The CVT is a rail-to-trail (the historic railroads story is interesting here too). Wheel Passes are…read morerequired on the trail ($7 daily/$30 season passes)-pedestrians, wheelchairs & strollers are exempt. Lots of nice hiking & biking on this trail along the Cannon River. The CVT extends from Cannon Falls to Red Wing, with great connections to other trails (Goodhue Pioneer Trail, Mill Towns State Trail, Cannon Falls City Trail). No pets are allowed on the trail (but I have witnessed dog walkers there).

Gorgeous trail. Ran here after work on a Wednesday and essentially had the trail to myself! The…read moreleaves have just started to change down there, and the views were really beautiful. I'd like to come back soon to try biking it, since it is a very long trail and I can only get so far running (it's a taper week so I didn't go far). So if you're a biker and are looking for a quiet, pretty trail, this seems to be the place!!

Absolutely beautiful park. Went jet skiing with my family there and had a great time. They have…read moreplenty of parking and lots of shaded seating to get a break from the sun. The beach part is just gorgeous too. Water is pretty peaceful. On a non windy day like this, it was easy to ride the jet ski around. There was a decent sized separated area to go swimming in, which sd enjoyed. I loved that there was a playground and also a small splash pad nearby. My toddler loved it. Definitely plan to be back some day to explore more of the park, as we were mainly on the water.

Came for a few hours for hiking, which was great! The kids played in the splash pad area for a few…read moreminutes, they almost didn't get to use the splash pad because we couldn't figure out how to get it running, it started going after we started walking away....other than that it is a unique design. The beach was good size but I don't recommend swimming, the water is nasty green and scummy.

This has got to be one of the most fun parks I have taken my boys to in awhile!…read more There is free street parking and a small parking lot down the street. This park has all kinds of things to climb, swing and explore but it also has... TOYS!! What kind of a park has toys!? The best kind of course!! As far as what is surround the playground, it's wood chips and the vast majority of the playground it wood. The entire playground is fenced in with only one way in and out, truly a parents dream haha!! There is a big sand pit to the left and alllll kinda of trucks, push toys and things to ride! There are several benches and picnic tables as well! This was a clean and well maintained park! If you are in the area, it's definitely worth the stop!

I know this place as "Wood Park". As in "Can we go to Wood Park, please please please ...". After…read moreall, its made mostly of wood. But to the city of Rochester and the kind people that made it happen, its know as the Field of Fun. Its located just a hop and a skip from the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial. This park is small, but is a great place to take younger children. The play area is enclosed so they cant stray to far. There is a separate area for the toddler set with toddler sized play gear. For the 4-8 crowd there are more advanced slides, poles, and other climbing do-dads (even a climbing wall). There are even some picnic tables up front. if you were 4, wood it get any better than this?

Despite being in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Rochester has ZERO natural lakes. So strange, isn't it?…read moreSilver Lake is a man-made lake. I guess due to the scarcity of natural water, the Canada Geese here flock to this park to enjoy the water and the delicious, tender grass. Seriously, I've never seen this many geese swarming before. They're quite docile, unless they're nesting. Anyway, the trail to make a look around the lake is very nice. You pass by a playground, and a lot of benches to take in the view. Public washrooms are very near the walkway. If you're into something different, Silver Lake Boat & Bicycle Rentals will let you rent out paddle boats, kayaks, single person bikes, tandem bikes, child bikes and even child trailers so that you have multiple ways of enjoying this park. You even pass by multiple informational panels so you can get some learning in on the way.

Although this place is amazing, very beautiful, but this place is so shady and so insecure for…read morepeople last night when we went there with the family the moment we parted, there was a huge bunch of people who came in different cars mostly African-American. People are not US based Somalians or somewhere from that side of the country Because I could not hear them talk properly. They were dealing with illegal drugs and the park was so dirty and nasty that you could see used condoms all over the place. If you're going with the family I strongly recommend you avoid this side of the park because it's not very safe. We feel really insecure and left that place although the park is very pretty we could have stayed longer, but we didn't feel safe with the amount of people coming in there with the law-enforcement can make rounds in this area. They can have a good check on what's going on in there

Multi-use trail (biking, hiking, skating, horseback riding & mountain biking on the side of the…read moreasphalt trail, snowmobiling), stretching 12.5 miles from Pine Island to Rochester. Relatively flat (an abandoned Chicago Great Western Railroad spur) with an unpaved natural trail alongside it. Wonderfully shaded and scenic views! Trailheads in Rochester and Pine Island with plentiful parking. Named after the tiny town of Douglas, it is a great spot to stop and explore the Douglas Saloon & Social Club. This is a free State Trail and worth checking out!

