The Top 10 Most Loved Picnic Spots in New South Wales Revealed
New South Wales has an incredible 16,059 picnic locations to choose from. That’s a Park, Picnic Ground, Beach or Botanical Garden for every 507 NSW residents. There are few better places in the world with access to amazing picnic spots.
We wanted to understand which places in New South Wales that Australian’s loved the most for a picnic, which meant searching past the obvious places and analysing over 725,000 reviews.Â
Our investigation has led to a ranking of the top 10 picnic spots in New South Wales, which are spread across the state, although predominantly found in and around the coastal regions (sorry, there isn’t one in Broken Hill!).
You can see every location on Google Maps below, or keep scrolling to explore our summary of the top picnic spots in New South Wales.Â
Page Contents
#1
Lake Alexandra Reserve (Mittagong)
Photo: Visit NSW
Taking the number one spot on our list of New South Wales’ most-loved picnic spots, Lake Alexandra Reserve is a local favourite for good reason. Just a few minutes from Mittagong’s main street, this peaceful lake setting has everything you need for an easy day out. Think shady trees, well-kept lawns, BBQs, picnic tables, and a great playground for the kids. The flat path around the lake makes it ideal for prams, scooters, or a relaxed walk with the dog on-lead. Ducks, turtles, and plenty of birdlife keep things interesting while you unwind under the gums.
This is a wonderful hidden gem.
Location: Queen Street, Mittagong NSW 2575
Visit:Â Wingecarribee Shire
#2
Fagan Park (Galston)
Coming in at number two on our list of New South Wales’ most-loved picnic spots, Fagan Park is one of those places that feels made for lazy afternoons and long catch-ups. Spanning 55 hectares, it combines open lawns, peaceful lakes, themed gardens, and quiet bush trails that invite you to wander and explore. Families will love the large playground and duck-filled ponds, while BBQs and picnic tables are spread throughout the park so you’re never far from a perfect lunch spot. The Gardens of Many Nations are worth a slow walk, offering a glimpse of flora from around the world. With easy parking, clean facilities, and endless green space, it’s the kind of park that makes a quick visit turn into a whole-day outing.
Location: 38–48 Arcadia Road, Galston NSW 2159
Visit:Â Hornsby Shire Council
Photo: Alen Chen
#3
Noreuil Park Foreshore (Albury)
Photo: Rae Allen
Holding the number three spot on our list, Noreuil Park Foreshore is a riverside gem that captures everything great about Albury. Stretching along the Murray River, it’s known for its calm swimming spots, shady trees, and wide lawns that make it easy to find your own corner for a picnic or barbecue. Locals love the riverside walk and the floating pontoon that lets you dip your toes in on a warm day. There’s a café right by the water, clean facilities, and plenty of room for kids to run or cycle. Whether you’re after a morning swim, a lazy lunch, or an afternoon on the grass, Noreuil Park has that relaxed country charm that keeps people coming back.
Location: Noreuil Parade, Albury NSW 2640
Visit: Albury City Council
#4
Australian Botanic Garden (Mount Annan)
Photo: Andy Burton / Flickr
Coming in at number four, the Australian Botanic Garden in Mount Annan is a stunning mix of natural beauty and open green space. Spanning more than 400 hectares, it’s Australia’s largest botanic garden and a favourite for families, walkers, and anyone chasing a peaceful day outdoors. The picnic areas are beautifully maintained, with BBQs, shelters, and wide lawns surrounded by native bushland and colourful gardens. Wander through themed sections like the Connections Garden or the Banksia Garden, or take the kids for a ride along the cycle paths and walking tracks that loop through the park. With plenty of parking and breathtaking scenery, it’s the kind of place where a quick picnic can easily turn into a full day of exploring.
Location: Narellan Road, Mount Annan NSW 2567
Visit:Â Australian Botanic Garden
#5
Bungarribee Park (Bungarribee)
Photo: Blacktown City Council
Bungarribee Park is one of Western Sydney’s best all-round picnic spots, designed for families, groups, and anyone who loves wide open space. Part of the Western Sydney Parklands, it offers huge grassy areas, shaded picnic shelters, and plenty of electric BBQs ready for use. The standout attraction is the enormous playground, packed with slides, climbing nets, swings, and towers that keep kids busy for hours. Paths loop around the park for walking or cycling, and there’s a large off-leash dog area where pets can run free. Everything is clean, modern, and well maintained, with easy parking and toilets nearby. Whether you’re meeting friends for lunch or letting the kids burn off energy, Bungarribee Park makes outdoor time simple and enjoyable.
Location: Doonside Road, Bungarribee NSW 2767
Visit: Greater Sydney Parklands
Download Our Free ‘Top 5’ Infographic
#6
Bobbin Head (Mount Colah)
Photo: Corleone Nitiraj / Instagram
Bobbin Head is a classic Sydney picnic destination that combines bushland, water views, and plenty of space to relax. Nestled within Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, it’s a peaceful riverside setting surrounded by forested hills and mangroves. There are shaded picnic shelters, BBQs, and grassy areas right by the water, along with a café and kiosk if you’d rather skip the cooking. Kids can explore the playground or walk the mangrove boardwalk, while adults enjoy a paddle, a gentle hike, or just the sound of boats drifting by. Facilities are excellent, with clean toilets, parking, and even a visitors centre with maps and local info. It’s the perfect mix of nature and comfort, only a short drive from Sydney’s northern suburbs.
