WATERLOO REGION — The sun is shining, the clouds are puffy in a gorgeous blue sky. It's summer, and there's no better way to enjoy these halcyon days than to go on a picnic.

There are dozens and dozens of places in Waterloo Region to enjoy a pleasant meal al fresco. Some of them are well-known: centrepiece parks such as Kitchener's Victoria Park or Rockway Gardens, Riverside Park in Cambridge or Waterloo Park. These places are justifiably famous for their gorgeous landscaping and gracious settings.

But there are plenty of other spots around the region that are lesser known but equally delightful: hidden gems that offer a chance to explore a part of the region, discover a new favourite hiking spot or a quiet refuge from the busyness of life.

The Record offers a selection of suggestions of lovely spots to enjoy an open-air lunch or a tasty supper on a warm summer evening. Check them out: you might find a spot you've never ventured to before, learn a bit of local history, spot some wildlife or a meadow of wildflowers nodding in the sun.

Pack up some classic picnic food: cold fried chicken, hard-boiled eggs, some easy dips and a thermos or two of cold lemonade or iced tea.

1. Pilkington Overlook. This one's a bit of a cheat, since it's in Wellington County, but it's only a couple of kilometres past the regional border. The overlook offers breathtaking views of the Grand River Valley and the surrounding rolling hills. Take Regional Road 23 (Katherine Street) north out of Winterbourne; it becomes Wellington County Road 21. There are informal trails down to the river, and a single picnic table if you take the westerly trail, but a picnic blanket might be a good idea. You could take in the nearby West Montrose covered bridge on the way.

2. Floradale. This picnic spot offers a chance to visit a quiet Mennonite community with no less than two shops selling home baked goods. The picnic ground is grassy and shaded, with washrooms, tables and a picnic shelter. There are walking trails on both sides of Woolwich Reservoir, beside farm fields and through pine woods. Take Regional Road 19 off Listowel Road in Elmira to Floradale. You can park on Ruggles Road or at Bonnie Lou's Café, then cross the main road and go down the embankment. The picnic spot is on the other side of the footbridge.

3. St. Jacobs Dam. This is a shady, peaceful spot beside the Canagagigue River, with the burble of water as it cascades over the dam. You can fish, canoe and there is an easy hiking trail across the road that leads into St. Jacobs, says Naomi Moore, watershed resources project co-ordinator with the Grand River Conservation Authority.

All three of these picnic excursions offer great country drives, with the chance to pick up fresh produce, eggs or cut flowers from Mennonite farms.

4. Laurel Creek Nature Centre. The nature centre offers great trails through the woods and wetlands near Laurel Creek, as well as a top-notch bullrush-lined pond filled with frogs, offering hours of fun for children. There's an observation tower to climb, a dock into the wetland and lots of water birds. The centre is closed to the public weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., when it is used for day camps. Outside those hours, it's open and free, with plenty of parking and picnic tables.

5. Kolb Park is tucked between the Grand River and busy Victoria Street, and has a small parking lot off Centennial Court in Kitchener. The Walter Bean Trail offers opportunities for a longer walk along the river. The park, a former gravel pit, has two ponds with plenty of fish and diverse wetland plants. "It's very peaceful here," said Matt Martin of Kitchener, who was fishing there recently with his son, Xander, and friend, Peter. "That's why we like coming here." There are garbage cans, but no benches or tables, so bring a picnic blanket.

6. Lakeside Park is an oasis of calm in the city, with Shoemaker Pond and its many water birds and basking turtles. The pumping station, which dates to 1912, is a heritage property. The site is where the first municipal wells were drilled to supply what was then the Town of Berlin with clean, fresh water. The park features a grassy area with gnarly old willows, a playground and benches, but just one picnic table. Walking paths connect to other nearby parks, and parking is available at 20 Greenbrook Dr., or at a small lot off Lakeside Drive.

7. Huron Natural Area. This haven in south Kitchener offers a variety of trails and boardwalks through wetlands, meadows and forests. Laura Derksen of Waterloo likes to take her young daughter there, because the hike is an easy one for a toddler. "There are lots of people, but it never feels crowded," she says. It's a full-service park, with washrooms, plenty of parking, and wide paths suitable for strollers or bikes — the paved path is wheelchair accessible. The park entrance is at 801 Trillium Dr.

8. Willow Lake Park is a peaceful spot on the site of what was once Adam Ferrie Jr.'s five-storey grain mill, where Schneider Creek flows into the Grand River. The creek was dammed in the early 1800s to power the mill, creating a lake that was a popular swimming spot. The lake is gone, washed out by a 1968 storm, but there are traces of the mill that could serve as a romantic backdrop for photos. The park connects with walking trails along the Grand, but bring a blanket as there are no picnic tables. You can reach the park on Old Mill Road at Pinnacle Drive in Kitchener. There's limited parking along Old Mill.

9. Moyer's Landing in Cambridge is a shady spot by the banks of the Grand, where canoes can slip into the river. Interpretive signs explain the history of the spot, and you can see the footings of the 1913 Blair bridge. There's plenty of parking and benches, but no picnic tables. If you want to combine a hike or cycle with your picnic, walk over the river on Fountain Street to reach the hiking trail into Cambridge. The well-marked entrance to the park is off Fountain, just east of the river.

10. Central Park in downtown Preston offers a more urban type of picnic site, with a formal square surrounded by historic buildings, a turn-of-the-century gazebo, and the chance to take in a concert on a summer evening, or a farmers' market on Thursday mornings, June to October. The park is at King Street and Argyle Street in Cambridge.

11. Riverbluffs Park is a real find, a full-service park tucked beside the Grand River in Galt. You can dine under tall trees, admire Galt Collegiate looming like a medieval castle from the other side of the river, explore trails along the Grand, and enjoy the wildflower pollinators' garden. Entrance is at 251 George St. N., at James Street, in Cambridge.

12. Cambridge Sculpture Garden is a little-known slip of a park with several sculptures, some permanent and some temporary, scattered through a beautifully landscaped space beside the Grand. There are benches and tables, but no washrooms. You can park at Barnacle Bill's fish and chips shop, and even pick up your picnic there. The park at 47 Grand Ave. S. is accessed at the south end of the restaurant lot.