The Best Picnic Places in CNY
Here are the prettiest, most appealing places to spread your spread
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
What’s finer than a picnic on a beautiful summer day? Pack up a cooler and plan to enjoy a lovely meal and on-site amenities at any one of the area’s parks.
• Clark Reservation State Park in Jamesville, includes vistas of rocky cliffs, woodland, wetland, meadow and a glacial plunge basin lake. You can reserve a picnic pavilion ($75 to $200) or use any of its other picnic tables. Explore Clark’s Nature Center and five trails to experience its beauty.
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/126/details.aspx
• Breitbeck Park in Oswego has views of Lake Ontario and a lighthouse. Bring along the grandkids to enjoy the splash park, playground and miniature golf. There are also walking trails and an adult outdoor fitness center. You may reserve the Breitpark Pavilion for a larger gathering or one of park’s fire pits seating area overlooking Lake Ontario by calling 315-342-8180.
www.oswegony.org/government/parks-recreation
• Mexico Point State Park in Mexico offers picnicking on 122 acres at the edge of Lake Ontario and the mouth of the Little Salmon River.
https://visitoswegocounty.com/directory/mexico-point-state-park
• Emerson Park in Auburn not only offers picnic spots, but also playgrounds, sport fishing, disc golf, concerts and watercraft rentals on Owasco Lake. The Ward W. O’Hara Agricultural Museum is also nearby.
www.cayugacounty.us/1391/Emerson-Park
• Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool is a great place to bring your dog, as the Wegmans Good Dog Park is at one end. In addition to great lake views, enjoy paved and groomed walking and cycling trails, pickleball court, shuffleboard, bocce, volleyball, playground and skate park for the grandkids and The Salt Museum.
https://onondagacountyparks.com/parks/onondaga-lake-park
• Selkirk Shores State Park in Pulaski offers fantastic sunset views over Lake Ontario, in addition to hiking and biking trails amid meadows and forest. Since Selkirk Shores is located in a migration route, the park is perfect for birders.
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/selkirkshores
• Pratt’s Falls Park in Manlius boasts a 137-foot waterfall. Bring your hiking shoes to enjoy the trails. The park is the site of Onondaga County’s first mill operation in 1796.
https://onondagacountyparks.com/parks/pratts-falls-park
• Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville provides nine miles of hiking trails for viewing birds and other animals in their 690-acre natural habitat encircling a 200-acre glacial lake. Bring along your picnic to make a day of it. Stop by the gift shop in the nature center to find unique goods.
https://onondagacountyparks.com/parks/beaver-lake-nature-center
• David C. Webb Memorial Park in Bernhards Bay has a sandy beach for swimming, playground, pickleball, other sports facilities and trails.
• Jamesville Beach Park in Jamesville offers three picnic shelters for reservations and first-come, first-served tables also. The park includes 100 feet of waterfront with Jamesville Reservoir and Butternut Creek.
https://onondagacountyparks.com/parks/jamesville-beach-park
• Oneida Shores County Park in Brewerton offers a sandy, shallow beach and children’s playground. Bring along the grandkids to enjoy the playground and wading in the lake.
https://onondagacountyparks.com/parks/oneida-shores-park
Keep in mind that many parks are “carry in, carry out” parks, so plan to bring along a trash bag for anything you want to dispose of. Check out the park’s website before you head out to check on any closures and to ensure the park has the amenities you want.