Here at Brisbane Kids, we don’t just love kids, we love fur babies too! Dogs are part of our families and we want to give them a good life, with lots of stimulating walks and play times. There are loads of amazing places to walk our pets around Brisbane, but many of these require dogs to be kept on a lead. However, we are blessed with over 135 council dog off-leash parks in and around the city, meaning you are never far from a fun play space where your dog can unleash and release some energy! What’s more, many of these great dog parks are located next to awesome playgrounds, so the whole family can come along and have a fun day out!

Council dog off-leash areas

Brisbane City Council dog off-leash areas are awesome facilities for dogs. Most of the parks are fully fenced so dogs can run around off the lead, socialise with other dogs and meet other park-goers. They also feature drinking water for people and pets, dog waste bags and bins, as well as seating and shade areas. Some even have great agility equipment for a fun doggie circuit workout!

We are lucky to have such great facilities, but with that also comes the responsibility to keep these areas lovely and safe for everyone to enjoy. According to Brisbane City Council, when using dog parks, pet owners must make sure your:

• dog is under your control (for example, your dog will return to you when called)
• dog is not a nuisance to other dogs and their owners
• dog’s droppings are disposed of in the bins provided
• dog is registered with Council, wormed regularly, and its vaccinations are up to date

Here are some of the best dog off-leash areas near awesome playgrounds around Brisbane for you to try out and enjoy! Just follow the links in the park names for more information.

Sarbi Park, Warner

Sarbi Park in Warner is the perfect park for both dogs and kids! Named after an amazing special forces explosives detection dog, Sarbi, the park honours this canine war hero who received the RSPCA Purple Cross for her bravery. She risked her own life to save others and went missing for over a year in Afghanistan before being found and reunited with her Australian handler.

There is a beautiful statue of Sarbi in the park, as well as awesome play equipment, exervise equipment, barbecues, and of course a wonderful dog off-leash areas so you can celebrate your own furry best friends! What better place for a doggie day out than this park in honour of a true hero?

You can read more about Sarbi on Wikipedia and National Geographic.

Powerhouse Dog Park, New Farm

Powerhouse Dog Park is a beautiful big, fenced dog park next to the Powerhouse in New Farm. It’s a really popular place to take dogs for a lovely play right next to the river. There is also a riverside boardwalk to stroll along with your furry friends, and the amazing New Farm Park just on the other side of Powerhouse. This is a huge, 37 hectare park with giant fig trees, large grassy areas, a dragon-themed play area, a huge fort and rope climbing frame, barbecues, gardens, bike and walking paths and so much more. You can easily come here for a full day and keep the whole family entertained!

Hamilton Dog Park, Hamilton

You’ve probably driven past Hamilton Dog Park many times as you head down Kingsford Smith Drive. If you have, you will have noticed that it has an awesome range of dog agility equipment. There are jump bards, weave poles, platforms and lots more for your dogs to explore, enjoy and learn to master! It is definitely well worth a stop next time you are passing by. Plus your kids will love the Hamilton Recreation Reserve with its playground, sandpits, bike paths, traffic track with street signs, as well as close access to Portside.

Perrin Park, Toowong

Located on the quiet Josling Street yet right in the heart of Toowong, Perrin Park is great for both small and big kids as well as fur kids! The park features loads of play equipment, bike paths with street signs, a climbing net and an awesome pedal train track. Plus there’s a great fenced dog off-leash area.

Booker Place Park, Bellbowrie

In a lovely natural setting by the Brisbane River, Booker Place Park has a huge dog off-leash area with some great agility equipment to give your four-legged friends a really fun and energetic outing. For the kids, there is also plenty to keep them amused, with a great sprawling playground, water play, flying fox, skate areas, rebound wall, basketball half-court and more. This is a great place for kids and dogs to have a really fun day out.

Milton Train Park, Milton

Milton Park is loved because it is fully fenced and great for smaller kids. It’s a shady park with a train theme as it’s right near the railway where little kids will love seeing real trains pass as they play. Kids can bring little ride-on toys to follow the small tracks at the petrol station, or stop for a break at the play cafe. Bigger kids will enjoy the open grassy space next to the fenced park and a basketball half-court. And the dogs will love the fenced dog off-leash park.

Neal Macrossan Park, Paddington

Another great fenced kids’ playground with a fully fenced dog off-leash area is Neal Macrossan Park. Located close to Suncorp Stadium, this park is a hidden secret in the city that kids and dogs will love. There are two play areas, one with a helicopter and a fishing boat and one for bigger kids with lots of climbing structures. There is also a tennis court and the Ithaca Swimming Pool, although dogs are not allowed in the pool!

Frank Nichols Reserve, Warner

Frank Nichols Reserve in Warner also has a great dog off-leash area. The playground has all your usual play equipment and way more! For little kids there’s a great pedal helicopter and two-person bike rider, and for big kids there’s basketball hoops, a cricket net, BMX mounds, and large open spaces for big ball games.

Phil Denman Park, Jamboree Heights

Phil Denman Park is a great park in the Western Suburbs. It has a fenced dog-off leash area next to a brand new kids’ playground, sensory play equipment, wide open spaces, basketball courts, cricket nets, a bike track with traffic signs, basketball half-court, rebound wall and so much more. This park has something for kids of all ages and dogs too!

Mactier Street Dog Park, Fig Tree Pocket

This dog park in Fig Tree Pocket is great for pint-sized pooches as there’s a large fenced dog area, as well as a separated fenced dog area for small dogs. So all dogs can enjoy some off-leash time without being intimidated by other dogs. The park is also close to the Brisbane River, for lovely on-leash dog walks, and is just across the road from the lovely Biambi Yumba Park with its jacaranda trees, great playground, bike tracks and duck pond.

Underwood Park, Priestdale

There’s a great dog off-leash area at Underwood Park, as well as a huge range of play facilities for kids of all ages to enjoy, from forts, climbing nets and rope bridges to a flying fox, pedal-powered monorail and courts for netball and basketball and a BMX track. This is a huge playground for dogs and kids to spend a really fun day out.

Meadowlands Park, Carindale

Meadowlands Park is located within the nature-filled Minnippi Parklands. There’s a great playground, musical play equipment, small skatebowl, a basketball half-court and a brand new multi-use court and fitness station. There’s a bikeway, creek and even a canoe ramp. Not to mention the off-leash dog park with great agility equipment for your dogs to have a great play too!

Further resources

For more information on dog off-leash areas in Brisbane, visit the Brisbane City Council website at brisbane.qld.gov.au. You can search for dog parks near you by entering your preferred location or region, and you can view all dog parks or select to see those with off-leash areas for small dogs. Or maybe you prefer an aquatic twist in which case you will love our collection of the best off-leash dog beaches in Brisbane.

You can read Requirements for dog owners here, for information on keeping dogs in Brisbane, such as registration, microchipping and also pet microchipping events around the city where you can get your pet microchipped for a low, subsidised fee.