Forest Hill VIC 3131
Forest Hill / Parks
Parks & open space

Parks, playgrounds and leafy streets

Forest Hill keeps much of its orchard-era greenery: tree-lined streets with big old gums, neighbourhood playgrounds in local reserves, bush sanctuaries a couple of kilometres away, and large regional parks a short drive south.

Close to home

Strathdon House & Orchard (in the suburb). An 1893 homestead on Springvale Road from Forest Hill's orchard days, now a council-run precinct for nature play, workshops and events. More about Strathdon.

Blackburn Lake Sanctuary (~2 km). A lake fringed by bushland, with boardwalks and walking trails that are popular for weekend strolls and birdwatching.

Bellbird Dell (~2 km). A bushland reserve in neighbouring Vermont South with shaded walking paths.

Illustration of a bushland lake with a timber boardwalk, ducks and gum trees
Leafy streets

Tree-lined streets and big old gums

Forest Hill's quiet residential streets are lined with nature strips and street trees, and many gardens hold large old eucalypts. Some are remnants of the bushland that stood here before the orchards.

Whitehorse Council protects the suburb's most important trees. Its Statements of Tree Significance for Forest Hill list mature indigenous eucalypts, including Yellow Box, Red and Silver Stringybark, Messmate and Spotted Gum, valued for their canopy and for the leafy character they give the streetscape. Some of these trees date back to the orchard era.

Across Whitehorse, tree canopy covered 25.8% of the city in 2023. Council's urban forest strategy aims for 30% by 2050, and it planted 4,649 trees in 2024–25.

Illustration of a quiet tree-lined residential street with gum trees, nature strips, footpaths and brick homes
Playgrounds

Playgrounds close to home

Forest Hill has a string of neighbourhood playgrounds tucked into local reserves across the suburb, good for a quick after-school play without getting in the car. For a bigger day out, larger playgrounds and nature play are only a short drive.

Illustration of a neighbourhood playground with a cubby house, wave slide and swings under gum trees

New: ngarrak nakorang wilam park. A 35-hectare linear park, about the size of 18 MCGs, built on the old Healesville Freeway reserve. It starts at Springvale Road in Forest Hill and runs east through Vermont to the Morack golf course, linking Bellbird Dell and the Dandenong Creek trail. The $10.5 million project adds a 3.5 km walking and cycling trail with lighting and drinking fountains, plus activity areas with play spaces, picnic shelters, barbecues and toilets. Construction began in August 2025 and sections are opening in stages, with completion due in 2026. The name was chosen by the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.

In the suburb

  • Jean Lake Reserve, corner of Lake Road and Jean StreetA big tin-roofed cubby with stairs, a rope net and a pole climb, a play shopfront underneath, twin wave slides, monkey bars, swings, and shaded seats among the trees. A sign tells the site's history as a children's residential kindergarten from 1926 to 1989.
  • Ansett Crescent Playground, 1 Ansett CrescentA well-equipped structure with a wave slide, chain bridge, monkey bars, a speak-and-listen system and telescope, plus a see-saw and swings, set in a large grassy area dotted with trees.
  • Matheson Road Playground, 5 Matheson RoadA wave slide, a climbing wall for older kids, a dragon panel, swings and a see-saw, with a grassy area and a shaded seat under a tree.
  • Mahoneys Reserve, 80 Vicki StreetA smaller, older playground with a spiral slide and swings, near the Mahoneys Road schools.
  • Faulkner Street ParkA local neighbourhood park and playground.
  • Forest Hill Reserve, Fraser PlaceA compact play space with a climbing frame, springer and swings. It's beside Aqualink Nunawading and the football ground, and the reserve also has a dog off-leash area.

A short drive

  • Highbury Park, Gareth Drive, Burwood EastOne of the area's best play spaces, rebuilt around 2022 for inclusive play. It has four towers linked by bridges, a rock-climbing wall, a 4-metre pyramid net, tunnel and wave slides, a carousel, and hammock, gyro and wheelchair-accessible swings, with a big grassy area bordered by bushland.
  • Strathdon House & Orchard Precinct, Springvale RoadNature play in the grounds of the heritage homestead, open Thursday to Sunday.
  • Jells Park, Wheelers HillLarge playgrounds beside the lake, with barbecues and cycling trails, about 12 minutes' drive.
  • Forest Hill Chase, Level 3An indoor kids' play area in The Loft dining precinct, handy on rainy days.

Playground details from Melbourne Playgrounds, Whitehorse Council and Parks Victoria. Equipment can change when council renews a playground.

Weekend destinations

Jells Park (~6.6 km). A large regional park with a lake, cycling trails and playgrounds. It has received more than $30 million in state investment.

ngarrak nakorang wilam park (starts in the suburb). A new 35-hectare park with a 3.5 km trail from Springvale Road to Vermont, funded with $10.5 million. More details.

Sport and recreation

The Summit (in the suburb). Three indoor basketball courts on the rooftop of Forest Hill Chase, also used for pickleball and holiday programs. More about The Summit.

Aqualink Nunawading (in the suburb). An indoor 50 m pool, leisure pool and gym.

Nunawading Basketball Centre (~2 km). Five courts on Burwood Highway and home of the Spectres. More about sport.

Vermont Reserve. A local oval being upgraded with a $750,000 investment in the playing surface and lighting.

  • Strathdon House & OrchardHeritage homestead, Springvale Road
    in suburb~12 min walk
  • Blackburn Lake SanctuaryLake, boardwalks and bushland trails
    ~2 km~5 min drive
  • Bellbird DellVermont South bushland reserve
    ~2 km~5 min drive
  • Jells ParkLake, cycling trails, playgrounds
    ~6.6 km~12 min drive