of this park.” It also says “There are no dog off-lead areas at Jells Park, however, there is one located close by at Nortons Park.” Dogs are not allowed in the playgrounds or conservation areas, so this is an on-lead park, never an off-leash one. On 3 October the page carried notices that the Koomba Boardwalk was closed until further notice and a bird flu alert. Parks Victoria also lists the playgrounds and a picnic and barbecue area, but we make no claim about dogs at the T House cafe.
Off-leash status: none in the park; on-lead only, per Parks Victoria, with the nearest off-lead area at Nortons Park.
Quick answers
Which parks here have a fenced dog area?
Springvale Reserve has a fenced dog park, per a dog-park listing. Southern Reserve has an oval that the listing calls fully fenced with a lockable gate, and Monash Council says some areas there are fully or partially fenced. Monash Council says the same of some areas at Gladeswood Reserve.
Can dogs go off lead at Jells Park?
No. Parks Victoria says there are no dog off-lead areas at Jells Park and that the nearest is at Nortons Park. Up to four dogs are allowed, on lead.
Which of these parks are in Mulgrave itself?
Gladeswood Reserve, Whitehaven Crescent Reserve and Southern Reserve all have Mulgrave addresses. The other four are in Wheelers Hill and Springvale, so allow for the drive.
Do dogs have to be on lead near playgrounds?
At Whitehaven Crescent Reserve, Monash Council says dogs must be on lead within 20 metres of the playspace when it’s being used. At Jells Road Reserve, the council puts dogs on-lead 10 m either side of the Scotchmans Creek Trail. No worries if the numbers differ by park, but check the sign at the gate.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources between 2 October 2026 and 3 October 2026: council pages, the places’ own websites, OpenStreetMap and government pages. Facilities and opening hours change, so check the official page before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Gladeswood Reserve: monash.vic.gov.au/Gladeswood-Reserve, melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/gladeswood-reserve-dog-off-leash-area, openstreetmap.org/22898660
- Whitehaven Crescent Reserve: monash.vic.gov.au/Whitehaven-Crescent-Reserve, melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/whitehaven-crescent-reserve-dog-off
- Southern Reserve: monash.vic.gov.au/Southern-Reserve, melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/monash-council-dog-off-leash-areas, openstreetmap.org/25932861
- Jells Road Reserve (dog off-leash area): monash.vic.gov.au/Jells-Road-Reserve, melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/jells-road-reserve-dog-off-leash-area
- Springvale Reserve (fenced dog park): melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/springvale-reserve-fenced-dog-park, openstreetmap.org/499557340
- Warner Reserve (dog off-leash area): melbourneplaygrounds.com.au/warner-reserve-dog-off-leash-area, openstreetmap.org/23907995
- Jells Park (Dandenong Valley Parklands): parks.vic.gov.au/jells-park, openstreetmap.org/153976439
