Summertime is synonymous with BBQs and if you enjoy grilling and chilling with friends and family as much as we do, you’ve come to the right place. There’s no better way to spend hot summer days than gathering around the grill and savoring delicious BBQ flavors while sipping icy-cold drinks. Whether readying to cook chicken that’s been marinating in secret ingredients for 24-hours or just some simple burgers and sausages, throwing it on the BBQ is the only way to go when it’s above 75 degrees outside.
Take a break from the same-old grilling routine and light up the charcoal at a local park, where recreational activities and outdoor fun are found in abundance. Barbecuing at the park opens endless warm weather possibilities that simply aren’t found at home. We’re talking about throwing 50-yard football passes, eating on spacious picnic tables below the cover of majestic trees, hanging out on the monkey bars with the kids, turning into a volleyball captain for a day, and much more.
Parks with BBQ grills in Boston are difficult to discover, but the prep work is complete. We’ve been on the lookout for great park cookouts and it’s time to take these spots off the heat and serve them up.
Our Favorite Parks with BBQs Grills in the Boston Area
1) Cochituate State Park in Natick
Located in the western suburbs of Boston, this wonderful destination is one of the best for a BBQ at the park. Amenities include a nice little beach on the shores of Lake Cochituate ideal for swimming and relaxing, canoeing and kayaking on three ponds that makeup the lake (boat rentals are available on-site), and spacious green fields providing grounds for fun and games. With a sea of BBQ grills and picnic tables scattered underneath handsome evergreen trees that offer relief from the heat, this summertime hotspot is the perfect place to spend the day with family and friends.
2) Auburndale Park (The Cove) in Newton
Situated on the banks of the Charles River right outside Boston, we’ve already written about this hidden gem for its extensive array of workout equipment – check out our “Get Pumped: Outdoor Gyms in Boston Parks” for more details. What better way to achieve peak physical condition and recover from a strenuous workout than by grilling up some healthy high-protein meats? If that’s what you had in mind, then taking advantage of the BBQ grills, complete with plenty of seating and shade, is the obvious choice for cooking up your post-exercise meal.
3) Cassidy Playground in Brighton
Just minutes from Boston College, this well-liked neighborhood park was extensively renovated a few years ago and equipped with inviting lounge chairs, brand-new picnic tables, upgraded baseball fields, and of course: a double charcoal BBQ grill. Enjoy fine times with a classic game of bocce ball while grilling juicy steaks all while soaking in the sights and sounds of the city on a warm summer night. Centrally located right on the Green Line (wow, walkable to the B+C+D branches) getting here from any part of town should be a breeze.
4) Stony Brook Reservation in Hyde Park
A small forest on the south side of the city, this natural getaway is a nice way to escape the hustle of urban life with a walk through the woods. Kids can enjoy a delightful time at the splash pad packed with exciting spray features while everyone can take a dip in the spacious outdoor pool, both excellent ways of cooling off on sizzling summer days. All these fun activities will work up appetites, and with XL BBQ grills and an abundance of picnic tables in place on the south side of the park, easily cooking up generous portions of burgers and hotdogs will surely leave the entire bunch satisfied.
5) Filippello Playground in Watertown
If you’ve checked out our “What a Goal! Super Soccer Fields in Boston and Beyond” write-up then you already know this outdoor space is a fantastic place to play soccer. We’re here, however, to help you get grilling and this location is a big-time player in the Boston parks BBQ game. With grills of various sizes plus eating surfaces tucked underneath gazebos scattered throughout the park, there’s no better way to cap off intense competition than with a cordial cookout – consider striking an agreement pre-match where the losing team is responsible for cleanup duties.
6) Merrymount Park in Quincy
Plenty of recreational opportunities present themselves at this amazing park in Quincy including top-notch basketball and tennis courts, an amphitheater to practice acting and laughter in front of friends and family, and a beautiful water fountain surrounded by nicely manicured lawns. All these things are great but if it weren’t for the capacious picnic pavilion and impressive brick-layered BBQ grill at its head, this spot would have never been kindled. A little planning may be required before grilling and chilling since a permit is needed from the Town of Quincy to use the cookout facilities.
7) Larz Anderson Park in Brookline
One of the premier parklands in the Boston area, this stunning location is picture perfect from quite a few perspectives all year round. An oasis right near the city, many BBQ lovers would argue Larz Anderson reaches its full potential when the weather gets warmer due to the numerous grills becoming available to ignite. A giant stone chimney, surrounded by even more cooking grates embedded in the fine masonry work, is set in the burgundy picnic pavilion ready to accommodate larger parties. After a filling charcoal-fired meal, consider a stroll around the scenic pond while admiring the water fountain and white swans from the classically inspired rotunda.
8) Greeley Park in Nashua
Since there aren’t many places for a good old-fashioned park BBQ in our fair city and considering the fact that Nashua is in the Boston area, we thought it’d be an excellent idea to include this superb cookout spot in our list. Just shoot up Route 3, cross the New Hampshire state border, and you’ll be well on your way to the smokey BBQ aroma that awaits when you light up the grills at Greeley Park. More than enough picnic tables and a multitude of grills, some very large, line the outer edge of the expansive picnic lawn with an exquisite structure constructed of rocks and a red Mediterranean style roof in the center.
9) Houghton’s Pond in Milton
We’re not fond of picking favorites, but this outdoor paradise is, in our humble opinion, the top park with BBQ grills in Boston. A recreational retreat that makes up part of Blue Hills Reservation, here you’ll find a wide selection of summertime activities to engage in: swimming in the mini lake, lounging on the tidy beach, exploring wetlands from the boardwalk, playing volleyball like a pro, and of course performing grill master duties at one of the picnic sites available to reserve. We recommend taking up a tiring trek on the extensive network of outstanding hiking trails nearby before consuming substantial amounts of delicious grilled meats.
One More Piece of Words
Thanks for checking out our article and grilling an incredible meal…if it was done at the park, then we’ve accomplished our mission. Wherever the cookout went down, we hope you had a great time. Although not starving just yet, our hunger to deliver more amazing parks with BBQ grills in the Boston area will certainly return. With flaming temps coming, finding parks with cooling water activities is easy with the Parkscape app, ready to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. See you soon!
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