A typical picnic is a delish portable meal on a blanket on a green lawn, right? Think again, because the best picnic spots in L.A. have a lot more than that to offer.
YELP/GLENN S.
There are a few benches and some grass to loll in, but you’ll find yourself continually looking over the edge of the bluffs to enjoy the view.
PALISADES BLUFF PARK
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LOVE BEVERLY HILLS
Because this art-packed park lets you nosh next to Yayoi Kasuma tulips or Magdalena Abakonowicz’s sitting figure, we chose it as the best for art lovers.
BEVERLY GARDENS PARK
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YELP/WINNIE L.
While the park is closed during the winter rose hibernation period, this flowery destination is a favorite not-too-crowded outdoor hangout spot.
EXPOSITION PARK ROSE GARDEN
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Old growth trees aren’t common in our new-growth city, but this pocket of Elysian Park is like picnicking in an alternate universe.
CHAVEZ RAVINE ARBORETUM
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L.A. PARKS
LA PARKS
In this fetching 10-acre park at the southern tip of Los Angeles, you’ll find barbecue pits and picnic tables, as well as a manmade pond and gazebo.
AVERILL PARK
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L.A. PARKS
The beautifully manicured grounds are the ideal place to unroll a blanket under a cedar tree and take in the Hollyhock House.
BARNSDALL ART PARK
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TONGVA PARK + KEN GENSER SQUARE
This former parking lot is now a tidy and futuristic park that’s a welcome departure from a sandy picnic at the nearby beach.
TONGVA PARK + KEN GENSER SQUARE
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MARCEL FUENTES/GETTY IMAGES
The viewpoints from the park’s bluffs let you see all the way over to Catalina & there’s a long trail that leads down to a pristine beach.
ABALONE COVE SHORELINE PARK
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WHEEL FUN RENTALS
In the Valley, we love lounging on a blanket near the 27-acre lake and watch the people paddling by on rental swan boats.
LAKE BALBOA PARK
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SILVER LAKE RESERVOIR
A 2.5-acre manicured stretch of grass butting up against the Silver Lake, across from a wild meadow, this quiet pocket park welcomes small groups.