Awesome Picnic Spots

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You can picnic for about anywhere where there is a patch of grass. The following list is of some picnic spots that we thing are great for kids. It is meant to inspire, rather than be a complete directory…

Jump to Awesome Picnic Spots in: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Upstate NY, Pennsylvania

MANHATTAN

  • Central Park– Sheep’s Meadow, East Green, Great Hill, all great choices…
  • Governor’s Island– Worth the ferry trip any time, plan to stay the day and enjoy the views, the entertainment and food from many vendors and lots for kids to do…
  • Roosevelt Island– “Take the tramway” to find many little parks and great views of Manhattan, especially on the southern and northern tips…
  • Nelson Rockefeller Park– Lesser known to tourists than Battery Park and has Teardrop Playground for kids to play in…
  • Fort Tryon Park– Eat next to a “medieval monastery” with Hudson River views and a new playground near-by, plus tourists don’t know about it…
  • Madison Square Park– Lots of fine food options, but can get “shockingly crowded”…
  • Bryant Park– “Lot’s of free entertainment”, a carousel and great food everywhere, but can get crowded…
  • Battery Park– A spin on the Seaglass Carousel and “watching the sun set behind Statue of Liberty” should soothe the young minds… or take a spin on free Staten Island Ferry for some nice views…
  • Hudson River Greenway– Sit right by the river on grassy fields and watch the boats go by. There’s also a cool little “beach area” 1/2 mile south of “Little Red Light House under GWB”… north is more picnic friendly, southern parts are good for biking/walks, although dotted with nooks to sit down and enjoy river views…
  • Carl Schurz Park– Dine in style next to where the mayor lives, or take a ride on the NYC Ferry that stops right at the park entrance…

BROOKLYN

  • Brooklyn Bridge Park– Pier 1 for view, pier 2 for games, pier 3 for a great walk and pier 6 for Water Lab Playground, Empire Fulton Ferry Park has some prime real estate for picnicking…
  • Domino Park– “Awesome playground and equally awesome views” near an old sugar factory and food trucks for chow, but good luck snagging a spot on nice days…
  • Prospect Park– Long Meadow, “many, many areas have grills” and lot’s of greenery of course, a Brooklyn landmark large park…
  • Marsha P. Johnson State Park (East River State Park)– Named after trans and LGBTQ+ rights activist with great views and grassy fields… Smorgasburg brings food trucks/vendors on Saturdays…
  • Brighton Beach– Lot’s of “ethnic Russian” food around, plus a quieter beach than Coney Island Boardwalk just a short walk away…
  • McCarren Park– A busy local favorite with bocce ball courts, a “mammoth pool” and BBQ areas…
  • McKinley Park– Less crowded and more idyllic than others in Brooklyn…

QUEENS

  • Astoria Park– Great views and Charybdis playground near-by…
  • Socrates Sculpture Park– Munch next to “ever-changing sculptures and multimedia installations”, all for free…
  • Gantry Plaza State Park– “Hip riverside spot” with splash pad, playground, cafe, a fishing pier and great views…
  • Ridgewood Reservoir/Highland Park– On top a hill with “breath-taking views” of the ocean, Rockaways and Queens, plus great for bird watching…
  • Cunningham Park– Ideal for “a classic family picnic” with playgrounds, splash pads and hiking trails near-by…
  • Forest Park– “Deserving of it’s name”, this large park has lakes, woods and a place to get pony rides…
  • Alley Pond Park– Besides vast fields, a playground and many hiking areas, it also has a “cool ropes course” in warmer months…

BRONX

  • Van Cortlandt Park– “Massive space”, with lots of tree shaded quiet areas, a horse stable and it has a pool too…
  • Wave Hill Public Garden and Cultural Center– A sprawling and very pretty private estate, “a budding botanist’s dream” that also has a cafe, but eat only at the picnic area, not on grass…
  • Orchard Beach– Located in Pelham Bay Park, it has grills, a beach and “a hike to a small island”, but can get busy…
  • Barretto Point Park– Quaint little park with the “floating pool lady” stopping by in the summer…

STATEN ISLAND

  • Clove Lakes Park– This sweet spot in SI has grills… “and daffodils, lots of daffodils”…
  • Great Kills Park– A “model plane flying area”, besides the usual park amenities, also, near Great Kills Beach with water views…
  • Staten Island Greenbelt– Big preserve linking “park after park” with “Moses’ Mountain” in the middle that provides great views, or try Willowbrook park with-in it’s boundaries for a playground and a carousel…

WESTCHESTER

  • Tibbet’s Brook Park– Grilling areas, playgrounds and a nice walk around the brook with a waterfall and some rocks to climb on, paid parking in the summer though…
  • Kensico Dam Plaza– Take the bikes and “bike across this massive dam” before settling down to eat on the grassy fields under the dam…
  • Rockefeller State Park Preserve– Wonder through a “very picturesque” former estate donated to NY state, no open fires allowed though…
  • Ward Pound Ridge Reservation– Many open grassy fields in this Westchester’s largest park. Settle down next to Cross River or choose more secluded areas to the south…
  • Croton Point Park– Has a “one of a kind Hudson River swimming beach”, but also lots of nice picnic spots with river views…
  • Croton Gorge Park– Munch on cheese and crackers while listening to the “water falling from a huge dam”…
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park– Lots of shaded areas and a “double-sized swimming pool”, plus a a roving ice cream truck…

