Sherwood Forest Park

The Arboretum. A staple in my park list, and one of my favourite places to hang out if I’m feeling a bit over it all.
I’m lucky enough to be able to go mid-​week at any time, when there aren’t too many people, and looking out over the winding Brisbane River across to Fig Tree Pocket on a mid/​late afternoon is one of the most enjoyable things you can do if the weather is nice and the sun is shining.
During the early mornings, it’s home to the Sherwood Forest Runners, a group of locals who like to do cross country together socially. In the afternoons it’s the families with their children and people with dogs who need to let off a little steam. A great mix, and everyone looks after the park very well, haven’t ever seen piles of rubbish or bottles left behind in the many times I’ve been.
There is also a lovely little board-​walk that meanders down the side of the river for you to stroll down if you so choose.
Plenty of seats, bins, picnic tables, playground equipment, flat expanses of freshly mown grass, running/​bike paths and toilets are all here. Parking is plenty in the on-​site car park, or on the surrounding streets; I’ve never had any issues here.
The only downsides to the Arboretum are the bloody midges/​gnats obviously due to the proximity to the river and the little ponds that are around the place.

My Dad used to bring me to this park when I was a kid, and so it had been an extremely long time between visits, but feeling a bit nostalgic I dragged my husband along here for a picnic recently.
Sherwood Forest Park or Sherwood Arboretum as it is otherwise known is enormous. It has plenty of wildlife (for those bird watchers), a huge pond, river frontage with a boardwalk and plenty of amenities ie BBQ facilities, tables, playgrounds for littlies, toilets and water taps.
Its tucked out of the way so most visitors are likely locals, but I am sure it does get packed on weekends. Luckily its so big there is plenty of room for everyone.
The only negative was trying to find a spot for a picnic where the grass wasn’t too long… mowing obviously doesn’t occur that regularly, but this is a minor whinge. Oh and noisy jetskis on the river if you are on that side tend to disturb the peace a little.
I love this place and look forward to many more picnics here.

I had never heard of this place until my father suggested I join him and his partner for a wander around this park. This park is a bit of a mission to get to for anyone who does not live in the area but is worth the car mileage as it is a great place to hang out, have a picnic and roam around.
I was not expecting much from this park but as soon as I entered the park, I realised how beautiful it was. There is something very serene about it, that instantly puts you at ease (so corny, I know). The park is very spacious too making it perfect for any picnic parties, it would be a lovely place to jog or walk around.
When I visited the place, I even noticed people fishing from the deck over the Brisbane River, I doubt they would have caught anything good but they looked like they were having fun and enjoying the views.
If it wasn’t for its inconvenient location, I would visit this park more often as it really is a beauty.

Sherwood Forest Park holds hours and hours of entertainment (hopefully ending in total exhaustion and an early bedtime) for the kids. All the necessary amenities are here: carpark, huge shaded playground, undercover bbqs and tables, toilets and plenty of grass for picnics. The park is enormous, tucked away in the backstreets of Sherwood and edged on one side by the Brisbane River. Being so hidden its quite unknown except to those who live in the area so doesn’t usually get too busy.
There is a large duck pond populated by all sorts of birdlife, sometimes including cute fluffy ducklings that the kids will shriek over, that are quite willing to eat any stale bread you may have lying around the house. Space abounds all around, making it perfect for boisterous games of cricket or football without having to worry about stepping on a stray toddler. At one end of the park, there’s a row of giant trees just asking for hugs and games of hide and seek.
Its an ideal spot for big family bbqs, kids partys or just a visit to get stir crazy kids out of the house.

If you like taking your kids to parks with playgrounds aren’t guaranteed to be crawling with kids already, this is one of the secret parks you can still get a spot in. There are many trees around and 2 main sheltered areas with plenty of tables. There is also a boardwalk type play area and a rather large general swing and tyre play area about 20 meters away from the tables. Mostly under shelter too for those hot days.
Bring sunscreen, a picnic blanket and some bug spray for hotter days, but mostly it’s quite breezy if you’re lucky. What I love about this park is that it’s situated in the middle of Sherwood Forest, where Robin Hood lives. Okay… there isn’t a Robin Hood living in this forest, but we’re still on the lookout for him and his men. Or my single friends are anyway. There are plenty of dads here with kids, and I keep having to tell them, it’s not okay because these ones are probably taken.
Besides from the nice atmosphere, there are also BBQ facilities, toilets and lots of bins in case you want to orchestrate a kids birthday party here. There is a pretty big carpark and on the weekends there is usually a coffee van parked in one of the slots for your caffeine needs early Saturday morning.
I love this park because it’s hidden away and not that many people know where it is yet, for those mums and dads out there looking to take their kids outdoors somewhere for free, maybe have a picnic… this is a pretty good hidden gem of a park really close to the city. Not really that super close to public transport, but it’s definetely driveable.