It’s usually May when people start to wonder aloud “should we dine outside?” In a place with as much scenic beauty as the Adirondacks, it’s hard to justify staying indoors! Picnics are a great way to get soak up the sunshine and explore new parts of the region. Whether you prepare a quick summit lunch for your hike or a leisurely dinner by the lake, these spots are ideal for a nice outdoor meal. So, pack your picnic and enjoy it in the Lake George Area!
*As a general rule, most parks, preserves, and hiking trails are open dawn to dusk. Please follow the carry in/carry out policies.
Crandall Park
Photo Credit: Kacey O'Brien
Crandall Park provides beautiful, green respite just minutes from downtown Glens Falls, with a designated area for picnicking including tables and small grills that are free to use and open to the public. Benches around the pond and grassy expanses make great picnicking spots as well.
There is also a large, covered picnic pavilion at Crandall Park that can be reserved with a small fee for celebrations. The pavilion sits adjacent to a sand volleyball court and open playing fields. Crandall Park is not only perfect setting for a picnic, but all sorts of summer fun!
Other Park Features:
- 18-hole disc golf course
- Splash pad
- Lighted court complex (2 basketball courts, 2 tennis courts, 4 pickleball courts)
- Pollinator garden
- Performance shell
- Playground
- Exercise equipment
- Field house
- Crandall Pond (fishing with handicap accessible dock, ice hockey, ice skating)
- Youth athletic fields (baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey)
- Walking trails
- Public restrooms
Hovey Pond Park
Photo Credit: Jaynie Ellis
Resting peacefully in the midst of Queensbury’s main business district is four-acre Hovey Pond and the diverse environs of Hovey Pond Park surrounding it. Unpack your lunch at one of several picnic tables scattered around the park, or settle into an Adirondack chair looking out across the pond.
After wrapping up your meal, take the gravel walking path circling the water and explore the observation decks within the marshland, or admire the variety of blooms in the beautiful floral gardens built and maintained by the Friends of Hovey Pond.
Other Park Features:
- Playground
- Handicap accessible fishing dock
- Public restrooms
Haviland Cove Beach & Park
A summertime oasis, Haviland Cove Beach & Park in Glens Falls provides the best of both picnic settings. Following a refreshing swim in the Hudson River, lay down a towel on the sandy beach to have a snack or claim one of several shaded picnic tables in the grass. Make use of the BBQs to grill up some classic hotdogs or hamburgers, and then enjoy the park’s other features. And no, you don’t have to wait 30 minutes after eating to hop back in the water!
Other Park Features:
- Kayak launch
- Playground
- Softball field
- Showers
Lake George Battlefield Park
Maintained by NYSDEC (the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), Lake George Battlefield Park is important open space in the Lake George Village. Consisting of a spacious 35-acres, there is plenty of room to spread out a blanket along the lake’s southern shore. You can also choose a picnic table, bench, or pavilion as the place to enjoy your midday meal.
Not just the perfect spot for a picnic, Lake George Battlefield Park also has great significance. During the French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War, battles between the Algonquin and Iroquois tribes and battles between England and American colonists were fought on this land. Now statues of historical figures, memorials, and the remains of Old Fort George can be observed on a walk around the grounds.
Other Park Features:
- “Path Through History” attraction
- Lake George Battlefield Park Visitor Center
- Public restrooms
Rogers Memorial Park Beach or Veterans Memorial Park
These two beaches/parks are about a half mile from each other along Lake Shore Drive in Bolton Landing.
Photo Credit: Kacey O'Brien
Rogers Memorial Park Beach (pictured above) behind the Bolton Visitors Center is a great location for first-time picnickers. Adirondack chairs and picnic tables are scattered on the sloping lawn that provides unobstructed views of Lake George. Lead the flower-lined path lead you to your spot or down to the large, sandy beach.
