Correction (4 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 on 4 October 2026.
Every walk starts as a line on a map, which is why this page covers six parks in and around Viewbank: Viewbank itself has one, Templestowe Lower one, Templestowe one, Eaglemont’s surrounds one and Heidelberg two. Each entry uses the council or Parks Victoria page for facilities, trail details and dog rules, and says where a detail is missing.
We checked each park against council or government pages and OpenStreetMap. We could not find opening hours or a fee on the pages we read, so this page gives none. Check the official page and the Bureau of Meteorology forecast before you go.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Wetland walks and birdwatching | Banyule Flats Reserve | 136 Banyule Road, Viewbank |
| Flat sealed riverside trail | Birrarrung Park | Birrarung Park Entry Rd, Templestowe Lower |
| Main Yarra Trail and playground | Westerfolds Park | Fitzsimons Lane, Templestowe |
| Artist’s trail and picnics | Yarra Flats Park | Yarra Flats Entry Road, Eaglemont |
| Fenced playground and barbecues | Warringal Parklands | 2 Beverley Road, Heidelberg |
| Barbecues and public toilets | Heidelberg Park | 1 Beverley Road, Heidelberg |
Banyule Flats Reserve — 136 Banyule Road, Viewbank VIC 3084
Banyule Flats Reserve is at 136 Banyule Road, Viewbank. Banyule Council says the 46.47 hectare reserve connects to the Yarra Valley Parklands and the Warringal Parklands, and that there are many walking tracks. The council also says 153 bird species have been sighted there, some rare or threatened in Victoria. On dogs, the council page says dogs and cats are prohibited from entering environmentally sensitive park and reserve areas as designated by signs.
Weather call: The council page prints no hours or trail distances that we could find, so check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast and the signs on site before you set out.
Birrarrung Park — Birrarung Park Entry Rd, Templestowe Lower VIC 3107
Birrarrung Park is a riverside park in the Yarra Valley Parklands. The suburb, Templestowe Lower, comes from OpenStreetMap because the Parks Victoria page prints none. Parks Victoria says the 33 hectare park sits at the confluence of the Plenty and Yarra Rivers, and that those on foot or bike can use 2.8 kilometres of flat, sealed trails to and within the site. It lists accessible toilets, picnic tables, shelter, fireplaces with grills, a playground, grassy areas and shade, and says dogs are allowed but must be on a leash.
Distance / grade / surface: 2.8 kilometres of flat, sealed trail, as Parks Victoria describes it; we could not find a loop or return distance on the page.
Westerfolds Park — Fitzsimons Lane, Templestowe VIC 3106
Westerfolds Park is beside the Yarra River in Templestowe, and Parks Victoria says it offers over 120 hectares of recreational and environmental parkland. It says a section of the 33km Main Yarra Trail passes through the park on its way from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs to the CBD. Parks Victoria lists an adventure playground in the Westerfolds Ridge Picnic Area, and barbecues, picnic tables and shelters at the Westerfolds Ridge, Red Stringybark and Porter Street Picnic Areas. It also says dogs are permitted but must be kept on a leash at all times.
Start at: Parks Victoria says vehicle entry is available from Fitzsimons Lane, Templestowe or Porter Street, Templestowe.
Yarra Flats Park — Yarra Flats Entry Road, Eaglemont VIC 3084
Parks Victoria places Yarra Flats Park in Eaglemont, but we could not prove the exact suburb boundary, so treat it as near Eaglemont. It says the park is popular with walkers, cyclists, picnickers and birdwatchers. It also says an Artist’s trail is a good way to discover some famous Impressionists from the Heidelberg School. Dogs are allowed but must be on a leash, the same page says.
Water and toilets: Parks Victoria lists toilets, picnic tables and shelter, an information shelter, grassy areas, shade and drinking water as facilities.
Warringal Parklands — 2 Beverley Road, Heidelberg VIC 3084
Warringal Parklands is at 2 Beverley Road, Heidelberg. Banyule Council describes the 35.50 hectare reserve as bordered by the Yarra River to the south and east. The council calls Possum Hollow a large, fenced regional playground with a flying fox, barbecues and picnic facilities, and its facilities list names public toilets, barbecues and fitness equipment. It also says dogs and cats are prohibited from entering the environmentally sensitive swamplands.
Start at: The council lists the address as 2 Beverley Road, Heidelberg, and names Possum Hollow as a highlight of the area for families.
Heidelberg Park — 1 Beverley Road, Heidelberg VIC 3084
Heidelberg Park is at 1 Beverley Road, Heidelberg, and Banyule Council lists it with public toilets and barbecues. The council’s feature list also names a cricket pitch, football pitch, oval and pavilion or hall. We could not find a written description of the park on the council page. The Heidelberg Historical Society’s site places its museum opposite the park.
Water and toilets: The council lists public toilets; we could not find drinking water listed for this park.
Quick answers
Which parks near Viewbank have playgrounds?
Parks Victoria lists a playground at Birrarrung Park and an adventure playground in the Westerfolds Ridge Picnic Area at Westerfolds Park. Banyule Council describes Possum Hollow at Warringal Parklands as a large, fenced regional playground with a flying fox.
Can you take a dog to the parks near Viewbank?
Parks Victoria says dogs are allowed on a leash at Birrarrung Park, Yarra Flats Park and Westerfolds Park. Banyule Council says dogs and cats are prohibited from environmentally sensitive areas at Banyule Flats Reserve and from the swamplands at Warringal Parklands, so follow the signs there.
Where can you watch birds near Viewbank?
Banyule Council says 153 bird species have been sighted at Banyule Flats Reserve, with the Yarra River and Banyule Swamp keeping birds plentiful. Parks Victoria also says Yarra Flats Park is popular with birdwatchers.
Which parks near Viewbank have barbecues and toilets?
Banyule Council lists public toilets and barbecues at both Warringal Parklands and Heidelberg Park. Parks Victoria lists barbecues at Westerfolds Park and fireplaces with grills and accessible toilets at Birrarrung Park.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 4 October 2026: council pages, warringal.org.au, OpenStreetMap and government pages. Facilities and opening hours change, so check the official page before you go. The photos are illustrative, from Unsplash: they show the kind of place, not the places 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
- Banyule Flats Reserve: banyule.vic.gov.au/Banyule-Flats-Reserve, warringal.org.au, openstreetmap.org/168365424
- Birrarrung Park: openstreetmap.org/67350718, parks.vic.gov.au/birrarrung-park
- Westerfolds Park: openstreetmap.org/156129701, parks.vic.gov.au/westerfolds-park
- Yarra Flats Park: openstreetmap.org/33738166, parks.vic.gov.au/yarra-flats, parks.vic.gov.au/yarra-valley-parklands
- Warringal Parklands: openstreetmap.org/94670107, banyule.vic.gov.au/Warringal-Parklands
- Heidelberg Park: openstreetmap.org/94670109, banyule.vic.gov.au/Heidelberg-Park
