NearMeBest BBQ and picnic parks in Heathcote
Last updatedHeathcote National Park is the top pick for a picnic, with picnic grounds beside freshwater swimming holes. Heathcote's other two picks are small reserves with picnic tables, one beside an all-abilities play area and one on a slope above a play unit. None of them has a BBQ we know of, so this page is about where to sit down and eat, not where to cook.
Quick picks
- Most room to spread out: the national park's picnic grounds run from Kingfisher Pool up to Mirang Pool.
- Tables by the all-abilities play area: Cassandra Crescent Reserve has a line of tables and benches along its path.
- A seat with a view: Blue Bell Street Reserve has one table on the slope, looking down on its play unit.
Heathcote National Park: picnic grounds by the freshwater pools
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
Heathcote National Park is the one to pick when you want to eat in the bush and go for a swim afterwards. Kingfisher Pool has a picnic ground right beside its freshwater, and the campground there has tables you can sit at. Up at the northern end, Mirang Pool keeps its picnic space apart from the swimming holes, a short stroll down from town. A third spot, Sarahs Knob, is reached by riding Pipeline Road. The toilets sit at the secluded campsites, so work out where they are before you unpack. The creek and the river meet inside the park, and the rockpools and falls there are close to the lunch spots.
Cassandra Crescent Reserve: tables by the play area and the bushwalk
- Picnic tables
- Playground
- Parking
Cassandra Crescent Reserve has tables and benches along the edge of its path, close to the all-abilities play area. The equipment is pitched at children up to 8, including a large nest swing, climbing nets and a moveable maze, and a ramp plus synthetic grass paths let wheelchairs reach it. After lunch, children aged 3 and up can manage the stone steps at the back down to a riverside bushwalk. Blue Bell Street Reserve sits 0.2 km away but has one table, not a line of them. You won't find a toilet at this reserve, so go before you leave home. Drivers can stop directly out the front, and there's plenty of street parking around it.
Blue Bell Street Reserve: one table above the play unit
- Picnic tables
- Playground
- Parking
Blue Bell Street Reserve has a single picnic table at the top of its slope, looking down over the play unit. That suits a lunch while the children play, since the grown-ups can sit where they can see everything. Most of the kickabout area runs down a slope, so pack a ball for it. Sandstone blocks around the play space can double as seating. Cars park on the local streets around the reserve. Fencing covers just the eastern side of the play area, so children need watching. Nothing serving coffee is close by, so food and drinks come from home.
How the parks compare
By area
Every BBQ and picnic park in and near Heathcote
The table below sets out every Heathcote park on this topic, with unconfirmed details shown as a dash.
| Park | Tables | Toilets | Playground |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Heathcote National Park | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| 2.Cassandra Crescent Reserve | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| 3.Blue Bell Street Reserve | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 4.Veno Street Reserve | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5.Slessor Place Reserve | – | – | ✓ |
How we picked
We set the three picks against the table on the things that matter for a meal outside: BBQs, shelters, tables, toilets, play equipment, setting, shade and parking. Only spots with at least six confirmed details were eligible. Where a box is empty, we simply hadn't confirmed it, and the park may still have it.
FAQ
Which park in Heathcote has free BBQs?
None of the Heathcote parks on this page has a BBQ we know of, so there's no free barbecue to point you to. Heathcote National Park has the most room to eat outdoors, so a cold lunch is the simplest plan there.
Can I use the toilet at Cassandra Crescent Reserve?
Cassandra Crescent Reserve has no toilet, so plan for that before you set off. Its tables are next to the all-abilities play area, so you can settle in once you've arrived.
Is Blue Bell Street Reserve good for a picnic?
Yes, Blue Bell Street Reserve has one table at the top of the slope, overlooking the play unit. Park on the local streets and bring your own food, since there's nothing serving coffee nearby.
Where can I eat with toilets close by in Heathcote?
Heathcote National Park's toilets are at the secluded campsites, not at every picnic ground. Check the campsite location against the spot you want before you go.