Crane Park

What can be better than a picnic in the wine country enjoying gourmet delicacies from the Oakville Grocery or Dean and Deluca?
But you need to find a spot to picnic, and most of the wineries do not let you bring in outside food to their lovely grounds even if you buy their wine (Rubicon, V. Sattui)
This park is the perfect locale to rest between winery visits and dine alfresco. It is tucked away from the main road, and somewhat hidden. This is nice because it isn’t crowded, and you are away from all noise and traffic on the highway.
They have nice tables in the shade or the sun, grass fields, a skate park, and even bocce ball courts.

I first became acquainted with Crane Park when attending the Friday morning St. Helena Farmer’s Market. The park is hidden enough that unless you’re looking for it or you know it’s there, you’d probably never stumble upon it (translation: few tourists). Not only is the market impressive, the entire park was very cool! This is not your average community park.
As I turned a corner and spotted the massive wooden play structure, I realized it must be pretty awesome to be a little kid in St. Helena. My dad grew up in St. Helena, but back then they only had rocks and walnut trees to play with. Since the region has become so posh, everything –including the park– has received a serious upgrade.
Speaking of upgrades… they appear to be putting the finishing touches on a 9 – 15 year old boy’s wet dream: a massive, ambling, thoughtfully-​constructed skate park. Did I mention it must be sweet to be a kid here?
For the «mature» St. Helena population, Crane Park is also home to multiple bocce ball courts (beret and red wine not included). I hear there are local bocce teams and that the rivalry is pretty intense!
The basic moral of Crane Park is that there’s something for everybody, so on a beautiful day I highly recommend checking it out! I’ve only mentioned a few of the park’s features– there’s a lot to be discovered here.

A great playground for the kids plus plenty of room to run around and play soccer, baseball, frisbee, volleyball, etc. Tennis and bocce ball if you want to be active. Or if you don’t, shady spots for a picnic or just a place to nap off the effects of your day of wine tasting.
To get there, turn off the highway at the corner where A&W is and when the road comes to a T, turn left. The park will be just behind the school on your left.