Bucks County, PA Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Personal grills
- barred park-wide
- Camp stove exception
- designated camping areas only
- Propane tank limit
- over 1 lb needs written approval
- Ordinance ticket
- $25 to $100
- Summary fine
- up to $600, 10 days jail
Summary
Bucks County bars personally owned grills from its parks under Section 9.12(C)(2), except a camp stove used in a designated camping area. Any propane tank over 1 pound needs the Director's written approval before it can be used anywhere in the Park System. The rule sits inside the fires section of the Park System Rules and Regulations, Ordinance No. 170 as amended by Ordinance No. 174.
2. Using camp stoves in areas designated for camping. Propane tanks in excess of 1 lb. shall not be used within the Park System without written approval from the Director. With the exception for camp stoves above, personally owned grills may not be used within the Park System.
Full Breakdown
12(C)(2) governs propane and personal cooking equipment in Bucks County parks. It permits camp stoves only in areas the county has designated for camping, and it flatly states that, apart from that camp-stove exception, personally owned grills may not be used within the Park System. The same subsection adds a numeric trigger for propane: any tank in excess of 1 pound cannot be used within the Park System without the Director's written approval obtained in advance. 12(C)(1), or Director-approved use of a larger propane tank with a camp stove in a designated camping area.
12(A), (B), (D) and (E), which bar burning unintended materials, scattering lit ash or cigarettes, and leaving any fire or heat source unattended or not fully extinguished. Section 13 gives Park Police authority to enforce the section, and Section 12 sets the penalty: a summary conviction can draw a fine up to $600 plus restitution and up to 10 days in jail, or the Department can issue a $25-to-$100 county ordinance ticket instead, with the added possibility of expulsion from the Park System for six months to two years.
Violations & Fines
Using a personally owned grill or an unapproved propane tank over 1 pound in a Bucks County park is a summary offense under Section 12(A): a fine up to $600 plus restitution and up to 10 days' imprisonment. The Department can instead issue a $25-to-$100 county ordinance ticket under Section 12(B), and the Director can expel the violator from the Park System for six months to two years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring my own propane grill to a Bucks County park?
How big a propane tank can I use in a Bucks County park?
What is the fine for an illegal grill in a Bucks County park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bucks County
Compare Bucks County to another location·View the Pennsylvania outdoor cooking overview
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