LONG ISLAND

  • Indian Island County Park– On the tip of Peconic river. Has a camping ground and a small farm home across the street for seeing goats, peacocks and other animals…
  • Jones Beach State Park– Most visited park in NY state. Virtually anything available at this 6-mile long beach front including an adventure course…
  • Heckscher State Park– Across the bay from Fire Island with shady picnic groves…
  • Sunken Meadow State Park– “Gorgeous views of Long Island Sound”, swimming, canoeing and kayaking included… also trails to some nice views from sandy hills…
  • Crab Meadow Beach– Great beach to watch a sunset, picnic area and a playground, plus a restaurant close by, so no need to pack food…
  • Planting Fields Arboretum State Historical Park– This park with “well kept and vast grounds” is a great day-trip option, tour the mansion too…
  • Wildwood State Park– Enjoy the “bluffs overlooking the Long Island Sound”, plus a playground and beach area for cooling off…

CONNECTICUT

  • Kent Falls State Park– “Straight out of middle earth” so it’s perfect for “the second breakfast”…
  • Black Rock State Park– Swimming and fishing in addition to hiking trails and “impressive cabins to rent” if staying the night…
  • Sherwood Island State Park– Swim in the sound, fly model airplanes, or just eat lunch at the picnic areas…
  • Squantz Pond State Park– Swimming, hiking and lots of picnic spots in addition to kayak rentals, lots to do at any season…
  • Weir Farm National Historic Park– Set up the blanket at “the only national park dedicated to American painting”…
  • Lake Mohegan– Has “a lake beach for swimming and a splash pad” but you can go any time of the year for a great nature setting…
  • Topsmead State Forest– This “well-preserved English tudor manor” has some picnic tables you can use to travel back in time…
  • Indian Wells State Park– Swimming, splash pool and “beautiful waterfalls” in addition to boating and hiking will make it memorable for all ages…
  • Hammonasset Beach State Park– “Fantastic sunsets”, hiking trails and of course picnic facilities near the beach…

NEW JERSEY

  • Ross Dock Picnic Area– Right by the Hudson “almost under the the GWB” is a great picnic area with a playground and a nice walk to the Englewood boat basin nearby…
  • Round Valley Recreation Area– Lots of greenery, but good luck keeping kids out of “New Jersey’s deepest lake” during summer…
  • High Point State Park– Take in the “awesome 360 degree views from the tower” or chill-and-grill by the lake…
  • Sandy Hook– Multiple beaches both on the ocean and the sound, old fortifications and a lighthouse to explore, there’s a spot for everyone…
  • Liberty State Park– Picturesque picnics with views of Manhattan and Statue of Liberty are a given, but Liberty Science Center is not too far either…
  • South Mountain Reservation– Full of hiking trails, views (Washington Rock) and waterfalls, it is also close to Turtleback Zoo…
  • Sayen House and Gardens– “Feel like you are living in a different era” in a garden planted a century ago. Free to enter too…
  • Grounds For Sculpture– “An elegant picnic experience”. but you’ll have to pay for it…
  • Holland Ridge Farm– Picnic among the “sunflowers and food trucks” at this spot on rolling golden hills…
  • Van Saun County Park– A pond, a zoo and a big playground will keep the little one’s busy… there’s pony riding too…
  • Ringwood State Park– Home to a couple of manors, gorgeous gardens and a lake, it hits the sweet spot for the soul especially with some NYC views…
  • Duke Farms– “A magic place” with a lake, garden, barn and a waterfall…
  • Wawayanda State Park– Grill while the kids swim and then take a row-boat or kayak ride around some islands…

UPSTATE NY

  • Bear Mountain State Park– 4 season favorite featuring a pool, paddle boats, plenty of grill spots and a free zoo, plus views from Perkins Memorial Tower…
  • Fahnestock State Park– The grills around the Canopus lake beach are prime real estate for picnics, but there’s lots more to do in this sprawling park…
  • Storm King Art Center– Have a lunch amongst some incredible “big-scale sculptures”, gorgeous grounds and views, even if you have to pay…
  • High Tor State Park– Features “two of the highest peaks in Palisades”, although they require a hike to get the views, there’s also a pool and picnic areas…
  • Rockland Lake State Park– “Picnic by the pool” or on many tables around the lake…
  • Dutchman’s Landing Park- Throw the blanket down on “manicured lawns” and watch the boats on the Hudson… large playground near too…
  • Minnewaska State Park Preserve– Grab some food from New Paltz and enjoy a “lake beach and carriage roads to hike on”, plus magnificent views from many points in this sprawling mountain park…
  • Orange County Arboretum– “Acres of professionally planted gardens” and picnic tables for eating, plus it’s free…

PENNSYLVANIA

  • Delaware Water Gap– A massive park with tons of places to eat/grill (with your own) in the nature besides hiking of all sorts…
  • Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve– Take “a tour of the gorgeous blooms” and then settle down on the picnic area near the entrance…
  • Kid’s Castle– Let them play on the three story high wooden castle and then lunch with a view of great hills surrounding the area…
  • Ringing Rocks Park– Bring a hammer to “make the 10-foot tall rocks sing” after you are done eating… visit the waterfall too…
  • Lake Wallenpaupack– You can either picnic at Palmyra Township Beach, or rent a boat and “sail to one of the three islands on the lake”…
  • Promised Land State Park– Two sandy beaches and some hiking and mountain biking opportunities await…
  • Big Pocono State Park– “Grand vistas of 3 states” from the top of Camelback Mountain with tables and grills available…

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