Patch Picks: Prime Picnic Spots in Lakeville

Each week, Lakeville Patch will run a weekly feature called Patch Picks, highlighting editor and reader picks of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, and ways to spend a day off.

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The temperatures are rising (finally) and the landscape is greening up. It’s time to shed the parkas and enjoy the outdoors without having to worry about frostbite. The Lakeville area has a wealth of parks that can be enjoyed year round, but the warm weather makes them especially inviting for gathering with family and friends around the picnic table. Join in the fun with others or find your own personal picnic spot surrounded by solitude. This week’s Patch Picks can find you both.

: The popular park on the shore of Lake Marion has something for everyone. Swimming, fishing, playground, volleyball, horseshoes, outdoor grills and picnic shelters, Antlers Park has it all. A shelter is available to reserve from the city’s Parks and Recreation department for larger gatherings. The park has ample picnic tables spread throughout under mature trees for shade.

: Enjoy the gazebo-style shelter or larger indoor facilities available through the Parks and Recreation department. Ducks, geese and other wildlife can be seen on the park’s many trails and along the lake. The eagle’s nest is a popular trek from the picnic grounds. The park also has many hidden picnic tables spread along the trails that provide smaller groups of hikers a great spot to enjoy a meal.

Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve: There’s not a traditional picnic shelter, but the wilderness reserve just outside of Lakeville offers more than 18 miles of hiking, horse and mountain bike trails. Strap on a pack and search out your own quiet spot to spread out the goods and enjoy the scenery.

: It may be one of Lakeville’s smaller bodies of water, but Valley Lake Park packs a lot of fun into its small size. Two picnic shelters are available to rent from the Parks and Recreation department along with other regular use picnic areas. A swimming beach and fishing pier let you enjoy the water and playground equipment will help keep the little ones busy if all else fails.

Beach: Another gem in Lakeville’s park system. The park features walking trails, swimming beach, fishing pier and restrooms. Picnic tables line the lakeshore and provide a great base of operations to enjoy the outdoors close to home.