Best BBQ and picnic parks in Merrylands
Merrylands Park is the easiest all-day BBQ in Merrylands, because its public BBQs and picnic tables sit near restrooms, a kiosk and a playground on 27 acres. A barbecue is easy to find across the suburb's reserves. Cover from the sun, a toilet within reach and a car park are harder to come by, and they decided most of the order below.
Quick picks
- Long family day: Merrylands Park puts a canteen, restrooms and swings in the same park as its BBQs.
- Rain or blazing sun: Holroyd Volunteer Park has free BBQs under a roof.
- Game-day cookout: Ted Burge Sports Ground puts its BBQs among the soccer fields and netball courts.
- Splash and snack: Granville Park pairs picnic tables and a kiosk with the Laurie Ferguson Splash Park.
Merrylands Park for a long day with everything on hand
- BBQs
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Merrylands Park suits a gathering that runs for hours, since its public BBQs and picnic tables share the grounds with modern restrooms and a canteen selling food and drinks. Kids get slides, swings and climbing structures, though the playground is fairly small and crowds quickly at peak times. There are no drinking water fountains, so pack plenty of water on hot days. The car park has 184 spaces, free for up to two hours, so watch the clock on a long lunch. Shannon Avenue Park, 0.3 km away, has a smaller BBQ picnic area.
Best for: Extended families staying from lunch into the afternoon.
Holroyd Volunteer Park for free BBQs under cover
- BBQs
- Covered shelter
- Picnic tables
- Playground
- Parking
At Holroyd Volunteer Park you cook and eat out of the weather, because its three covered electric BBQs sit inside three sheltered picnic areas with tables and benches. The BBQs cost nothing, and you can just turn up. Children can split between a partly fenced, shaded play space for under-5s and an adventure playground with rope bridges and a flying fox. Park free off Walpole Street. It's open 6 am to 7 pm daily except Christmas Day, and weekends get crowded, especially in school holidays, so come early.
Best for: Birthday parties and cooking in wet or very hot weather.
Harry Gapes Reserve for open lawns on a mild day
- BBQs
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Harry Gapes Reserve gives you BBQs, public toilets and on-site parking around open green space at 54 Wolseley Street. The catch is the sun: the grounds have little shade and no shading structures, so bring hats, sunscreen and your own cover, or save it for a cooler day. A playground keeps kids busy, and the kiosk sells refreshments. If its BBQs are taken, Excelsior Street Reserve is the closest fallback at 0.4 km.
Best for: Groups bringing their own sun protection, or a cooler day.
Ted Burge Sports Ground for a cookout on game day
- BBQs
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Ted Burge Sports Ground is the spot to fire up a BBQ while the kids play, as its BBQs and picnic areas sit among the soccer fields, netball courts and a softball diamond. Shade structures and spectator seating are scattered around the grounds, which helps on a long match day. Public toilets, a children's playground and a kiosk cover the rest, and the designated car park is free. It's home to the Wenty Waratah Football Club; for a team event, check booking requirements with Cumberland City Council first.
Best for: Sports families spending the weekend at the ground.
Granville Park for a picnic beside the splash park
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Granville Park is where to take a packed lunch on a hot day: it has picnic tables, a kiosk, and toilets and change facilities for families at the Laurie Ferguson Splash Park, with its jets, misters and cascading water feature. Pack food that's ready to eat and swimwear for the kids. The park also has playgrounds with slides, swings and climbing frames, and the 1.4-kilometre loop has drinking water stations and shaded seats. Free spaces on site run short once weekend sport starts.
Best for: Families with young kids on hot days.
Merrylands Memorial Park for a toddler birthday
- BBQs
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Merrylands Memorial Park keeps a toddler's birthday simple: BBQs and picnic areas with seating share the park with a softfall playground, part of it under a shade sail. Public toilets cover a longer stay, and the on-site car park includes wheelchair-accessible spaces. Tables aren't confirmed, so bring a folding one for the cake. It's a popular weekend pick for birthdays and community events; Fyffe Park, 0.3 km away, has BBQs and picnic tables if it's busy.
Best for: Toddler birthdays, and groups bringing a pram or a wheelchair.
How the parks compare
By area
Every BBQ and picnic park in and near Merrylands
Weigh up shelters, tables and toilets across the suburb's BBQ and picnic parks in the table, with the closest spots outside Merrylands grouped at the end.
| Park | BBQs | Shelter | Tables | Toilets | Playground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Merrylands Park | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2.Holroyd Volunteer Park | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 3.Harry Gapes Reserve | ✓ | ✗ | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4.Ted Burge Sports Ground | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5.Granville Park | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 6.Merrylands Memorial Park | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| 7.King Park | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| 8.Lawson Square | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 9.Illoura Reserve | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 10.Maru Reserve | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 11.Belmont Street Park | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 12.Leigh Street Park | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 13.Morgan Street Park | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 14.Oxford Street Park | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 15.Excelsior Street Reserve | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 16.Fyffe Park | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 17.Leawarra Reserve | ✓ | – | – | ✗ | ✓ |
| 18.Byron Park | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 19.Shannon Avenue Park | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 20.Charles Mace Reserve | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 21.Sam Taylor Reserve | – | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| 22.Bill Heckenberg Park | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 23.Karabi Reserve | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 24.Warren Try Reserve | ✓ | – | – | – | – |
| 25.Alderson Park | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| 26.Hillier Street Park | ✗ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Nearby, outside Merrylands | |||||
| Burra Reserve · Parramatta | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jones Park · Parramatta | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bennalong Park · Granville | – | – | – | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tiara Place Reserve · Granville | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
How we picked
Each park was scored on BBQs, covered shelters, picnic tables, toilets, a playground and its own parking, and grounds of a hectare or more earned a small extra. The highest scorers that also had enough detail to describe properly became the picks, in score order. Gaps in what's known didn't count against anyone: an unknown feature appears as a dash in the comparison table, never as a cross.
FAQ
Which park in Merrylands has free BBQs?
Holroyd Volunteer Park and Morgan Street Park both let you cook on their BBQs without paying. Holroyd's are electric and roofed, while Morgan Street Park adds open lawns and free on-site parking.
Can I book a covered picnic area in Merrylands for a party?
Larger groups can reserve a shelter at Holroyd Volunteer Park by calling Cumberland City Council on 8757 9000. For a birthday at Belmont Street Park, check the council's booking and usage rules before the day.
Where can I find a shaded picnic table in Merrylands?
Maru Reserve on Rickard Street has shaded tables right by its BBQs, and they're taken early on weekends. Alderson Park also has shade over its picnic areas, which are worth reaching early in summer.
Do Merrylands BBQ parks have toilets?
Toilets sit near the grills at Merrylands Park, Ted Burge Sports Ground, Harry Gapes Reserve and Merrylands Memorial Park. Leawarra Reserve has electric barbecues and no toilets, so plan ahead with small children.