13 Virginia Picnic Destinations Paired With Takeout You Will Drive For
Think picnics are just sandwiches in a sad paper bag? Think again. Virginia isn’t just history and beaches.
It’s a full-on snack paradise, where rolling hills, secret riversides, and sun-drenched parks are practically begging for a gourmet takeover.
Imagine this: a perfectly crispy baguette, decadent pastries, or the kind of fried chicken that makes your neighbors jealous… all paired with a view that could crash your Instagram feed. This isn’t “grab a blanket and hope for the best” territory. Nope.
These are destinations worth driving for, detours worth taking, and bites worth savoring with every single scenic backdrop. By the end of this list, your car’s GPS might as well be a food compass. Pack your napkins, prep your appetite, and get ready to picnic like a legend.
1. Spelunker’s Frozen Custard & Cavern Burgers To Big Meadows Picnic Grounds
Start the engine for a burger run that ends with mountain sky. Spelunker’s Frozen Custard & Cavern Burgers sits at 116 South St, Front Royal, VA 22630, just before the climb to Skyline Drive.
Order a cavern burger stacked with melty cheese and a mountain of crinkle fries, then say yes to vanilla or chocolate frozen custard that tastes like childhood on a spoon.
Point the car toward Big Meadows Picnic Grounds at Skyline Dr (Mile 51.2), Shenandoah National Park, VA, where the plateau opens like a theater stage. The meadows roll out in soft green waves, and deer sometimes drift along the edges like quiet extras.
Snag a picnic table or unroll a blanket where the breeze is honest and the views are easy to love.
Unwrap the burger and let the steam meet that cool high-country air. Fries stay crispy if you pop the lid and give them a little oxygen while you drive, a trick I learned after too many soggy mistakes.
The custard waits in a chilled bag or nestled with an ice pack, ready to crown the moment like a simple, perfect finale.
Walk the meadow paths and watch clouds drift over the Blue Ridge, each one a lazy punctuation mark. If the sun decides to dip early, the open horizon turns copper and lavender, a color palette best enjoyed with a spoonful of custard.
Keep an ear on the leaves and a hand on the last fry, because the wind here loves a souvenir.
2. Moby Dick House Of Kabob, McLean To Great Falls Park
Tell your appetite to hold on, because the river is about to roar. Moby Dick House of Kabob in McLean lives at 6854 Old Dominion Dr, McLean, VA 22101, and it grills kabobs with the kind of char you can smell from the parking lot.
Grab juicy chicken or lamb, a pillow of saffron rice, smoky hummus, crisp salad, and enough pita to scoop like you mean it.
Roll a few minutes up the same road to Great Falls Park at 9200 Old Dominion Dr, McLean, VA 22102, where the Potomac explodes into whitewater drama. The overlooks hang above cliffs, and the sound is half thunder, half heartbeat.
Find a picnic table tucked near the woods or spread a blanket where the trees filter sun into little coins.
Open the clamshell and watch steam ghost into the cool air while the rapids keep time. Rice fluffs back to life with a gentle toss, and kabobs taste even more honest when the breeze carries cedar and river mist.
That tangy sumac and the kiss of grill smoke make the view feel earned, like you leveled up lunch.
Walk the trails after the last wedge of pita, following the path to the main overlooks for a panorama that refuses to be casual.
The water rushes around jagged islands, and you realize the picnic was really a front row ticket. On the ride back, the car smells like char and adventure, which is pretty much the goal.
3. Good Stuff Eatery, Crystal City To Gravelly Point
Good Stuff Eatery, Crystal City anchors 2110 Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA 22202, flipping juicy burgers and milkshakes that hit like a happy drum solo. Bag a Spike’s Sunnyside, rosemary fries, and a marshmallow shake if you like your dessert fluffy and loud.
Point yourself to Gravelly Point along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Arlington, VA 22202, where planes skim in low and the Potomac lays out like a runway of light. The grass stretches wide, and the city peeks from across the water.
Set your blanket with a view line to the flight path and prepare for a show every few minutes.
Crack open the burger and listen to the bun sigh a little, then chase with fries still perfumed with herbs. Shakes ride fine if you wrap them in a towel and let them nap in the shade, waiting for that perfect flyover.
Each landing whooshes overhead, and you instinctively pause mid-bite, like someone just turned the page of a big glossy magazine.
The skyline makes a sharp backdrop, and the sound never feels obnoxious, just wonderfully cinematic. Pack up with a final sip and a quiet grin, because this picnic plays in stereo.
4. TASTE, Hilltop To First Landing State Park
Beach day, but make it deli-chic. TASTE in Hilltop posts up at 1554 Laskin Rd, Unit 110, Virginia Beach, VA 23451, where the menu reads like a love letter to sandwiches.
Order the Hilltop with turkey and house dressing, snag crunchy chips, and do not skip a brownie that tastes like summer camp nostalgia.
From there it is a quick cruise to First Landing State Park at 2500 Shore Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23451, where cypress knees meet salt air and the Chesapeake Bay keeps its cool. Trails wind under pines, dunes shift softly, and the beach unfolds into shells and gentle waves.
