Best BBQ and picnic parks in Northmead
Arthur Phillip Park is the top pick for a barbecue with cover, because its electric BBQs sit beside covered tables. The Northmead parks split on what sits around the grill. Arthur Phillip has the cover, Northmead Reserve has BBQ facilities alongside toilets, and Charles Herbert Reserve has open lawns and picnic tables with no barbecues known. Each suits a different kind of picnic day.
Quick picks
- Covered BBQ: Arthur Phillip Park pairs electric BBQs with covered picnic tables.
- BBQ and toilets: Northmead Reserve keeps its BBQ facilities in the same reserve as public toilets and a water station.
- Open grass: Charles Herbert Reserve suits a blanket lunch, with picnic tables and seating through the park.
Arthur Phillip Park: electric BBQs and covered picnic tables
- BBQs
- Covered shelter
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Arthur Phillip Park is the pick for a barbecue with a roof over the table. Its electric BBQs sit beside covered picnic tables, and the park suits family gatherings after a game or a training session. Northmead Reserve has barbecues too, but its picnic seating isn't described as covered. Its public toilets are only open until 8:00 pm, so time a bathroom visit around that. Kerbside parking on Edward and Park Streets is free. Shade is thin on summer afternoons while the new trees establish.
Best for: A family cook-up with cover, after a game or a training session
Northmead Reserve: BBQ facilities with toilets in the same reserve
- BBQs
- Toilets
- Playground
- Parking
Northmead Reserve is the pick for a BBQ with toilets in the same reserve. A water station is on site, so you can refill bottles without leaving the reserve. Drivers can leave the car park off Elizabeth Crescent free of charge, or use the free spots on Watson Place. The shade sail is over the play equipment, and nothing says the barbecues have shade, so bring your own cover on a hot day. Two sporting fields for baseball share the reserve, so the day can take in a game and a barbecue.
Best for: A long picnic day that needs a toilet and a water refill
Charles Herbert Reserve: open grass and picnic tables for a blanket lunch
- Picnic tables
- Playground
Charles Herbert Reserve is the pick for a blanket lunch on open grass. Picnic tables and seating areas are spread through the park, and the large grassed areas leave room to spread out. Shaded seating areas give you somewhere to sit out of the sun. The reserve has a children's playground with a climbing gym, swings and a double slide, plus a one-third-sized basketball court. No barbecues are known here, so it suits a picnic rather than a cook-up.
Best for: A relaxed lunch on the grass, with a playground for the kids
How the parks compare
By area
Every BBQ and picnic park in and near Northmead
The table below compares every BBQ and picnic park in and near Northmead, with dashes wherever a detail isn't known.
| Park | BBQs | Shelter | Tables | Toilets | Playground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Arthur Phillip Park | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2.Northmead Reserve | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3.Charles Herbert Reserve | – | – | ✓ | – | ✓ |
| Nearby, outside Northmead | |||||
| Winston Hills Lions Park · Winston Hills | – | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Russel Walker Reserve · Baulkham Hills | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Otto Losco Reserve · Winston Hills | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Willsford Homes Reserve · Baulkham Hills | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
How we picked
The table ranks each park on what a picnic day needs, including cooking spots, cover, tables, toilets, a playground, parking and shade. A pick needed known details about its barbecues, shelter or tables, so every section has something to say. No park is marked down for a gap, which simply shows as a dash.
FAQ
Which Northmead park has a barbecue area with cover?
Arthur Phillip Park is the one to try, with electric barbecues and covered picnic tables in the same area. Northmead Reserve is the other option, with BBQ facilities in the same reserve as its toilets.
Can I have a picnic at Charles Herbert Reserve without a barbecue?
Yes, Charles Herbert Reserve offers picnic tables and seating areas across the grounds. Shaded seating gives you a spot out of the sun, and the grass suits a blanket.
How early should you arrive for a covered table at Arthur Phillip Park?
Getting there early on a weekend helps you claim one of the covered tables at Arthur Phillip Park. The electric barbecues sit beside those tables, so you can cook without moving far.