Best BBQ and picnic parks in Leichhardt
Hawthorne Canal Reserve is the park to pick for a BBQ in Leichhardt, with BBQ facilities, picnic tables and toilets on one side of the canal. For a picnic without a BBQ, War Memorial Park has toilets in the park, while Marr Reserve has shade over its picnic tables. Whether a park has a BBQ, and where its toilets are, sets these parks apart.
Quick picks
- BBQ: Hawthorne Canal Reserve is the one to pick for a cookout, with toilets on the same side.
- Picnic without a BBQ: War Memorial Park has tables, benches and toilets, with no barbecues on site.
- Shade for lunch: Marr Reserve keeps its picnic and bench areas shaded, with a drinking fountain in the park.
- Small lunch by the playground: Picnic tables sit at Evan Jones Playground, where the play area is fenced.
Hawthorne Canal Reserve: BBQs beside the play equipment
- BBQs
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Hawthorne Canal Reserve has the fullest picnic setup here, and its BBQs are the only ones confirmed in this group. They sit on the playground side of the canal, with picnic tables, seating and toilets nearby, so you can cook, eat and use the toilet without leaving that side. Parking is on site, and cycling and walking paths follow the water. The Hawthorne light rail station is also nearby if you would rather not drive.
Best for: Best for a BBQ with the kids close by
War Memorial Park: picnic tables and toilets, but no BBQs
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
War Memorial Park is the pick for a picnic with toilets to hand, though it has no BBQs. Tables and benches are in the park, while the amenities building holds public toilets, including an accessible one with a baby change. The park also has a playground and night lighting, so the picnic can run into the evening. There is no car park in the park, so you will use the street parking on the roads around it, which fills early on weekend mornings.
Best for: Best for a family picnic without a BBQ
Marr Reserve: shade over the picnic tables
- Covered shelter
- Picnic tables
- Playground
Marr Reserve is the one to pick when shade matters more than a BBQ. It has picnic tables, one of them covered, and shade extends over the picnic and bench areas as well as the two playgrounds, a toddler one and one for older children. A drinking fountain sits in the park, so you can refill bottles. For a toilet, you will need to walk to Leichhardt Marketplace, roughly 500 metres away. It is rated 4.2 on Google (28 ratings), and quiet streets border it on all sides.
Best for: Best for a shaded lunch with a drink of water
Evan Jones Playground: picnic tables beside a fenced playground
- Picnic tables
- Playground
Evan Jones Playground on Styles Street is the small-scale lunch stop, with picnic tables for a family snack and a fenced playground for younger kids. The play area sits under trees, so the playground is shaded, and the park is a small neighbourhood one. A half-court basketball court and a community arts wall are part of the park, so older kids have something to do after lunch. Whites Creek Lane and Whites Creek Channel are nearby.
Best for: Best for a short lunch with young kids
How the parks compare
By area
Every BBQ and picnic park in and near Leichhardt
The table below ranks every park we have for a BBQ or picnic here, with the nearby ones after them.
| Park | BBQs | Shelter | Tables | Toilets | Playground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Hawthorne Canal Reserve | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2.War Memorial Park | ✗ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3.Marr Reserve | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| 4.Evan Jones Playground | – | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 5.North Street Playground | – | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 6.Wangal Nura Park | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Nearby, outside Leichhardt | |||||
| Cohen Park · Annandale | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Richard Murden Reserve · Haberfield | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Whites Creek Valley Park · Annandale | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Cadigal Reserve · Summer Hill | – | – | – | ✗ | ✗ |
How we picked
Each park was read on barbecues, covered shelters, picnic tables and toilets first, then on a playground for children and its size. A park needs enough known details to write about, so the parks with the least known stay in the table only. A gap in the table is a dash, meaning unknown rather than no, so it never counts against a park.
FAQ
Which park in Leichhardt has BBQs?
Hawthorne Canal Reserve is the answer, with BBQ facilities on the playground side of the canal. Families can cook there and let the kids play in the same spot.
Is there a covered picnic table in Leichhardt?
Yes, Marr Reserve has a covered picnic table, and its shade reaches over the picnic and bench areas. The nearest toilets are a walk away at Leichhardt Marketplace.
Can a group book a picnic spot in Leichhardt?
Yes, War Memorial Park and Hawthorne Canal Reserve both take casual gatherings of 30 to 250 people, booked online and not within 7 days of the date. At War Memorial Park, groups under 30 can usually turn up, unless they bring a marquee.