7 Picnic Spots in Durham With Breathtaking Views

We can’t explain it — everything just tastes better outside. From fields of flowers to lush scenic areas, Durham has many spots where you can sit back and enjoy the good stuff. We’ve compiled a few of our favorite places to picnic with breathtaking views, so you can enjoy the sights and sounds of nature with your meal.

1. Beneath Durham’s city skyline

Pick up sandwiches from Parker and Otis or empanadas from Boricua Soul and eat underneath the historic Lucky Strike water tower on the American Tobacco Campus lawn. In addition to restaurants and retail shops, the restored historic tobacco factory also has cozy spots by the flowing river, surrounded by manicured trees, shrubs and historic brick buildings.

2. In an impressively manicured garden

There’s nothing like enjoying a meal, surrounded by an array of stunning flowers. Head to Sarah P. Duke Gardens, one of the premier public gardens in the United States, to ooh and ah at more than 55 acres of carefully curated plants. Visitors often sunbathe and picnic on the grassy lawn in the Historic Gardens. (Don’t forget to pack up your picnic trash afterward and dispose of it in appropriate receptacles.) The gardens are currently undergoing renovations under The Garden Gateway Project, but you can still visit them for a picnic. Just make sure you check the website before leaving to make sure you go to the correct entrance.

3. Beside a rushing river

Bring your favorite meal and eat beside a small rushing river at West Point on the Eno as water splashes against rocks and boulders. The 404-acre park is free to guests and includes five miles of scenic trails with three historic buildings. Guests can hike, fish, and rent covered picnic facilities. Pro tip — stop by any one of the awesome taquerias on North Roxboro Street on your way to the river to add some tacos to your picnic.

4. Under old-growth trees

With a massive grassy lawn and impressively large trees, Forest Hills Park is a beautiful spot for an afternoon picnic. The city park has restrooms, tennis courts, grills, picnic tables and a playground, so it’s a wonderful place to picnic with a date, your kids or your friends.

5. On a boat

You don't own a boat? No problem. Rolling View State Recreation Area at Falls Lake offers boat, kayak, paddleboard and canoe rentals. Lounge on the sandy beach, hike the wooded trail and then float the day away with a meal in a boat.

You can also rent several different kinds of boats at Lake Michie (pronounced Mickey), including kayaks, canoes, and motorboats. Bring a packed picnic lunch and find your gleaming reflection in the water — just try not to fall overboard.

6. On a College Campus

Get a taste for college life in Durham and have a picnic on campus. Wooden benches, green grass, massive trees, and a gazebo. Duke’s East Campus is full of picnic areas just waiting for you to discover. Take a walk around the popular trail, and then find a spot where you can enjoy your meal and people watch.

7. At Durham Central Park

Order food from The Durham Food Hall or pack your own to enjoy at Durham Central Park. On either side of Foster Street, you'll find plenty of green space to throw out a blanket and kick back. After eating, kids can enjoy the interactive, ADA-accessible children's plant area, the playground, and the pixel wall while teens can tear it up at the skatepark. Central Park has some fun for adults too. It is part of the Bullpen, Downtown Durham's social district, which means adults 21 and up to enjoy alcoholic beverages from participating businesses outside at their picnic.

The grass is always greener when you’re sitting on it. We hope this list of spectacular spots helps you get out and plan your next picnic.