With summer here and the kids out of school, now is the perfect time to get together with friends and family for a picnic.

DeKalb Extension Service Director Jessica Hill said picnics are a great family activity, but she urged people to keep their food safe.

“People can enjoy picnics, but they don’t want unwelcome guests, like bacteria,” she said.

“The basic thing is keeping perishable foods cold to keep bacteria from growing.”

Ms. Hill also said picnickers need to make sure all leftovers are put away immediately after the meal.

She said anything left out for two hours needs to be thrown away. If the temperature is 90 degrees or more, food needs to be tossed out after one hour.

DeKalb County offers several scenic locations that are perfect for a picnic.

Here are five:

Brook Run Park

This county-owned park has about 100 acres in the heart of Dunwoody.

Though it does not have a lake or as many wooded areas as other parks, Brook Run has playgrounds, multi-use fields and a skate park, which makes it attractive to many residents.

“There are a lot of different things to do here; something different for kids of all ages,” said Dunwoody resident Nicole McAluney during a recent picnic at Brook Run with her children and friends. “And there is a lot of shade, which is important in this heat.”

Brook Run Park is at 4770 N. Peachtree Road in Dunwoody.

Murphey Candler Park

This DeKalb County park, at 1551 W. Nancy Creek Drive, has something for the whole family.

The 135-acre park has a variety of sports fields, multi-use fields, hiking trails and a lake where fishing is allowed. The lake is surrounded by benches and picnic tables, perfect for a picnic.

Stone Mountain Park

For an $8 parking fee, DeKalb residents can spend the day at Stone Mountain Park.

The parking fee gives visitors access to the park’s nature trails, museums and nightly laser show.

Picnickers typically set up in the grassy viewing area in front of the park’s namesake mountain, and get the perfect view of the carving of Confederate Civil War heroes Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis.

Henderson Park

Though not as big as Murphey Candler Park, Henderson Park has 114 acres of land offering soccer and tennis courts, a playground, nature trails, picnic area and a lake.

The park is at 2803 Henderson Road in Tucker.

Lake Avondale

This body of water, just south of downtown Avondale Estates, offers DeKalb residents a quiet and serene place for a picnic.

The lake is between Berkley Road and Lakeshore Drive in Avondale Estates.

The city also has a club house on the lake that can be rented for events.