Location: Ku-ring-gai Chase Road, Mount Colah NSW 2079
Visit: National Parks NSW
#7
Wollongong Botanic Garden (Keiraville)
Photo: Wollongong Botanic Garden
Set against the backdrop of Mount Keira, Wollongong Botanic Garden is a peaceful and beautifully maintained spot that makes picnicking feel effortless. The gardens are spread across rolling lawns, shaded groves, and themed sections showcasing plants from around the world. You’ll find plenty of picnic tables, BBQs, and open areas perfect for laying down a rug under a tree. Families love the nature play area, duck ponds, and gentle walking paths that wind past colourful flower beds and native bushland. It’s easy to spend a few hours wandering, relaxing, or enjoying a packed lunch surrounded by birdsong and fresh coastal air. The garden is free to enter, parking is close by, and the atmosphere is calm and unhurried. A genuine local treasure for a slow afternoon outdoors.
Location: 40 Murphys Avenue, Keiraville NSW 2500
Visit: Wollongong Botanic Garden
#8
Minyon Falls Lookout (Whian Whian)
Photo: Visit NSW
For a picnic with a view, it’s hard to beat Minyon Falls Lookout in the lush Whian Whian State Conservation Area near Byron Bay. The main lookout gives you a breathtaking panorama over the 100-metre waterfall that plunges into the valley below, surrounded by dense rainforest and native wildlife. There’s a shaded picnic area nearby with tables and BBQs, perfect for taking in the scenery while you eat. Adventurous visitors can stretch their legs on the walking track to the base of the falls, where the sound of rushing water fills the air. It’s a popular stop for day trippers and photographers, especially after rain when the falls are at their strongest. Bring your own supplies, take your time, and enjoy one of northern New South Wales’ most spectacular natural picnic settings.
Location: Minyon Falls Road, Whian Whian NSW 2480
Visit: NSW National Parks
#9
Oxley Scenic Lookout (East Tamworth)
Photo: Expedia
Perched high above Tamworth, Oxley Scenic Lookout offers one of the most impressive picnic views in regional New South Wales. From the top, you can see the entire city and Peel Valley stretching out below, making it a favourite spot for sunset picnics and weekend drives. There are covered shelters, BBQs, picnic tables, and grassy areas where you can spread out and enjoy the open air. The short walking tracks around the lookout let you explore the surrounding bushland, and the lookout platform itself is perfectly positioned for photos. Everything is clean, accessible, and easy to reach by car, with plenty of parking on-site. Whether you’re stopping for lunch or watching the lights come on across Tamworth, Oxley Scenic Lookout delivers a relaxed and memorable picnic experience.
Location: Scenic Road, East Tamworth NSW 2340
Visit: Visit NSW
#10
Mayfield Garden (Oberon)
Photo: Mayfield Garden
Mayfield Garden is a spectacular private garden that feels more like a living work of art than a simple picnic spot. Set across 65 hectares in the cool-climate region of Oberon, it features rolling lawns, lakes, waterfalls, and meticulously designed garden rooms that change with the seasons. Visitors can enjoy a picnic by the water or grab lunch from the on-site café, which serves produce grown right in the garden. The grounds are perfect for slow wandering, photography, and peaceful afternoons surrounded by colour and birdsong. With manicured landscapes at every turn and a relaxed country atmosphere, it’s an unforgettable place to connect with nature and unwind. Entry fees apply, but the experience is worth every dollar for those who appreciate a truly world-class garden setting.
Location: 530 Mayfield Road, Oberon NSW 2787
Visit: Mayfield Garden
How We Identified Your Favourite Picnic Spots in New South Wales
After creating our list of Australia’s 25 favourite picnic spots, we realised that we were onto something really interesting and useful to people. There was one problem though, Australia is simply too big to fit all the amazing picnic spots on one list.
However, we didn’t want to create just ‘another list’ of picnic spots, sharing the same exact spots that everyone’s heard about before. Often, these spots aren’t actually great for a picnic! For example, the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney is incredibly popular as a destination, but ranked #99 in our analysis simply because people don’t often rate it as an awesome picnic spot.
No, we wanted to know which places Australian’s LOVED to picnic in New South Wales. That was a little more complex to find out.
First, we needed to know all of the places in New South Wales you might want to picnic. So, we pulled all google listings for any Park, Beach, Botanical Garden, Nature Preserve, City Park, Memorial Park, Scenic Viewpoint, or Picnic Ground in the whole country. 16,059 individual places.
It just simply isn’t possible to visit each of these places ourselves, so we relied on Google reviews to guide our analysis. Starting by filtering our list of locations to places with more than 100 all-time reviews. It’s hard to get any useful information about a place with <100 reviews, and even harder to call it NSW’s favourite picnic spot.
This left us analysing 949 places. However, we only wanted to know if they were good for a picnic.
We analysed every review for every location on our list that contained the word “picnic”. A total of 3,540 unique reviews by visitors to beautiful NSW picnic spots over the last 2 years. Now we had our data, we needed to find a combined ranking that considered:
- The location’s overall popularity (total number of reviews).
- The location’s popularity for picnics (total number of reviews with the word ‘picnic’ included).
- How popular the location was for picnics compared to its overall popularity (metric 2 / metric 1).
- How much picknickers loved the location (average rating of reviews with the word ‘picnic’ included).
- An adjustment for the population / popularity of an individual place (LGA size)
With each venue ranked from top to bottom on each of these 5 metrics, we simply combined all of these rankings with a proprietary weighting algorithm to find your favourite picnic spots in New South Wales.
About The Researcher
For the last 5 years, David (Food Box Mate) has been reviewing meal delivery services in Australia to help people solve the challenges of getting nutritiously balanced meals delivered without breaking the bank. Think reviews of services like HelloFresh or My Muscle Chef.Â
David’s also produced other consumer research, including Food Box Mate’s yearly meal kit survey, and an analysis of whether prepared meals are healthy.
For any media enquiries, please email david@foodboxmate.com
