During the warmer temperatures of summer, chances are many Angelinos are going to consume at least one meal outside, what with LA’s parks, beaches and other open-air venues offering a cornucopia of ideal spots for dining al fresco. Sometimes, we just don’t want to deal with the fuss of fine dining and all it brings with it – the dressing up, the reservations, the return to semi-bustling restaurants – and for those occasions, it only makes sense to take advantage of the many beautiful picnic spots in the City of Angels. 

We have gathered up five of the most scenic and pleasant park spaces for picnicking in the Woodland Hills area, so throw on those shorts and tank tops, put the hair up in a ponytail and grab those baskets, blankets and bottles…this is going to be a picnic you and the family will treasure forever.

Serrania Park, located at 20726 Wells Drive, is the perfect family-friendly spot to bring the kids, what with its 2.4-mile hiking trail, walking paths and play area, to say nothing about its myriad of picnic tables and large grassy areas to soak up some vitamin D while enjoying lunch. Have a four-legged friend that wants to come along? It’s no problem at Serrania Park, where expansive patches of green beckon the most outdoors-y of pooches. Located just south of Ventura Boulevard in the heart of Woodland Hills, Serrania offers plenty of parking and even more sunshine when the great outdoors comes calling.

Warner Center Park/Warner Ranch Park, located at 5800 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, is open Monday through Friday from dawn to dusk and on Saturdays and Sundays from dawn to dusk, and is hands-down one of the top go-to spots in the entire Woodland Hills area for Angelinos looking to pack up a picnic lunch/dinner, blanket and chairs so that they can take in incredible live musical performances. Redefining the “concert in the park” concept, Warner Center has played host to a myriad of talented tribute bands that pay homage to such legends as Abba, Earth Wind and Fire, Journey and Bon Jovi, while fascinating wildlife frolics amidst the trees and shaded spots of the park area. This is the perfect spot for picnics, birthdays and other family gatherings.

Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, formerly known as Ahmanson Ranch, is located at the western end of Victory Boulevard and boasts more than 5,600 acres in the Simi Hills at the western edge of the San Fernando Valley, the entire space part of a critical ecological linkage and wildlife corridor between the Santa Monica Mountains and the ranges to the north. A great place for a weekend hike, picnic or to just get some fresh air, Upper Las Virgenes Canyon offers wildlife seekers some of the most exquisite views of beautiful and rare species, a list that encompasses coyotes, birds, frogs and snakes – all of which call this place home.

Alizondo Drive Park, located at 22103 Alizondo Drive, is open Monday through Friday dawn to dusk and Saturdays and Sundays from dawn to dusk, and boasts a unique cactus farm and other intriguing elements that allows it to stand apart from other Los Angeles area facilities. A great place to take the family for an afternoon or early evening picnic, Alizondo Drive Park offers a relaxing and calm respite far away from the honking LA traffic just beyond its borders. 

Corbin Canyon Park, located at 4720 Corbin Avenue in Los Angeles, is a less-visited pocket of Topanga State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains, the 328-acre parcel stretching into the range from neighborhoods in Tarzana and Woodland Hills. The canyon itself boasts a variety of vegetation, while 360-degree views of the Santa Monica Mountains and San Fernando Valley offer one of the most dramatic backdrops you’ll ever experience for a picnic, so if “something different” is on the agenda, Corbin Canyon Park will more-than-do. 

Many activities claim to be the “Official Sport” of Los Angeles – searching for parking after sundown, horrifically appalling improv, constantly keeping up on where the Rams and Chargers are moving – but with the city’s year-round warm weather, abundance of public parks and infinite number of inhabitants who always happen to look good, the answer is clear: LA is a picnic town.

When it comes to Woodland Hills, the aforementioned parks will definitely make the perfect summer picnic all that more special.