Picnic Spots Around Parramatta: 12 Parks Worth Packing Lunch For
12 perfect parks for a picnic, a BBQ and a play with the kids.
There's something timeless about a picnic. A rug on the grass. A packed esky. Kids disappearing towards the playground while the barbecue heats up nearby.
Whether you're planning a family catch-up, celebrating a birthday or simply making the most of a sunny weekend, Parramatta's parks offer plenty of places to settle in for the day. Some sit beside lakes and waterways, others hide among bushland or open onto sprawling green fields. Many have playgrounds, BBQs and picnic shelters ready to go.
Here are 12 picnic spots around Parramatta worth adding to your list.
Parramatta Park
Location: Corner Pitt and Macquarie streets, Parramatta
An 85-hectare oasis in the heart of the city, Parramatta Park offers plenty of room to spread out and make a day of it.
Choose a quiet corner near Wistaria Gardens, settle beneath the shade of a giant tree or set up near one of the playgrounds while the kids burn off some energy. Historic buildings, cycling paths and open lawns mean there's always something new to discover between bites.
Lake Parramatta Reserve
Location: Lake Parramatta, North Parramatta
Just a few minutes from the CBD, Lake Parramatta feels worlds away.
Pack a picnic and spend the day beside the water, explore a bushwalking track or cool off with a swim during the warmer months. Surrounded by native bushland, it's one of Parramatta's most scenic locations for lunch outdoors.
Explore Lake Parramatta Reserve
North Rocks Park
Location: North Rocks Road, Carlingford
If your picnic usually involves keeping active kids entertained, North Rocks Park is a safe bet.
The fenced playground features swings, climbing equipment, rope pyramids and a scooter track, giving younger visitors plenty of reasons to stay busy while the adults relax nearby.
Dundas Park
Location: 42a Yates Avenue Dundas Valley 2117
Home to the popular Philip Ruddock Water Playground, Dundas Park is an easy choice on warm days.
Pack the swimmers alongside the sandwiches and let the kids cool off between runs through misting tunnels, water pumps and splash zones. Covered picnic tables and BBQ facilities make it easy to settle in for the afternoon.
George Kendall Riverside Park
Location: 38 Spofforth Street, Ermington
Rumour has it that this park has the most barbecues of any reserve in the Parramatta region, making it a great option for large group gatherings and celebrations.
Luscious green fields and views across to Sydney Olympic Park ensure this park is both practical and picturesque. Bring your whole gang, some meat and veg for the BBQ or a packed lunch and run wild in the great outdoors!
Halvorsen Park
Ahoy there! Halvorsen Park houses a fantastic nautical-themed playground with rope towers, a sandstone boat and several nature-based play elements for both kids and adults who want to get in touch with their inner child. While this park doesn’t provide BBQ facilities, it is not short of shaded grassy areas for those willing to pack their own picnic basket to satisfy any post-play hunger pangs.
Seamist Avenue Ermington
Rosella Park
This secret park and local favourite may be named after a noisy native bird, but its picnicking offerings are decidedly more discreet (although no less impressive). The main event here is the pentagon-shaped swing set, with five swings for the whole family to enjoy. Well-maintained amenities also include a newly added barbecue and clean toilet blocks.
43a Wigram Street Harris Park
Upjohn Park
You’d be excused for missing this from the street as it hides among the shade of native trees, but this park is a perfect picnic spot for those looking for somewhere a little more private. As well as a double barbecue and four picnic shelters, it features a scooter and bike track, sporting fields and plenty of creek and bushland for curious explorers to visit.
73 Kirby Street Rydalmere
Wentworth Common
Wentworth Common is a large park in the former Olympic complex right where Haslams Creek becomes Homebush Bay. Little ones can get imaginative in the playground that includes a sandpit, slide and flying fox, while the more adventurous can ride or run up the winding path of the Bay Marker before sitting in a shady spot with a packed lunch. Wentworth Common also features picnic shelters and barbecues, so you can show off your gold-medal sausage sizzle skills to family and friends.
Marjorie Jackson Parkway, Sydney Olympic Park
Blaxland Riverside Park
Don’t be fooled by the unassuming turn off to its home on Jamieson Street, this enormous park is spread over three acres and the offerings on site are just as huge. In addition to a playground with several barbecue facilities, a vintage train, and the opportunity to explore and learn at the BirdLife Discovery Centre, the lovely Armory Wharf Café is perfect for a sophisticated take on picnicking right by the river.
Jamieson Street, Newington (Off Holker Street)
Boronia Park
Little ones will love the playground at this Epping park, filled with all sorts of play equipment including a wooden set filled with trains, climbing ropes and see-saws for imaginations to run wild! With barbecue facilities, a supermarket within walking distance, and shaded seating areas scattered throughout, Boronia Park is the perfect place for an afternoon out.
Boronia Avenue Epping
Bicentennial Park
With barbecues and picnic benches galore, along with bike paths, water features, a tower to climb and a boardwalk that ventures into the Badu mangroves, Bicentennial Park is made for a day out. Grab a coffee and some hot chips at Café at Waterview and wander the lake before you hit the play equipment, spot some wildlife or perhaps even hire a bike! Children’s bikes, child carrier and tagalong bikes and tandem bikes for the big kids are all on offer to hire for a few hours or even the whole day!
Australia Avenue Sydney Olympic Park
