Walk status: Off-lead in the dog designated area, all other areas are on-lead
Sanders Reserve is well hidden from main roads, so often times we've been here and its been almost empty. Considering the multiple uses of this park, its surprising more people haven't discovered it. There are mountain bike tracks, a designated dog area, and also horse riding trails.
The designated dog area is fully fenced, but small escape artists would be able to get through it. The dog area is not a particularly large area, and doing a loop of the actual trail around it doesn't take long at all. But if your dog is one to explore on their own and just enjoying running around in the long grass or catching a tennis ball, then they will love it.
George and I especially like this one over summer. The actual dog area is not well sheltered from the sun, however if you follow one of the Mountain Bike trails down the hill (marked with a yellow dotted line on the map), you can access the Waitemata Harbour for a swim. It's not a beach as such, as its mudflats so muddy underfoot in the water (although it is tidal so check before heading there whether the tide is in or not). Therefore the only people who really choose to swim down there have chosen to be down there for their dogs, or having a picnic at the park. So its usually not super busy and its quite small, so not somewhere to park up for the day to enjoy the beach.
Dogs are to be on-lead outside of the designated dog area. This is mainly due to the fact the areas you're walking around are mountain bike tracks. That said, often times we have visited, there hasn't been a mountain biker in sight, so we have explored the other trails on the other side of the reserve that are marked for horses and bikes. Just be mindful that this isn't an area you're technically allowed to be on, or be off lead, so if there are other people around, be respectful and put your dog on-lead. I don't encourage people to break the rules regarding dogs being off lead, however when there is nobody else around, I don't see the harm.
Location: Sanders Road, Paremoremo
Street parking at the end of a cul-de-sac gives you direct access to the off-lead dog area, or you can park in the carpark next to the children's playground and walk down to the dog area.
Things to know:
There are toilets here
Plenty of parking options
Children's playground
Fully fenced dog area
The carpark is locked at night, so park on the street if you think you might be staying late
