As we near 6 months of quarantine, it’s time (if you haven’t already) to break out the picnic baskets and gingham blankets. Picnics are a great way to spend time with friends and family, soak up the sun and share good food, all while socially distancing. Please read further for our guide to the 5 best picnic spots in the Bay Area.
Picnic essentials
Picnics seem easy enough, but there are some key supplies that you should bring and rules of thumb you should follow to make your picnic experience more seamless.
Practical supplies
- Napkins and wet wipes galore – everyone has that one messy friend
- Plates, bowls, cutlery – I try to bring my own silverware in an effort to minimize plastic usage
- A trash bag
- Saran wrap / aluminum foil / Tupperware – to pack leftovers
- Bottle opener / pizza cutter / etc. – All the random kitchen supplies you don’t realize you need until 10 people are trying to tear 4 pizzas with their hands
- Hand sanitizer
- Mess-less food – While soups, lasagnas and curries are undeniably tasty, they don’t make for an easy picnic experience. Fruits, charcuterie boards, and sandwiches are tried and true picnic meals because they allow for both pretty pictures and clean hands.
Aesthetic tips and tricks
- Bring flowers – Even the plainest of picnics can be spruced up with some fresh flowers scattered on a blanket
- Use wooden props – Cutting boards, crates / baskets, and bamboo dishes all add warmth to a picnic photo
- Set a color scheme – This first happened to me unintentionally when I brought strawberries, my friend brought raspberry macarons, and my other friend brought watermelon and guava juice. Since then, I have tried to stick with a color scheme to bring the entire picnic together. You don’t have to follow it to a T, but it makes picture taking and editing much easier!
- Wear something simple – With so much happening in the picnic spread, it’s best to stick to whites, neutrals and pastels when picking out your outfit. A flowing white dress or even a white top and jeans is a perfect “picnic chic” outfit. I would recommend either avoiding prints or keeping them light, like dainty florals or neutral gingham.
- Get creative – You don’t need to spend a lot to have an aesthetic picnic. I didn’t have a picnic blanket so I used purple blankets as a base and laid a neutral bedsheet on top. You can always use a regular cutting board if you don’t have a wooden charcuterie tray. I brought my polaroid for pictures but when it ran out of film, I used it as a photo prop instead. You can use accessories like sun hats or sunglasses or cute sandals to fill up white space. It’s all about using what you’ve got!
Best picnic spots in the Bay Area
And now on to the best picnic spots in the Bay Area! I evaluated these picnic spots on 3 metrics:
- Crowds: Where 1 = so busy that there’s no room to social distance and 5 = empty and/or spacious
- Cleanliness: Where 1 = far too dirty for a picnic and 5 = clean and well-kept
- Vibes: Where 1 = you’d be better off taking pictures in your backyard and 5 = an Insta-worthy location
1. SAN JOSE ROSE GARDEN
- Address: 1600 Naglee Ave, San Jose, CA 95126
- Hours: Mon-Sun, 8 AM to 30 min before sunset
- Not dog friendly
- Crowds: 3 – The park can get crowded during weekend lunch times but there is ample free street parking and plenty of grass to set up away from other groups.
- Cleanliness: 5 – The park is very clean despite the high volume of picnic goers. The roses themselves are well maintained, everyone picks up their trash, and there are no animal droppings.
- Vibes: 5 – It’s beautiful. The garden has boughs of roses and a fountain in the middle and towering trees, need I say more? If you’re looking for that “Pinterest picnic”, this place is it.
2. VASONA PARK
- Address: 333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032
- Hours: Mon-Sun, 8 AM to sunset
- Dog friendly
- Crowds: 5 – Vasona Park attracts crowds in the evening as the air cools down, but the park is so spacious (think multiple parking lots and fields all bordering a large lake) that finding a shaded picnic spot while social distancing is easy. This park is perfect for larger groups!
- Cleanliness: 3 – The grass fields do have a lot of animal droppings due to their high geese occupancy, so I would definitely recommend bringing a more robust blanket or finding a picnic table.
- Vibes: 4 – There are large trees and open fields and a pretty lake, all lending itself to a very woodsy vibe. Vasona Park is what I would consider a “traditional” picnic park. And some of their water activities like pedal boating are even open to the public.
- Other: When we visited, parking was free (probably due to COVID-19), but at other times during the year there is a $6 entrance fee.
