As we welcome the warmer summer days this season, we want to highlight a handful of grills that are available for public use in Minneapolis parks across the city for your next summer BBQ! You can find the full list of parks with grills on Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s website here, along with information to reserve picnic shelters and a list of picnic areas that are first-come-first-serve.
#1. Wabun Picnic Area at Minnehaha Regional Park
Wabun picnic area is located within Minnehaha Regional Park and offers a family- friendly picnic and grilling area. It showcases beautiful views up and down the Mississippi River and is home to four picnic shelters, a wading area, playground, disc golf, and multiple trails to explore. There are seven reservable picnic areas here – six covered and one uncovered.
#2. Ceder Lake Park
Cedar Lake is one of the smaller lakes in our magnificent Minneapolis Chain-of-Lakes and commonly less crowded than those to the east. With a public grill available at Cedar Lake East Beach and three unique sandy beaches to dig your toes into, this BBQ outing will definitely give you classic summer vibes. Please be aware of some long-term road closures in this area before planning your visit.
Images Courtesy of MPRB
#3. Gluek Park
As the site of the former Gluek Brewery and mansion, the park features a grill, large picnic shelter, and two river overlooks. It is a small, peaceful park with benches to sit and relax and also boasts a sloping hill, which leads down to the Mississippi River and showcases beautiful sunset views over the river.
#4. Annie Young Meadow in Riverside Park
Annie Young Meadow is a small park area located right along the Mississippi River shoreline. Riverside Park offers a more secluded feeling with multiple grills with picnic tables alongside each that are available first-come-first-serve. It is also located adjacent to the Franklin Terrace Off-Leash Dog Park for those with furry friends.
#5. Lake Nokomis
Lake Nokomis offers a plethora of park and lake activities, from beaches and playgrounds, to sailing, and lakeside grilling, located at the Lake Nokomis Main Beach. The social atmosphere around Lake Nokomis creates an exciting location for the whole family (plus some!).
Images Courtesy of MPRB
#6. Boom Island Park
The lovely Boom Island Park is a staple for summer grilling. This large, riverside park features three large picnic shelters available to reserve, along with a playground, a boat dock, restrooms, and ample walking/biking paths. The park itself offers an array of different landscapes and plenty of area to set up your own blanket and chairs for an outdoor feast if you don’t want to reserve a picnic shelter.
#7. Webber Park
Webber Park’s most notable attraction may be the Webber Natural Swimming Pool, which is a chemical free pool with multiple depths for swimming and diving options, as well as a zero depth entry for accessibility. Just off shore from this natural swimming oasis are public grills and picnic tables for an afternoon of BBQ to satiate those post-swim appetites!
Images Courtesy from MPRB