Unforgettable Picnic Spots In Elkhart County

Skip the dinner table. Everyone knows food tastes better in the great outdoors. Here are some of our favorite places to unpack the picnic basket.

Island Park, Elkhart, IN colorful playground with slides is surrounded by lush trees, while two people sit at a nearby picnic table.

Lunch on the river

Where else can you be surrounded by natural beauty and a thriving urban center? It’s here at Island Park, where the Elkhart River joins its bigger cousin, the St. Joseph River, in downtown Elkhart. Your picnic will include stunning river views and a pleasant walk across one of three footbridges to get there. Don’t feel like packing a picnic? Being in downtown Elkhart means you’re close to many restaurants and a grocery store.

Quilt Garden,Elkhart colorful flower bed arranged in geometric patterns, surrounded by greenery, with buildings and trees in the background under a cloudy sky.

For people-watching opportunities, there’s Central Green Park nearby. (If you’re lucky, a food truck might be parked when you get there.)

Scenic Elkhart Riverwalk, Elkhart, IN wooden deck, a stone planter, a bright yellow sculpture, and trees showcasing fall colors.

In between Central Park and Island Park is the gorgeous RiverWalk. There are plenty of picnic tables and benches in case you didn’t bring a blanket.

Bonneyville Mill in Bristol, IN beside a calm pond, surrounded by lush green trees and colorful foliage against a clear blue sky.

Meal by the old mill

Start with the beautiful and historic grist mill at Bonneyville Mill County Park near Bristol. You can’t resist snapping one or five photos or more of this slice of Elkhart County history. We don’t know anyone who can resist; it’s just the most-photographed spot around here!

Sunlit Bonneyville Mill County Park in Bristol, Indiana with large tree, wooden bench, and tranquil pond surrounded by greenery.

The park’s majesty doesn’t end with the mill. Over 222 rolling, hilly acres, you’ll find picnic shelters nestled among the trees, hiking trails to delight all ability levels, and a mountain biking trail.

Whimsical Krider Garden oversized mushroom-shaped structure stands in a lush garden, surrounded by greenery and blooming flowers.

Where history and beauty meet

Krider World’s Fair Garden Park is the best of both worlds. It’s lush landscaped gardens, which includes one of the 16 Quilt Gardens in Elkhart County, are a sight to behold. The gardens are also a living tribute to Krider Nurseries, which created most of the garden features for the 1933-34 World’s Fair in Chicago.

Take it all in from the pavilion or meditate by the pond. Either way, you’ll have a wonderful picnic.

Sunny Fidler Pond Park, Goshen, IN featuring a brick storage building, lush green lawn with a cornhole board, picnic tables lining a lake, and leafy trees in the background.

Water views

Not far from the heart of Goshen is a sight that will take you out of the city. Fidler Pond Park’s broad water vistas invite you to stroll its trails, rent a canoe or kayak, or simply enjoy the view from benches lining the shore.