3. CRISSY FIELD
(Note: I have not picnicked here recently but I have visited in the past and driven by recently and I would be remiss if I did not recommend picnicking here during COVID times)
- Address: 1199 E Beach, San Francisco, CA 94129
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Dog friendly
- Crowds: 3 – Crissy Field has always been popular on weekends for picnic lunches, and this popularity has only increased during this pandemic. However, the field is large enough to set up away from others and still enjoy a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Cleanliness: 4 – The field is quite clean as it is geese-free and dog owners are mindful to clean up after their pets.
- Vibes: 4 – With beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate Bridge, Crissy Field is wonderfully picturesque. However, there is minimal shade, so umbrellas and sunshades are must-haves on a hot, sunny day.
- Others: Similar to any other SF park, Crissy Field can get chilly in the evenings. Parking near the field fills up quickly on weekends, so you may need to park further away and walk down.
4. GOLDEN GATE PARK
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Dog friendly (in select areas)
- Crowds: 2 – I went with my family on a Saturday afternoon and parking was an absolute nightmare all the way from Shakespeare Garden to Stow Lake. I would highly recommend showing up early or finding a spot on the east side of the park, where it’s still beautiful and woodsy but with the added advantage of being peaceful.
- Cleanliness: 3 – The park is clean as groups are generally careful to clean up after themselves. Some parts of the park can be wet or muddy, especially on a foggy day, but the plus side is there are many clean, geese-free glens.
- Vibes: 5 – Golden Gate park has every type of picnic location you could ask for. It has multiple lakes, gardens, meadows and fields – some have aesthetic man-made constructions like the pavilion at Stow Lake, and some just have wonderfully droopy trees that provide the perfect picnic backdrop.
- Other: Entrance and parking are free for picnics. My biggest warning is that it can get very cold, even during the day, so don’t be afraid to bring layers!
5. ALMADEN LAKE PARK
- Address: 6099 Winfield Boulevard, San Jose, California 95120
- Hours: Tues-Sun, 8 AM to 30 minutes before sunset
- Dog friendly (in select areas)
- Crowds: 4 – The park is spacious and not very crowded even on weekends, making it perfect for a larger, socially distanced picnic.
- Cleanliness: 3 – The grass fields do have a lot of animal droppings due to their high geese occupancy, so I would definitely recommend bringing a more robust blanket or finding a picnic table.
- Vibes: 2 – The air in that area can get quite hot and dry, so we didn’t stay for too long. It’s not the most aesthetic park but the calm lake is a idyllic backdrop.
- Other: When we visited, parking was free (probably due to COVID-19), but at other times during the year there is a $6 parking fee.
6. LAKE MERRITT
- Hours: Mon-Sun, 6 AM to 9 PM
- Dog friendly
- Crowds: 3 – Lake Merritt is a popular weekend destination, but the lake is so large that there are plenty of trees to set up underneath. I would recommend budgeting extra time for traffic and parking, though!
- Cleanliness: 2 – There are geese droppings everywhere, and the grassy areas can get muddy, so finding a good spot is critical (luckily there are many in a park of this size)
- Vibes: 2 – The lake itself is beautiful, but there isn’t much else to admire beyond that. This spot is much better for catching up with friends than an aesthetic photoshoot.
- Other: East Bay has great local vegan businesses, so I would highly recommend grabbing some takeout for your picnic. We got food from Gay4U, a hole-in-the-wall vegan establishment with great food, where trans POC eat for free. There’s also Vegan Mob, which is walking distance from Lake Merritt.
Picnic mishaps
As always in the makings of a blog post, there is trial & error. Some of my picnics that didn’t quite go to plan and parks that I do not recommend are:
- Almaden Quicksilver County Park: It’s very dry and hot, and there are no picnic spots near the lake. You will have to hike before finding a spot to picnic, which can be difficult to manage with heavy picnic supplies.
- Fort Mason: It is way too crowded, with no social distancing in effect as groups in their twenties gather in hoardes to enjoy the summer days.
- Piccheti: While normally the Piccheti grounds are elegant with a winery and live peacocks roaming around, their picnic grounds are currently closed so there is nowhere to sit and enjoy.
DIY
And finally, if you don’t have access to a car, don’t feel safe going outside or just aren’t in the mood to pack up and drive somewhere … you can always do something in your own backyard! It’s as easy as spreading out a blanket, grabbing whatever’s in your kitchen, using that flower vase on the dining table and snacking in the sun. Or even just lounging in a lawn chair with a glass of wine and a good book – a picnic is what you make of it.
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