An absolutely lovely early fall experience! I was looking to see some fall leaves, and while I was…read morea bit early coming the final week of September, I was still entranced by the beauty of this place. (For sure going to have to come back again some time in late October for more of the brilliant colors, but I got some!) I hiked a total of 7.6 miles over the course of the afternoon, and I have to say that hiking the majority of this park is possible in one visit if you have the time and stamina. I went up Hidden Falls Trail first to visit the waterfall, which I would say is an absolute must-see if you visit here. It's close and it's stunning. Great for photo ops. From there I kept going northwards along the Fawn Trail to the Hope Trail Loop, then resumed Fawn Trail to Beaver Trail which took me to White Oak Trail. All of these were lovely, traipsing through the lush woods. I found myself stopping frequently to look up and admire the leafy canopy far above my head. If I paused, I could hear the breeze moving through the branches. This place is far enough away from it all that you don't hear any road noise or human city noises, which is wonderful. I chose to go a bit further, crossing the road so I could also try out the trails on the southern end of the park, including Maple Trail Loop, Basswood Trail, and Fox Trail. These lower routes had a different vibe to them... more grasslandy; there were still trees, but there were fewer of them and some were bare/dead. So if you're seeking a bit more sun/less shade, these trails might be preferable. It looked like there was some restoration going on in this area, as I noticed many young saplings that were protected by a giant straw-like device. While many of the northern trails had a gravel path, the southern trails seemed more like mowed grass. Before leaving, I also enjoyed the playground up by the parking lot. There's cute nature play "equipment" made of wood as well as a bunch of swings. These swings are pretty high off the ground... I had no issue with scraping the ground even with my adult-length legs, lol. In this area is also a gazebo with many picnic tables under it, as well as a sink and electrical outlets. This is also where the restrooms are located. They were still open late September! (But I also noticed a pit toilet further up that's likely open year-round.) There are also plenty of additional picnic tables and barbeques, as well as a water fountain, spread out in the grass under the trees in this area, so there's lots of places to select from. I was unfortunately there when the Visitor Center was closed (Tuesday) so I did not get to go inside to check it out. Perhaps next visit I'll be able to go, because I often like to purchase a patch or pin as a memento (and to support the park system). I'd read on the website that the parking lot for this place was small and thus they advised arriving early to ensure a spot. This turned out to not be an issue on a Tuesday. They have camp sites and group camp sites. I didn't check them out on my day hike, but I'll admit to being curious about camping here in the future.

Such a pretty hidden nature spot and honestly worth wandering around. The waterfall itself is…read morereally cool, but what I loved most was exploring all the little details around it--flowers growing by the creek, dripping mossy rock walls, interesting trees, and just the peaceful feeling of being tucked away in the woods. We definitely climbed around and explored more than expected The waterfall is beautiful from different angles, and if you like taking photos, there are a lot of fun spots and textures to capture. Depending on the time of day, the sun makes the water sparkle which looked really pretty. It felt peaceful, relaxing, and like a nice little escape without needing some huge hike. Definitely bring decent shoes if you plan to explore near the water or rocks because it can get slippery. Would absolutely recommend if you enjoy nature, photography, or just finding quiet pretty places.

A smaller state park by acreage but still full of beauty. Over Memorial Day weekend there were…read morestill plenty of wildflowers even if the big boom of bluebells had passed. Parking lots are at the trailheads and the vault toilets were cleaned and well taken care of. Very pleasant!

A beautiful State Park in the state system with well marked hiking trails and absolute peace and…read morequiet. Enter on well maintained dirt roads and pick up a map at the self-serve kiosk as there is no headquarter building. The beauty of the trails is found along the north branch of the Whitewater River. There is a year round trail in an outer ring for snowshoeing. Expect primitive toilets and a water station. Plenty of camping lots and a large picnic area. There are some surprise picnic areas along the trail with views of the river.

Great place. Nice pic nic, great concerts, very clean. Will be back to rent a paddle boat.read more

Since retirement, my wife and I would bring our young grandchildren here for a stroll every…read moremorning. Very peaceful here and I truly enjoy the scenery. The kids love the playground here.

Best way to spend my birthday out snowshoeing with friends! The trails here are very scenic with…read moreviews of the Mississippi, and lots of wildlife to boot. Definitely worth the trip especially if you are visiting nearby Red Wing. My only criticism would be that the maps along the trail didn't have a "you are here" marker, but that went away once I figured out each intersection being assigned a letter. Will have to come back in the warmer seasons for a hike and/or camping trip!

Beautiful trails, very nice campsite and gorgeous bathroom/shower facilities! It was our first time…read morevisiting and we enjoyed the family-friendly atmosphere. A very easy and beautiful drive from Rochester, perfect for a weekend getaway!

Great park with really nice scenic walking routes. Great little bridge to over the water. Very…read moreclean and lots of parking. Definitely a beautiful spot to visit.

A fantastic little 1.1mi loop around a lake in Eagan. This park also features an impressively sized…read moregazebo with picnic tables, fire pit, restrooms (seasonal), grills, trash/recycling, and even concrete cornhole. There is a children's playground as well with a wide variety of features like swings, climbing walls/ropes, diggers, slides, spinners, and more-- you and/or your kiddos are gonna have lots of fun here. The playground is on gravel. There's also a volleyball court with sand, and lots of open grassy space to kick or throw about a ball. Seriously excellent amenities. The trail has inconsistent surfaces-- some of it is paved, other parts are dirt and gravel. Just something to be aware of (it wouldn't work well for skateboarding or rollerblading, for example). There are a couple docks you can fish off of or just sight-see from. A wooden bridge across the lake makes for excellent photographs. There is also a boat ramp (walk to, not drive to). The parking lot is pretty large with many spaces.