With the weather cooling and the scenery stunning, as always, now is a great time to plan a picnic. And if you’re going to all the trouble of filling that picnic basket with special delectables, you’ll want to choose your spot with equal care.

Recently, 5280 magazine listed their favorite destinations:

Mt. Falcon Park, Golden: If you like your picnics with some exercise, pack your food in a backpack and head to this park’s west trailhead. Then take the short hike (0.6 miles) to the Eagle Eye Shelter and enjoy beautiful Turkey Creek views along with your food.

Alamo Placita Park, Denver: If you’ve ever driven by this park on Speer Boulevard, you know why this is a 5280 pick. Its sunken garden beds display some of the most beautiful flower arrangements in the city. Any spot on these 4.6 acres will do.

Harriman Lake Park, Littleton: Just south of Bear Creek Lake, this park offers shoreline spots with park benches and picnic tables. The park also features a 1.4-mile loop trail. Enjoy the lake view for what 5280 calls a “serene waterside experience.”

Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver: You can’t go wrong here, where horticultural experts have created scenes of gorgeous flowers, trees, or water lilies wherever you look. The Gardens offers an expansive lawn and “tucked-away benches” on which to picnic throughout the environs.