Picnic spots in Palo Alto

Palo Alto is an easy town for a picnic. The weather is dry for most of the year, the parks are clean and shady and a good sandwich or a bag of farmers market fruit is never far away. On a sunny Saturday the lawns at Rinconada and Mitchell parks fill with birthday parties and family groups, while the foothills offer quieter spots under the oaks.

This guide covers the best places to picnic, which sites you can reserve, how the city's booking system works and the rules for Foothills Nature Preserve. Details come from the city's picnic reservations page and group picnic application. Fees change, so we do not quote them here.

How picnic sites work in Palo Alto

The rule is simple. Reservations are required only at the group sites in Mitchell Park and Rinconada Park and at the Oak Grove group site in Foothills Nature Preserve. Every other picnic site in the city's parks, including the rest of Foothills, is first come, first served.

For a small group that means you just show up. For a birthday party or a company picnic on a weekend, booking a group site is worth the effort, since popular tables fill early.

Booking a group site

The reservable group sites at Rinconada and Mitchell parks are open to Palo Alto residents, organizations and companies, with proof of residency required. The process works like this:

1. Book early. Reservations open up to six months in advance. A resident may reserve one group site per day.
2. Allow lead time. Book at least 10 business days, about two weeks, before your date. Later requests may be accepted if a site is free, but those come with no refunds and no alcohol.
3. Apply. Use the city's picnic availability website or the group picnic site application linked from the reservations page.
4. Add permits. If you plan to serve alcohol, submit an Alcohol Use Permit form with the application. The application also calls for a certificate of insurance naming the City of Palo Alto as additional insured, due five days before the picnic, or the reservation is cancelled.
5. Pick up the packet. Collect your packet on the Thursday or Friday before the rental. It includes the reserved sign, a copy of the permit and waste sorting kits.
6. Post the sign. Put the reserved sign at your site on the morning of the picnic.

Since August 17, 2026 the city adds a non-refundable 2.75 percent service fee to card payments. Cash and checks avoid it.

The group sites range from small to large. The city's application lists maximum occupancies of 40, 50, 60, 90 and 110 people across its sites. Ask staff which site fits your headcount when you book.

Rinconada Park

Rinconada Park at 777 Embarcadero Road is the classic central Palo Alto picnic park. Big shade trees, open lawns and playgrounds make it a natural choice for families. The reservable group site is called the Sequoia site. A newer picnic area sits behind the Junior Museum and Zoo near the playground, which makes it easy to pair lunch with a visit.

The park is walkable from downtown and Crescent Park. Rinconada Pool is next door in summer and the Lucie Stern Community Center is across the way. Parking is shared with the museum, the library and the pool, so it can be tight on busy weekends.

Mitchell Park

Mitchell Park at 600 East Meadow Drive is the best bet for a big group in south Palo Alto. It has four reservable group sites: Pine Grove, Redwood, East Meadow and Arbor. The Magical Bridge Playground, designed so children of every ability can play together, is the draw for families. Adobe Creek runs along the edge of the park and the library and community center are next door.

Foothills Nature Preserve

For a picnic with a view, drive up Page Mill Road to Foothills Nature Preserve. Lawns and tables around Boronda Lake and under the oaks near the interpretive center make some of the prettiest picnic spots in the region. These are first come, first served. The Oak Grove group site is the one area that needs a reservation.

The preserve has its own rules and they matter for picnickers:

• Entry fee and cap. The city charges a daily vehicle fee and limits how many people can be inside at once. The gate may close on busy weekends. Groups holding picnic reservations do not count toward the cap.
• Group size. Groups of 25 or more need a permit or reservation.
• Fire. Wood fires are allowed only in the Towle campfire ring with a permit. Smoking is banned on trails.
• Dogs. Leashed dogs are allowed on weekdays only.
• Wildlife. Do not feed the ducks at Boronda Lake or the wild turkeys on the lawns.
• Hours. The preserve opens at 8 a.m. and closes at sunset. The last car enters 30 minutes before closing.

The Baylands

The Baylands Nature Preserve has picnic tables and barbecues near the nature center and the Duck Pond. They are first come, first served for groups of up to 24. Sunset picnics here are memorable, but the preserve closes at sunset and the wind off the bay can turn a warm afternoon chilly fast. Bring a windbreaker and weigh down your napkins. Keep any grilling to the barbecues provided.

Other good spots

• Stanford's Oval. The big lawn at the head of Palm Drive in front of the Main Quad is a favorite spot for students and visitors to sit on the grass. There are no reservable tables, so bring a blanket.
• Pearson-Arastradero Preserve. A good place for a simple trail snack with a view. Fires and barbecues are not allowed, so bring a cold lunch and pack out everything you bring.
• Neighborhood parks. Most small city parks have a few tables and a patch of lawn. They are first come, first served and rarely crowded on weekdays.

Some preserves, such as Esther Clark Park, have no tables, water or restrooms at all. Plan accordingly.

Picking up supplies

The best picnic food comes from the farmers markets, which run year round on California Avenue on Sundays and downtown on Saturdays. For cheese, bread and deli counters, see our guide to groceries and specialty food.

Frequently asked questions