When you want to take the family out for a picnic in the Goodyear, Arizona, area, you’re in luck. Except for the hot summer months, Goodyear’s climate is ideal for picnicking. Whether you want to pack your own food, pick up take-out from one of Goodyear’s local delis, or grill up some protein and vegetables, check out these six great spots for picnics around Goodyear.

Goodyear Community Park

Plan to spend the entire day with the family and the dog when you bring a picnic to Goodyear Community Park located at 190 N. Litchfield Road in Goodyear. This multi-use park features something for everyone including your furry friend. Before enjoying your meal, the family can play tennis or basketball, toss the ball around on the sports fields, or have an invigorating game of sand volleyball.

The older kids can try their moves at the skate park, and your dog can play with other canines at the dog park. During the warm months, let the little ones cool off in the splash pad. Enjoy having your picnic in the covered pavilion, under a shady tree, or fire up the grill under the gazebo. Goodyear Community Park is a great place to hold a birthday party or other special family event with plenty of parking, clean restrooms, and lots of drinking fountains.

Evelyn Hallman Park

“Evelyn Hallman Park – Tempe, Arizona” licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr by Dru Bloomfield – At Home in Scottsdale

Take a day trip to the lovely town of Tempe and discover the beauty and peacefulness of Evelyn Hallman Park. It’s easy to spend the entire day at the park with its large lake perfect for fishing in, hiking trails to explore along, and plenty of places to have a picnic. This 4-acre park is popular for urban fishing as well as hiking and jogging on the path that encircles the lake. The park sits on the east side of Cross Cut Canal whose waters feed the manmade pond.

Aspiring anglers can fish for a variety of species including rainbow trout, largemouth bass, carp, channel catfish, and sunfish. Kids can enjoy burning off energy at the playground while waiting for the food to cook on the grill. Once lunch is ready, enjoy the picnic on one of the many shaded picnic tables. You can find Evelyn Hallman Park at McKellips Road and College Avenue in Tempe.

Estrella Mountain Regional Park

Just a few miles south of the city of Goodyear lies the gorgeous and diverse Estrella Mountain Regional Park. This nearly 20,000-acre park is the first regional park in all of Maricopa County, established in 1954. Whether you want to go hiking, ride your horse, or fish along the shores of the Gila River, you can find all of these amenities at Estrella Mountain Regional Park. Spend the day hiking the 8.7-mile Pederson Trail or the shorter 2.4-mile Baseline Trial to look for wetland birds or bighorn sheep in the nearby mountains.

You’ll also find ball fields, a playground, and a 65-acre grassy picnic area to enjoy your meal. A good way to spend a relaxing afternoon is to set up blankets and lawn chairs in the shade, have a picnic, and afterward, have your child read one of the books that they checked out of the Goodyear Library. Estrella Mountain Regional Park is located at 14805 W. Vineyard Ave. in Goodyear.

Avondale Friendship Park

Located on the banks of the Aqua Fria River lies the lovely Avondale Friendship Park. There are miles of hiking trails, a pond that has colorful ducks, a seasonal splash pad, numerous ball fields, and plenty of places to have a picnic. The family can play tennis together, throw sticks for the dog at one of the two dog parks, or stroll along the paths. There are lots of shaded areas for a picnic including covered pavilions with picnic tables and barbecue grills.

Make sure and pack your angling equipment so the kids can try their hand at catching fish at the community fishing pond. Fish species that live in the pond include catfish, trout, bass, sunfish, and bluegill. Please bring a fishing license and abide by the daily bag limits set forth by the state of Arizona. You can find Avondale Friendship Park at 12325 W. McDowell Road in Avondale, about six miles northwest of Goodyear.

Aleppo Park

Once your family has visited one of the many cool educational destinations near Goodyear like the Arizona Museum of Natural History or the Arizona Science Center, they will enjoy playing outside at Aleppo Park. This 4.35-acre park is a quiet retreat from the city and has a soccer field the kids can run around on, a sand playground area, multiple slides, and a covered traditional playground.

After a fun day of playing sand volleyball, settle into one of the covered picnic areas to share a nutritious, yet fun family meal together. On a pleasant afternoon, you can set up lawn chairs and blankets on the open grassy place to have your picnic. Head north about five miles to find Aleppo Park at 940 W. Village Pkwy. in Litchfield Park.

Loma Linda Park

Have your kids try out their geocaching and navigational skills at Loma Linda Park located at 400 E. Loma Linda Blvd. in Goodyear. The 8-acre Loma Linda Park has plenty of open space to hide treasures that they can find as well as a lovely walking path to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. The large trees planted throughout the park provide shade to relax under or while you’re walking or playing. You’ll find a large playground area, tennis courts, ball fields, and covered picnic tables to enjoy your meal at.There you have it, Creme de la Creme Goodyear’s recommendations for wonderful places to have a picnic in the area. Which location is your family’s favorite? Was there one that the kids liked the most? If you know of any other hidden gems to have a picnic nearby, feel free to drop us a line and let us know so we can add them to our list.