Best BBQ and picnic parks in Mona Vale
Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve is the top pick for a barbecue in Mona Vale, with barbecues that cost nothing to cook on, beside picnic tables on the Pittwater foreshore. What separates the parks here is the setting: one sits on the surf beach, one is behind the rock pools, and one is a small grass reserve. The table shows what every park has.
Quick picks
- Best free barbecues: Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve has electric barbecues that cost nothing to cook on, under picnic shelters.
- Best barbecue by the surf: Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve has one barbecue area with water taps, next to the swimming zone.
- Best for a family lunch near play: Apex Park has a couple of large electric barbecues beside its playground and open grass.
- Best small-reserve lunch: Winji jimmi Reserve has a barbecue and shelter on a small grass reserve you can walk off lunch on.
Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve: free barbecues under cover
- BBQs
- Covered shelter
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve is the Mona Vale park for cooking at no cost. Its electric barbecues sit next to picnic tables under cover, and shelters dotted across the grass suit a gathering that runs into the afternoon. The reserve fronts Pittwater on Mona Street, so the lawn looks across the water while the food cooks. Toilets are on site. The paid car park and the free street parking give you a choice. It is the pick for shelter and free cooking, where the beach picks are for sand and surf.
Best for: Families who want to cook a full lunch and stay for the afternoon
Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve: a barbecue by the surf
- BBQs
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve is the one barbecue on this list that sits right by the surf. Its single barbecue area has tables, benches and taps for water, beside the patrolled swimming area. The Surf Life Saving Club stands alongside that stretch, so a dip and a lunch sit close together. The beach car park charges by the hour with a daily cap, and some free street parking is close by.
Best for: Anyone who wants to cook after a swim and change in the same building
Apex Park: large barbecues beside the playground
- BBQs
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Apex Park has a couple of large electric barbecues, set beside the playground and open grass, so children can run off while lunch heats. Picnic tables sit close by, and the public toilets are on site, so a group can stay a whole morning. The park lies behind the Mona Vale rock pools, which makes a swim a short walk from the grill. Parking nearby is paid, in bays by the rock pools. Of the Mona Vale picks, Apex is the one for a barbecue with a play area in the same spot.
Best for: Families with young children who want to cook while the kids play
Winji jimmi Reserve: a small reserve with a barbecue and shelter
- BBQs
- Covered shelter
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Winji jimmi Reserve is a small grass reserve on Rednal Street, with a barbecue, a picnic area, a shelter, public toilets and drinking water. Entry is free, and the car spaces here cost nothing. The reserve is small enough to take in at a glance, so it suits a short lunch rather than a full day. Coastal walks and wetlands run through the wider reserve, and walking trails and cycling paths connect them, so you can walk off lunch.
Best for: Couples and small groups after a quick lunch, plus a walk on the trails
How the parks compare
By area
Every BBQ and picnic park in and near Mona Vale
Mona Vale's barbecue and picnic parks sit side by side in the table below, each with what its own page covers.
| Park | BBQs | Shelter | Tables | Toilets | Playground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2.Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3.Apex Park | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4.Winji jimmi Reserve | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5.Patricia Giles Reserve | – | – | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| 6.Robert Dunn Reserve | – | – | ✓ | – | – |
| Nearby, outside Mona Vale | |||||
| Trafalgar Park · Newport | – | – | – | ✗ | ✓ |
How we picked
Scoring began with barbecues and shelter, then moved to tables, toilets, a play area, parking and size, so the parks with the most of these rank highest. Parks with too little written down stay in the table only, and anything a page leaves out appears as a dash, so an empty cell means unknown, not absent.
FAQ
Which park in Mona Vale has free barbecues?
Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve has barbecues on Mona Street that are free to cook on. They sit by picnic tables with cover, so a group can cook and eat out of the weather.
Is there a barbecue right on the beach in Mona Vale?
Yes, at Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve, where the one barbecue area sits next to the patrolled swimming zone. Beach car park fees are capped each day, and the toilets share a building with the changing rooms.
Where is the barbecue at Apex Park in Mona Vale?
The large barbecues at Apex Park are on Seabeach Avenue. They sit next to the playground and the open grass, with the Mona Vale rock pools close by. Its barbecues are electric, so there's no fire to light.
Which Mona Vale picnic parks have toilets?
Winnereremy Bay Foreshore Reserve, Mona Vale Beach Foreshore Reserve, Apex Park and Winji jimmi Reserve all have public toilets. The toilets at the surf beach are the ones in the same block as the change rooms.