Pick a picnic table off the Cape Henry Trail or settle right into the sand.
Unwrap the sandwich and let the paper crinkle like applause. The bread holds up to travel, still soft with just enough backbone, while the dressing hums with bright sweetness.
Chips stay loud, brownies stay fudgy, and the entire bag smells like a good decision.
After the last crumb, wander the boardwalks through the maritime forest and watch sunlight scatter through needled canopies.
The water stays kind to swimmers, and the shoreline invites you to linger way past your plan. By the time you brush off the sand, the cooler is lighter and the day feels properly seasoned.
5. Duck Donuts, Virginia Beach Blvd To Mount Trashmore Park
Sunrise and fresh donuts are a combo you can’t skip. Duck Donuts at 3030 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23452 whips up joy on demand, topping it with cinnamon sugar, maple drizzle, or the classic glaze.
Grab a dozen, toss in some coffee, and turn your car into a rolling bakery.
Mount Trashmore Park waits at 310 Edwin Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23462, all rolling hills, lakeside paths, and fresh air with a wink.
The big grassy slope makes an excellent donut stage, and the breeze keeps frosting in line. Pick a quiet spot near the water and trade bites while the sun climbs.
Crack open the lid and watch the heat curl into morning. Cake donuts here are tender inside with a cheerful outer snap, and toppings hold their own without sliding into sticky chaos.
The trick is simple: eat the warmest first, then chase with coffee like a friendly drumbeat.
Circle Lake Trashmore, climb the hill for free cardio, and watch kites brighten the sky. Breakfast plus fresh air?
Always a win. Stash the last napkin and grin, weekend officially won.
6. Taste Of Smithfield To Windsor Castle Park
If you mix small-town charm with a river breeze, you get Taste of Smithfield, 217 Main St, Smithfield, VA 23430. Ham biscuits, peanuts, slaw, and a jar of mustard?
Yes, please.
Windsor Castle Park unfolds a few minutes away at 705 Cedar St, Smithfield, VA 23430, with boardwalks hugging the Pagan River and meadows that wave like a welcome. The historic manor watches from a hill, all storybook and shade trees.
Pick a picnic table near the kayak launch or settle into tall grass with dragonflies for company.
Open the biscuit box and marvel at the salty-sweet alchemy of cured ham against tender bread. Peanuts bring the snap, slaw brings the cool, and the mustard sneaks in a happy spark.
Every bite feels like a postcard, a short note that says wish you were here but I am not sharing.
Stroll the loop trails and pause on the bridges where the river widens into a slow mirror. Herons sometimes stalk the edges, and the wind scribbles little patterns on the water.
When you circle back, there is probably one last biscuit waiting, which feels like winning twice.
7. Carrot Tree Kitchens, Yorktown To Yorktown Beach
History loves a good lunch break, and this one comes frosted. Carrot Tree Kitchens in Yorktown holds court at 323 Water St, Suite A-2, Yorktown, VA 23690, where the chicken salad is plush and the carrot cake is basically famous.
Grab pimento cheese, biscuits, and cake slices that lean tall with cream cheese swirls.
Wander a few steps to Yorktown Beach at 331 Water St, Yorktown, VA 23690, a sandy ribbon along the York River with the Coleman Bridge framing the horizon. The boardwalk hums with footsteps, and the water keeps its glassy cool.
Set up near the rocks for a small cove feeling without losing the view.
Unbox the lunch and start with the chicken salad on a biscuit, because soft meets savory is the right opening move. Carrot cake comes next, forks sinking into spice and walnut texture with soft frosting clouds.
Lemonade turns the whole scene brighter, like someone adjusted the saturation of the day.
Walk the shoreline to catch the bridge lifting moods as boats slip under, then circle back to claim the final bite.
Waves speak in small syllables here, never rushing the conversation. By the time you pack up, the frosting has settled and the afternoon has too.
8. Proper Pie Company To Maymont
Could a flaky crust and a sprawling lawn really lift your mood? Yes, they totally can at Proper Pie Company, 2505 E Broad St #100, Richmond, VA 23223.
Pies with buttery exteriors and singing fillings make a haul irresistible: steak and cheese, mushroom and gruyere, lemon curd… plus one daring choice for good measure.
Point yourself to Maymont at 1700 Hampton St, Richmond, VA 23220, a gilded-age estate turned fantasy park with hills, gardens, and quiet water tucked into green pockets.
Lawns slope for ideal lounging angles, and stone paths lead to the Japanese Garden like a polite secret. Choose a shady patch where the maples lace sunlight into patterns.
Crack open the boxes and let the steam say hello. Savory pies keep their flaky confidence even after the drive, and the lemon curd brightens everything like a friendly spotlight.
Forks clink, crusts shatter, and the whole picnic feels like a little theater with a pastry plot.
After the last buttery crumb, wander toward the Italian Garden and count the fountains with a slow grin.
The mansion stares grandly but never intrudes, and the hills invite you to roll back down if you are that kind of playful. Pack the empty boxes, carry the day lightly, and save the park map for round two.
9. ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque To Belle Isle
If smoke is your love language, prepare to blush. ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque fires at 3201 W Moore St, Richmond, VA 23230, and the aroma basically waves you in from the street.
Order moist brisket, a rib or two, vinegar slaw, and pickles that pop like punctuation.
Belle Isle waits across the pedestrian bridge at 300 Tredegar St, Richmond, VA 23219, an island of flat rocks and river rhythm in the middle of the James. The water braids around boulders, and the skyline floats behind the trees like a sly cameo.
Bring a sheet pan or cutting board for a makeshift table on the granite.
Open the butcher paper and watch the smoke halo lift into open air. Brisket melts with a peppery bark that means business, and the pickles wake everything up.
White bread does its quiet job, catching drips and offering soft contrast to char.
Finished your feast? Wander the loop trail, pause where the river hisses and sunlight turns the water into shiny coins.
Cross the bridge, tote in hand, smelling like barbecue bragging rights.
10. Alamo BBQ To Libby Hill Park
This is the overlook that taught me to time sunsets. Alamo BBQ holds down 412 N 25th St, Richmond, VA 23223, turning out pulled pork and tangy sauces that mean it.
I grab cornbread, mac and cheese, and collards because balance is a plate you can actually eat.
From there it is a quick coast to Libby Hill Park at 2801 E Franklin St, Richmond, VA 23223, where cobblestones whisper old stories and the skyline stacks neatly across the river. The hill gives the city a postcard frame, and the breeze edits the heat.
Park benches and grassy terraces make it easy to settle into the moment.
Flip open the boxes and let the evening take a seat. Pork pulls into tender ribbons that catch sauce like they were designed for it, and the mac brings cozy richness.
Cornbread offers sweet structure, and collards add a bracing note that turns the whole thing refined.
As the sky warms to peach and amethyst, you can trace the James by the way the light pools. The city hums below, a soft soundtrack that never competes with your fork.
Pack up with a last look that always lasts longer than you expect.
11. Dixie Bones BBQ To Leesylvania State Park
Dixie Bones BBQ sits right by the Potomac, where views meet sauce-smeared fingers. At 13440 Occoquan Rd, Woodbridge, VA 22191, the ribs glint with a hush-worthy sheen.
Pulled pork, slaw, and crisp hushpuppies complete the feast.
Drive to Leesylvania State Park at 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr, Woodbridge, VA 22191, where the river opens wide and the pier points like a compass needle.
Picnic tables dot the woods, and gentle trails sneak down to the shoreline. The air tastes like pine and brine, a small promise of calm.
Open the feast in the shade so the sauce does not get bossy. Ribs tug clean from the bone, and the pork folds into sandwiches with a quick swipe of slaw.
Hushpuppies go fast, so declare a treaty before the box is mysteriously lighter.
Take the boardwalk near the pier and watch water flirt with the sky. The breeze tidies up the afternoon, and when you leave, the cooler hums a smoky daydream all the way home.
12. The Blue Ridge Pig To Raven’s Roost Overlook
Mountain curves plus a roadside legend equals a stop you feel in your shoulders. The Blue Ridge Pig lives at 2198 Rockfish Valley Hwy, Nellysford, VA 22958, and the sandwiches radiate woodsmoke confidence.
I grab pulled pork, sliced pork, and a side of beans that taste like a campfire secret.
Raven’s Roost Overlook waits on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 10.7, Lyndhurst, VA 22952, with views that drop into a patchwork valley.
The guardrail becomes your counter, and the boulders work like café seating with better altitude. Hawks sometimes skate the wind here, tracing lazy circles above your picnic.
Unwrap the sandwich and let the sauce find its way while the horizon stretches your attention. Meat holds heat well under butcher paper, and chips add the salt-crunch chorus.
The beans go bold and sweet, perfect between bites when the sky starts doing dramatic things.
As the sun leans west, the valley turns layered like a watercolor stack. The wind can be bossy, so keep napkins anchored under the chip bag.
When you finally put the lid back on the cooler, the air has already done its work.
13. Spartans Family Restaurant to Burke Lake Park
Lakeside calm pairs well with tzatziki confidence. Spartans Family Restaurant stands at 9542 Burke Rd, Burke, VA 22015, serving Greek American comfort that knows how to travel.
I grab a gyro, Greek salad, and fries because sometimes classic is exactly right.
Ten minutes later, Burke Lake Park waits at 7315 Ox Rd, Fairfax Station, VA 22039, a shady circuit of water, trails, and whispering pines. Picnic tables line the shore, and the loop trail wraps the lake like a quiet conversation.
Boats slide by in slow motion and turn the scene into an instant exhale.
Open the bag and let the gyro perfume drift into the trees. Warm pita, garlicky tzatziki, and ribbons of seasoned meat make a persuasive argument, while the salad brings crunch and briny feta sparks.
Fries stay lively if you vent the box and attack them early.
Walk the shoreline after lunch in Virginia and watch the ripples chase your reflection. The breeze clears your mind, leaving only the simple joys.
Pack up when the sun says goodbye, and promise yourself another picnic lap soon.