There are few things better than a lovely picnic with your family. Spending time in a beautiful natural setting while enjoying a meal, and maybe some recreation before or after, is a great way to spend an afternoon with the ones you love. Getting outdoors and giving your kids time away from their screens is also a bonus. It provides your whole family time to connect and spend quality time together.
You have many options when searching for the perfect picnic spot around Leawood, Kansas. Our Crème de la Crème team invites you to explore eight great spots for picnics around Leawood.
City Park
The central park of Leawood, City Park, located at 10601 Lee Blvd., has something for everyone. This 66-acre park includes six lighted tennis courts, two baseball fields, 11 soccer fields, two sand volleyball courts, three basketball goals, a new playground, jogging trails, an aquatic center, a dog park, and more. The park is also home to three pieces of public art: “Lllooppi,” “For the Goal,” and “Run Red Run.”
When it comes to picnicking, you can’t beat this park. You can reserve the East Shelter House, A, and West Shelter House, B, together, offering six picnic tables and two grills, with a drinking fountain and restrooms nearby. The shelters can hold approximately 48 people. You can also reserve the East Gazebo, C, and West Gazebo, D, together and have four picnic tables, two grills, and two 20-amp duplex outlets. These shelters are near a drinking fountain and restrooms and can hold a party of about 32.
The Lions Shelter, E, is the largest, with 12 picnic tables, two grills, and six 20-amp duplex outlets. It’s conveniently close to the playground, drinking fountain, and restrooms, accommodating about 100 people.
Tomahawk Park
Tomahawk Park, located at 3951 W. 119th St., has a picnic area with four picnic tables and shelters. You’re also welcome to picnic in any open spaces on the grass. The park also has ball fields and a playground with youth and toddler swings. You’ll also discover access to the nearby Tomahawk Creek Trail, which has amenities and picnicking possibilities.
Tomahawk Creek Trail
Tomahawk Creek Trail, located at College Boulevard and Tomahawk Creek Parkway, follows the path of Tomahawk Creek as it winds through the suburbs of Overland Park and Leawood. There are ponds, a covered pavilion, a few picnic tables, benches, and water fountains. Some bird watching is available here, primarily ducks and geese, with some blue heron sightings. As you take in a lovely sunset, you may also see some deer, beavers, and hawks in the evening.
I-Lan Park
The I-Lan Park, located at 12601 Nall Ave., is a 10-acre park dedicated to Leawood’s sister city in I-Lan, Taiwan. The structures in the park all have a Taiwanese flare, such as scrolled carved wooden benches, a Taiwanese garden and pagoda, and an archway sculpture called “Cloud Gate.” The park is a lovely spot for a picnic, with two shelters available.
One shelter pavilion includes its restrooms, and the other has a grill. While one of the shelters is first come, first served, you can reserve the other in advance. The park also has four picnic tables and a 20-amp duplex outlet. There’s open green space if you wish to have a blanket-style picnic. In addition, you’ll discover a playground for the kids, open play space, and the park connects to the Leawood trail system on the east and the Overland Park trail to the west.
Brook Beatty Park
Brook Beatty Park, located at 8646 Lee Blvd., is a small neighborhood park but packs a lot into less than an acre. There’s a picnic table, benches, a playground, a water fountain, a dog bowl, and a bike rack. There’s also a public art piece, the sculpture “Faith.” If you’re looking for a quiet little spot, this might be your picnic destination.
Gezer Park
Gezer Park, at 13251 Mission Road, highly values its relationship with Leawood’s sister city in the Gezer Region of Israel. This park spreads over 10 acres, where you’ll find two shelters for picnics. The West Shelter has four picnic tables, one grill, and a 20-amp duplex outlet. It holds around 32 people. The East Shelter has four picnic tables, one 20-amp duplex outlet, and also accommodates about 32 people. Gezer Park has a walking trail, Havdalah garden, playground, restroom, ceremonial fire pit, and more. It’s also home to two public art pieces: “Stones and Steps” and “Harvest Tablet.”
Leawood Park
If you want to picnic with your pup, head to Leawood Park at 106th and Lee Boulevard. There’s an off-leash area for your dog to run around and play, and you can set up a picnic outside the fenced-in off-leash area. There aren’t any picnic structures here, but this is the spot if you want to picnic on the lawn and have a day out with your dog.
Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
An approximately 20-minute drive from Leawood brings you to the 300-acre Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at 8909 W. 179th St. in Overland Park. It’s a gorgeous place to see all the flora and plant life. The Arboretum is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and contains a variety of landscapes, including an open prairie, which is a perfect spot to set up a picnic blanket. You can also tour meticulously crafted gardens and take a wild hiking trail.
The botanical gardens are a place of wonder throughout the seasons, with colorful wildflowers dappling the hillsides and flame-colored hues of persimmon and sumac throughout the grounds.
Ready To Pack Your Picnic Basket in Leawood?
The Crème de la Crème of Leawood team hopes this list has given you some ideas for your next picnic with your family. Our city has many beautiful parks and trails to enjoy a day out with the kids. Are you searching for the best in daycare, child care, and preschool in Leawood? If you are, we’d be happy to answer any questions and set up a tour of our early learning center of excellence. You can call us at 913-439-5242 or schedule your tour online.