Other Park Features at Rogers Memorial Park Beach:
- Pavilion
- Tennis/pickleball courts
- Basketball courts
- Public docks
- Bandstand & gazebo on the pier
At Veterans Memorial Park, cook up and enjoy a lunch on grills and picnic tables right along the shore where several private sailboats are anchored. The flat expanse of both sand and grass allows a large group to gather comfortably for a picnic.
Other Park Features at Veterans Memorial Park:
- Pavilion
- Volleyball net
- Basketball courts
- Playground
- Public docks
Wayside Beach & Benjamin C. Butler Pavilion Park
There is simply no better place for a peaceful picnic than Wayside Beach (pictured above) or the adjacent Benjamin C. Butler Pavilion Park in and on Lake Luzerne. A grassy section of Wayside Beach accommodates benches and picnic tables where you can dry off after a swim or pack up your fishing gear and eat your packed lunch. From this spot you’ll have the instantly recognizable view of Ivy Island. Whereas, Benjamin C. Butler Pavilion Park offers a large covered pavilion that can be rented for celebrations of all kinds or a more secluded spot to enjoy your picnic spread.
Other Park Features at Wayside Beach:
- Boat launch (10 hp. limit)
- Public restrooms
Dean Farm Heritage Trail
Photo Credit: Kacey O'Brien
The winding trails at Dean Farm Heritage Trail in Stony Creek unfurl through meadows, woods, and wetlands, branching off to perfectly placed benches to for a quick rest or a stop for lunch. These well-marked walking and hiking paths loop around and lead to the water, whether it’s the pier leading out into the marsh or the small deck built above babbling Stony Creek that is the furthest point away from the parking lot – possibly the most remote picnic spot on this list for an uninterrupted meal break.
Other Park Features:
- Educational signage
- ADA-accessible trails on the west side of Murray Rd.
Stony Creek Recreation Field
Just a stone’s throw away from Dean Farm Heritage Trail is Stony Creek Recreation Field, also known as Green Meadows Park. Consider this family-friendly setting for picnicking and tons of fun in the sun, including a shallow swimming hole to cool off in. At the far edge of the field, several picnic tables sit under a covered pavilion with grills for cookouts. On warm, summer evenings the pavilion doubles as a bandstand to accommodate the large turnout at the weekly Music in the Park series.
Other Park Features:
- Playground
- Basketball court
- Softball field
Peggy’s Point
An exceptionally beautiful space, Peggy’s Point in the Town of Hauge was donated by Margaret “Peggy” A. Darrin in 2005 and is maintained by the Lake George Land Conservancy. Here, 315 feet of waterfront is designated for public use and passive recreation. Towering birches throw shade onto the expansive lawn where an ADA-compliant picnic table sits. A wheelchair-accessible compacted stone path leads to the water where fishing is permitted from the shore.
Other Park Features:
- Gazebo
- Mary Lou’s Friendship Garden
West Mountain Mountaintop Picnic Packages
For an all-inclusive picnic experience – where all the hard work is taken care of and you just have to enjoy – book a Mountaintop Picnic Package. Included is a scenic chair ride to the top of West Mountain and a delicious lunch prepared and packaged by an in-house chef (gluten-free option available). Picnickers that are 21 years or older can select a wine/beer and charcuterie option. Have your meal at a picnic area and overlook with a miles-long view stretching out over the Adirondacks towards the Hudson River Valley Region and Vermont. If you wore your hiking boots, head back down the mountain on one of many mixed-use trails to return your basket. *Pre-book online or by phone to guarantee. Picnic pickup is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ticket window.
Fresh, Local Ingredients for Your Picnic!
Photo Credit: Kacey O'Brien
The most important of any picnic is the food! With so many local farmer’s markets and artisanal food, it’s easy to pick up fresh produce and natural ingredients to pack into a delicious and nutritious on-the-go meal. Click here for help with your shopping list!
Pet-Friendly Picnicking!
Your four-legged friend wants to enjoy the fresh air too! Pack some treats in that picnic basket, and cross reference this list with other great pet-friendly parks found in our blog, “A Paw-Some Day in the Lake George Area”.