Best BBQ and picnic parks in Castle Hill
Erlestoke Park is the easiest place in Castle Hill to host a BBQ, with covered tables, public BBQs, toilets and its own car park, and events can be booked. Plenty of Castle Hill parks have a BBQ and a playground, so the choice turns on a roof over the tables, a toilet close by and somewhere to leave the car.
Quick picks
- Rain or shine: Erlestoke Park has sheltered tables for a BBQ lunch.
- Big family picnic: Castle Hill Heritage Park has rolling hills and a free car park.
- After sport: Fred Caterson Reserve has two BBQs and six tables, first come, first served.
- Bush setting: Greenup Park shares its grounds with critically endangered forest.
Erlestoke Park for a covered BBQ with everything on site
- BBQs
- Covered shelter
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Erlestoke Park has the fullest BBQ setup in Castle Hill, so a group can cook, eat under cover and reach a toilet without leaving the park. The sheltered tables sit with the public BBQs, on-site parking includes accessible spaces, and Hornsby Shire Council takes event bookings. While the adults cook, kids have a flying fox, a learn-to-ride track and toddler equipment, linked to the picnic area by shaded paths. Spaces get scarce at peak times, so come early.
Best for: Birthday BBQs and group lunches that need a roof and a toilet
Castle Hill Heritage Park for a big picnic with history
- BBQs
- Covered shelter
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Castle Hill Heritage Park gives a big group room to spread out over rolling hills and remnant Blue Gum forest on the site of an 1801 convict farm. Shaded picnic tables and BBQs are joined by seating and a shelter added in November 2025. Its toilets cater for people with disabilities, and the car park off Heritage Park Drive costs nothing. After lunch, concrete paths with interpretative signs tell the story of the 1804 Castle Hill Rebellion, and they're smooth enough for wheelchairs and strollers.
Best for: Large family picnics, and a stroll through local history after eating
Apex Park for a compact BBQ with parking on both sides
- BBQs
- Covered shelter
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Apex Park on Old Northern Road fits BBQ areas, picnic tables with sheltered spots, restrooms and a playground into a small park. Parking runs along both sides, though weekend spaces go early. It's open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and the calmest windows are 6 to 8 AM and 5 to 7 PM. The restrooms may be locked at certain hours, so don't rely on them late. Paths through lush greenery make a short walk after eating.
Best for: A small family BBQ before or after the busiest part of the day
Fred Caterson Reserve for a feed after sport or a bushwalk
- BBQs
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Fred Caterson Reserve is where to cook after a morning of sport or a walk in the bush, with two public barbecues and six picnic tables. Nobody can book them, so on a weekend send someone ahead to claim a table. The junior playground near Field 1 keeps younger siblings busy, and the toilets have disabled access but close outside daylight hours. Parking is split across several areas of the grounds. To walk lunch off, take the easy 3.4 km Geebung Walk.
Best for: Sports families and walkers who want lunch afterwards
Greenup Park for a quiet BBQ beside rare bushland
- BBQs
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Greenup Park at 141 Cecil Avenue combines BBQs with a patch of Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest, a critically endangered ecosystem that a local Bushcare group helps preserve. Picnic tables and shaded areas sit in a quiet spot away from busy streets, with plenty of open space around them. Toilets, on-site parking and a kiosk cover the practical side. Its playground suits ages 10 to 14. Arthur Whitling Park, 0.8 km away, has BBQs above Castle Hill Metro Station.
Best for: Families after a calm afternoon, and anyone curious about local bushland
Coolong Reserve for a BBQ with room for ball games
- BBQs
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Coolong Reserve on Coolong Street suits a BBQ that turns into a game, with electric barbecues, picnic tables and large grassed areas for social ball games. Wheelchair-accessible paved paths and seating run through the grounds, and Coolong Street has ample room to park. Plan to finish by dusk, as the toilets are a daylight-only service. A fully fenced off-leash area lets the dog join in, and six netball courts make it an easy meal after a match. Cockayne Reserve, 0.6 km away, has a picnic shelter by Cattai Creek.
Best for: Groups who want a kick or a throw between courses
How the parks compare
By area
Every BBQ and picnic park in and near Castle Hill
Scroll the table to see how each Castle Hill park with a BBQ or picnic tables stacks up, with the picks at the top and the closest parks over the border at the end.
| Park | BBQs | Shelter | Tables | Toilets | Playground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Erlestoke Park | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2.Castle Hill Heritage Park | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3.Apex Park | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4.Fred Caterson Reserve | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5.Greenup Park | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 6.Coolong Reserve | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 7.Castlewood Community Reserve | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 8.Cockayne Reserve | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| 9.Arthur Whitling Park | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 10.Somerset Reserve | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 11.Elizabeth Chaffey Reserve | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 12.James Greenwod Reserve | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 13.Glendale Park | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 14.Hancey Farm Reserve | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 15.Tahlee Park | ✗ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 16.Castle Hill Lions Park | – | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 17.Bounty Avenue Reserve | ✗ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 18.Westminster Park | – | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| Nearby, outside Castle Hill | |||||
| Gilbert Road Reserve · Glenhaven | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Sandhurst Crescent Reserve · Glenhaven | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
How we picked
Each park earned points for the things a cookout or picnic relies on: a BBQ, a covered shelter, picnic tables, toilets, a playground, parking and a park of a hectare or more. BBQs, shelters and toilets counted double. A park needed enough confirmed detail to write about before it could be a pick, and any gap shows as a dash in the table without costing it a point.
FAQ
Can you book a BBQ in Castle Hill?
Erlestoke Park in Castle Hill takes event bookings through Hornsby Shire Council. Fred Caterson Reserve's two barbecues and six tables can't be booked and go to whoever arrives first, so get there early on weekends.
Where can you picnic under cover in Castle Hill?
Erlestoke Park's picnic tables are sheltered, and Castle Hill Heritage Park and Apex Park both have covered spots too. At Castlewood Community Reserve, an electric BBQ sits under the picnic shelter, so you can cook and eat out of the weather.
Is there a BBQ park near Castle Hill Metro Station?
Arthur Whitling Park sits directly above Castle Hill Metro Station, with BBQs, picnic tables and a playground with a stationary train model. It has no car park of its own, so come by metro or use the free parking at Castle Towers, which allows up to 3 hours.