Designated Barbecuing Areas

Barbecuing Rules

Please be cautious when barbecuing and keep a safe distance from patrons, children, and trees. Be courteous to others and please clean the area carefully before you leave. Events involving more than 20 people require a special events permit.

Our rules prohibit:

• Littering and dumping of debris
• Propane
• Barbecuing in non-authorized areas
• Barbecuing next to trees, tree roots, or buildings. Please keep ten feet or more away from any structures.
• Any type of open, ground, or camp fire. Please barbecue at least three feet off the ground.
• Barbecuing by anyone 18 years or younger

Cleaning Up

All coal and matches must be disposed of in designated red barrels. Please do not place anything flammable in a regular litter barrel. Use water to extinguish hot coals. Improperly dumped coals or matches can do major damage to our parks.

Know Before You Go

Van Cortlandt Park

Due to construction at Broadway and West 242nd Street, the entrance near the subway is closed. Please access the park at the stairway adjacent to the public comfort station (Broadway & Manhattan College Parkway). There is an accessible entrance at the end of the block. The barbecuing area at Van Cortlandt Park has temporarily been moved behind the Nature Center. For more information on the progress of this construction project, please visit our Capital Project Tracker page.
Anticipated Completion: Summer 2020