Look Rock Picnic Area

Look Rock Picnic Area is a seasonal, 51-site day-use area on Foothills Parkway West in the park’s western section. It’s a good place for lunch beneath the trees. The sites have picnic tables and charcoal grills, and the National Park Service notes views of Foothills Parkway from the area. The broad Look Rock panorama is at the separate observation tower, reached by the nearby Look Rock Trail.

Bring charcoal if you plan to use a grill: the provided grills are for charcoal, and wood fires aren’t allowed. The picnic-area restrooms are seasonal; drinking water at the sites isn’t confirmed. Pets are allowed on a leash and can’t be left unattended. The area generally opens from late April into late October, but dates change each year, so check the current park schedule before planning a stop.

This picnic area opened in 1965, the day after the Walland-to-Look Rock section of Foothills Parkway opened. It was part of the Mission 66-era investment in park facilities along the outer edge of the park. Look Rock had drawn visitors before the parkway: guests of Montvale Springs Hotel made a roughly three-mile journey to the 2,657-foot viewpoint. The hotel dated to 1832 and burned in 1933.