Best BBQ and picnic parks in Eastwood
Glen Reserve is the top pick in Eastwood if you want a covered spot, a barbecue and a playground in one quiet park. The others suit different plans: a shelter by the upper playground, a barbecue in the shade, or a car park and toilets for a long day out.
Quick picks
- Glen Reserve: a quiet park with shelters, barbecues and a playground.
- Eastwood Park: covered barbecue spots next to the upper playground.
- Somerville Park: a barbecue-picnic area with toilets and a car park.
- James Hoskin Reserve: shaded seating with a barbecue and open grass.
- Lynelle Park: picnic tables under trees, with a pirate playground and a bike track.
Glen Reserve: quiet, covered and close to the shops
- BBQs
- Covered shelter
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Tucked onto Glen Street, Glen Reserve sits close enough to the Eastwood shopping precinct to grab supplies on the way. Shelters cover its picnic areas, and barbecue facilities sit in the park too, so a group can cook and eat without leaving the grounds. Unlike the bigger parks here, its walking paths wind through the grounds rather than around a sports field. Toilets include an accessible one, and drivers reach the car park from Shaftsbury Road.
Best for: Groups who want a sheltered lunch and a play area in one quiet park
Eastwood Park: covered barbecues beside the upper playground
- BBQs
- Covered shelter
- Toilets
- Playground
Eastwood Park has covered barbecue spots under picnic shelters, next to the upper playground, and that playground suits both older and younger children. The lower playground, near Eastwood Library, is set up for younger ones, so a family with mixed ages can split up while the adults cook. The park also has two sportsfields, walking paths and a cycle way, and the station is a short stroll off.
Best for: Groups who want to cook while the children use the play area next door
Somerville Park: barbecues, toilets and parking under one roof of trees
- BBQs
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Somerville Park's barbecue-picnic area has picnic tables and park benches, and the sports pavilion houses the public toilets. An off-street car park on Blaxland Road keeps the cooler close to the car. The big oval is shared, with rugby union in winter and cricket in summer, so the lawns sometimes have games on them. Outdoor fitness stations run along a circuit path around the oval.
Best for: Groups planning a full day who want toilets and an easy car park
James Hoskin Reserve: a shady barbecue and open grass
- BBQs
- Playground
The barbecue at James Hoskin Reserve sits next to shaded seating, and a wide grassed area runs alongside for groups to spread out. Water taps and dustbins are dotted about the reserve. Grown-ups can work out on the fitness gear further along the reserve. The reserve is a small local park at 20/22 Raimonde Road, so a group can settle in without a long walk from the car.
Best for: Small groups who want a shady barbecue and open grass to spread out on
Lynelle Park: picnic tables under trees beside the pirate playground
- Picnic tables
- Playground
- Parking
Lynelle Park has a kids' picnic table and family picnic seating, with mature trees that give shade at certain times of day. The pirate-themed playground sits in the same park, and a scooter and bike track circles both play areas. There is a kick-about space for a game after the picnic. The park is not fenced, so keep younger children close, and street parking is on Abuklea Road.
Best for: Picnics with children who ride, scoot or play after lunch
How the parks compare
By area
Every BBQ and picnic park in and near Eastwood
The table compares every park in and near Eastwood on the same features, and shows a dash where the details aren't known.
| Park | BBQs | Shelter | Tables | Toilets | Playground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Glen Reserve | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2.Eastwood Park | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3.Somerville Park | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4.James Hoskin Reserve | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 5.Lynelle Park | – | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 6.Jim Walsh Park | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 7.David Hamilton Reserve | – | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| Nearby, outside Eastwood | |||||
| Forest Park · Epping | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Darvall Park · Denistone | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boronia Park · Epping | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobbs Lane Reserve · Epping | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
How we picked
We ranked the parks on what a barbecue or picnic needs: cooking spots, covered shelters, tables, toilets, a playground for the kids and the size of the park. A park with both a barbecue and a shelter ranks above picnic-only spots. Where the text is silent on a feature, the table shows a dash, so a gap doesn't count against a park.
FAQ
Which park in Eastwood has free BBQs?
Glen Reserve, Eastwood Park and Somerville Park all have barbecues, but the information we have doesn't say whether any of them charge. Glen Reserve's barbecues are in the park with its shelters, and Eastwood Park's sit by the upper playground. Check with the council before you go if cost matters.
Are there toilets at the Eastwood barbecue parks?
Yes, Glen Reserve and Eastwood Park both have toilets, including an accessible one. At Somerville, the toilets sit inside the pavilion. James Hoskin Reserve has water taps and dustbins, but no toilets are listed.
Can you take a dog to James Hoskin Reserve?
Yes, dogs are allowed at James Hoskin Reserve on Raimonde Road. It has a barbecue by shaded seating and a large grassed area for picnics.