5 Great Family Picnic Spots in Charlotte, NC

One of summer's favorite family activities is picnicking. Picnics can be simple or elaborate. Whether you opt for a simple picnic of sandwiches, chips, and cookies or a more elaborate picnic of roasted chicken, cheese and French bread, the Charlotte area has several wonderful picnic areas for you and your family:

Freedom Park. Freedom Park brings back some great memories for me. I remember many picnics in Freedom Park when my kids were small. What's so great about this park is that there is so much to do before and after your picnic. There is a big lake with a sidewalk surrounding it. This is perfect for a nice walk before or after your meal. Kids will enjoy skating or roller blading. There are a lot of open grassy areas as well that are perfect for tossing a Frisbee or a football. You can also throw a blanket down and have your picnic instead of the traditional picnic table. There is a playground for the kids and the park is right beside the Charlotte Nature Museum. You and your family can walk over there right from the park.

McDowell Park. McDowell Park has 1,115 acres consisting of playgrounds, picnic areas, 7 miles of hiking trails, and a campground. McDowell Park is situated right on Lake Wylie. Some of my favorite memories of picnicking are at this park. The picnic areas are located in private areas, in wooded areas right on the walking trails. There are also places to picnic right beside the water.

Marshall Park. Marshall Park is located in uptown Charlotte. It has 5.43 acres and a 1.24 acre pond and provides a lovely respite in the middle of the city. If you prefer a picnic in the city, this is a great spot for you. You can picnic in a beautiful, scenic spot and still have a view of Charlotte's beautiful skyline. After a picnic in the park, you can head with your family for a walk in the city.

Pineville Lake Park. This park is located right on the outskirts of Charlotte in Pineville, NC. The focal point of the park is the lake. Situated around the lake is a sidewalk, bench swings, picnic tables, and a playground. There are also 2 large covered picnic shelters. For those who prefer a picnic on a blanket, the park offers plenty of grassy spots to throw down your blanket and picnic beside the lake. My kids always loved this park, and the nice thing about it is that the kids can eat a bit and go play on the playground and still be in your sight.

William R. Davie Park. This park consists of 117 acres, and the great thing about this park is the fact that it has a dog park included. This is great for families with dogs, because not only can they picnic, they can go to the huge fenced-in dog park and let their pooches run free. The park also has soccer fields, softball fields, a volleyball park, and horseshoes. My family loves going here because we can talk our dogs and they have just as much fun (or more fun) than we do.