Madison's Best Picnic Spots
July is National Picnic Month, so start planning to have as many picnics with your friends as possible. Grab a sandwich from Madison Produce Co., a pizza from Amici Madison or a pastry from the Patisserie on Main, pack your basket and head on over to these picnic-worthy locales! Here’s our roundup of the best picnic spots in Morgan County:
Town Park
After enjoying a day in downtown Madison, get take-out from Wing Nights @ Benny Paul’s and stroll over to Town Park. Lay out a blanket or take a seat at one of the picnic tables to enjoy a picnic in the park. Let the rhythmic splash of the nearby fountain and the soft evening glow shimmering across the grass set the scene while you enjoy your meal. Finish your night by walking over to Scoops to cool down with your choice of 30+ flavors of delicious, handcrafted ice cream.
Hard Labor Creek State Park
If you want more of the great outdoors to explore, head over to Rutledge. Here you can order a bagged lunch directly from the Caboose or grab-and-go a fresh deli selection from Harvest & Honey. From there you may choose to enjoy your meal in the gazebo of the quaint town park or head out for a picnic at Hard Labor Creek State Park, Georgia’s second largest state park. After your picnic, roast some s’mores over a fire, or visit the “Small but Special” downtown of Rutledge to enjoy the arts as patriotic and town hero murals are splashed across buildings downtown.
Madison-Morgan Cultural Center
In the heart of the Madison Historic District, the front lawn of the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center is the perfect place to enjoy a picnic beneath the impressive tree canopy and take in the historic homes that decorate Main Street. After your leisurely lunch on the lawn, make sure to step inside the renowned Cultural Center to learn more about the town’s architecture from the Columns and Cottages exhibit. Or take time to to immerse yourself in the arts by discovering the latest rotating art exhibit, curated seasonally to showcase the creative works of local and regional talent.
Lambert Park
Just north of the downtown Historic District lies Lambert Park, Madison’s newest greenspace. Grab a to-go order and enjoy dinner on the large green lawn surrounded by decades-old pecan trees. Don’t miss a stroll through the park’s collection of public art to meet Morgan the Mule, a life-sized steel sculpture of Georgia’s hardest working animal, or learn more about the area through an intricately carved granite map showcasing Morgan County’s communities, rivers, major roads and rail lines.
Sugar Creek Marina
Take your picnic out on a boat! Put your boat in the water at Sugar Creek Marina where (the real) Buckhead meets the banks of Lake Oconee, grab a fishing pole, and spend your day enjoying beautiful Georgia’s Lake Country.