Picnic Places

A little al fresco dining on a blanket in a beautiful setting is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. In the Chicago Southland, there’s an abundance of great outdoor spots to enjoy some time with someone special. So, grab your picnic basket, make some sandwiches or grab a to-go order from a local restaurant and head out to enjoy it. Here are a few places to consider doing so.

Lake Katherine Nature Center
7402 West Lake Katherine Drive
Palos Heights
This nature center has lush gardens, a waterfall, lakeside trails and native trees. It has beautiful surroundings for a relaxing picnic and is also a great spot for photo shoots.

Schussler Park
14609 Poplar Road
Orland Park
This park has a fishing pond, which is a beautiful backdrop for a picnic, and there’s a pavilion to head into for some shade or shelter from rain. There are also grills if you want to cook up a lunch while you’re there.

Bicentennial Park
3401 203rd Street
Olympia Fields
This 14-acre park has picnic tables and a pavilion and restrooms on the grounds. There’s also walking paths and horseshoe pits.

Kasey Meadow Park
8047 West 91st Place
Hickory Hills
Bring the kiddos here on a summer day when you can enjoy a picnic lunch in between running through the splash pad. There’s also outdoor fitness equipment and a skate park.

Breidert Green
432 West Nebraska Street
Frankfort
This central greenspace in the heart of Historic Downtown Frankfort overlooking the old grain elevator is a lovely shady spot to drop a blanket and enjoy a to-go meal from one of the local restaurants.

Veterans Park
86th Street & 79th Court
Justice
This is a nice picnic spot for families where there’s also modular play units, swing set, benches, basketball courts and garden areas.

Arrowhead Lake
West 135th Street, east of Harlem Avenue
Cook County
This hot fishing spot near Palos Heights is a nice place to bring your poles, pack a picnic basket and make an afternoon of it. There’s also a picnic shelter on site.