Trying to be more intentional about exploring parks around Minneapolis this year, and Hidden Falls…read moreseemed like the perfect place to start. We usually default to Minnehaha Falls across the river, but I'd never actually explored this side--which looks to be really sprawling with new townhomes and modular single family homes. We parked near the dam and walked along the trail to reach the stairs leading down to Hidden Falls. Heads up: the walk down is a little precarious since there's no railing for most of the stairs, but it's not very steep and the trek itself is pretty short. The falls themselves were a bit disappointing at the moment--more of a trickle than a waterfall--but it is early in the season. That said, the forested park area it winds through was really nice, and made the visit worth it regardless. I can already tell this place is probably stunning in the summer when everything is green and flowing! Even with the lower water level, it was a great way to explore somewhere new and great to see there were so many people already exploring the park with it being chilly still!

Beautiful park near the city. Grabbed some take out and found an empty picnic table in the middle…read moreof the day - lots of parking! Watched a few boats launch, saw some geese, enjoyed watching people along the shore. Picnic tables near the water at the North Entrance. Check it out!

The address is a little mislabeled, it will take you to some public school. Back up, about 0.5…read moremiles away from the underpass, there's a little bridge with a parking lot, that's the trail head. The Trail itself is really wonderful. Deep vegetation, a little too many insects but otherwise great. There's a beautiful creek that runs alongside the trail. The animals you'll see the most are dogs that are being walked. It seems to be a favorite among Bloomington locals.

Beautiful park! I went in the winter and between the snowy creek, bubbling brook, and bird noises…read moreit just can't get much better. Yes it's hard to completely escape the road noise, but a small price for a lovely hike so close to the city.

The refuge is a great place to explore nature. There are many trails to hike both short and long…read more The Visitor's Center has a wonderful display and activities. There is also a viewing area where there are bird feeders. A favorite is the turkeys that stop by! The staff here are helful and friendly. They also plan community events that are always fun and educational.

Hooray, I finally came here when the visitor center was open! I've been a couple of times in the…read morepast just to do some hiking on the trails, but I'd never gotten to see the inside as the hours are somewhat narrow being just Wednesday through Sunday. It looked really grandiose from the outside, so I'm unsurprised the inside was quite modern and comfortable. It's comprised of many available seating areas where you can sit and relax (I especially recommend the seating facing the bird feeders, though there's also a cozy fireplace), or simply wander and explore the exhibits they have up with information on them about the history of the refuge, the work its done and is doing, and the animals that inhabit it. This is important work! I'm so glad they're doing it. Unsurprisingly there is a gift shop with expected trinkets such as stickers, pins, patches, plushies, postcards, jewelry, hankerchiefs, and lots of books. So if you'd like to support the refuge and get a little something for yourself, that's a great way to do it. There is additionally an art gallery with revolving local Minnesota artists that take inspiration from nature, an auditorium playing a looped track, and plenty of space for kids to play (including corn hole and giant puzzles). There is a conference room (downstairs) and a community room (upstairs), and considerable office space (not open to the public, obviously). Two water bottle refill stations. Clean bathrooms (separated by gender, but there's also a bonus unisex, accessible one). These folks do LOTS of events throughout the year, most of them completely free to attend (some require RSVP, others don't), so I recommend keeping an eye out for something that interests you. Plenty of free parking is available on site. There are picnic tables around the visitor center, as well as an outlook with binoculars. If you go down along the left side the visitor center, it will take you to the trails if you're here to do some hiking. :)

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.

I liked this park. They had a nice mile loop around the lakes. They have a small free lot.read more

Lovely trail to walk this fall. Very popular so very busy…read more If you don't want crowds during these covid times probably not the best location. So popular that parking can be an issue. They have a long lot and thankfully someone else was leaving when I arrived so I could park in the lot to meet my friend for our outdoor walk and talk. Nice variety of nature- woods, lake, etc. Clear marked trail and nice spot during a less busy time.

Sadly, no bikes allowed :( It's a nice wooded area full of…read moretrails and educational experiences. Great for youngens.

My son absolutely loves this park! Such a cool splash pad and wading pool area for kids and the…read morecommunity to use for free. They also host party on the plaza here during the summer which we've enjoyed. They have music, food trucks, movies in the park, and other festivals held here. During the winter they light up the trees, so beautiful!

Nice park! Seen it on IG a few times and had no idea it was so close to the area I'm in a lot. We…read morewalked over after going to the coffee shop across the street. I like the natural looking splash pad and pond pools. Super nice play area for kids on warmer days. They had places to sit as well which is nice. I will say bring bug spray! The mosquitos are very aggressive near the water. Overall it's a nice water feature. Wasn't too busy when we went.

Pretty cool place! I'm not the kind of person to say 'the air was pregnant with humidity' often,…read morebut that is the impression I got here. Lots of dragonflies dancing about here, some nice views of the Mississippi as well.

What a lovely hidden gem off of Mississippi River Blvd. We…read morefollowed the path up and around the waterfall. We hiked out near the Summit Monument where we hung out looking over the river. Nice place to check out for a short hike.

Hyland Lake Park is one of my favorite places to rent a kayak and fish for bass in the Twin Cities…read more The lake is never too busy and the bass are always biting :) I easily rented a single-person kayak online and walked up to the rental booth to pick up my life jacket and paddle - off I went! There is a nice sandy beach, and other boats available to rent (including paddle boats!) This is a must-stop for your summer itinerary in Minnesota!

Been going to this park for years. The play structure alone is worth the drive! It's taken some…read morewear and tear, though, so some maintenance is in need to bring it back to its full potential. There's a beautiful walking path next to the park and many areas to have a nice picnic! Overall, a great area to spend the day with family/friends!

The facility looks to have a lot to offer. It is really clean and well kept. There is a cozy room…read morewith a fireplace where cutling up with a good book would be perfect. I went and attended a buck thorn wreath making class. What fun! I had never done anything like that before. The instructor and volunteers were great. I hope to attend more activities that are offered.

On a misty summer day, we were looking for a place to walk in nature that had a canopy of trees…read moreover the path. This one was perfect. It was about a 2-mile wood-chipped path around a beautiful lake. The entire area was gorgeous and well kept up. Although we didn't have kids with us, we noticed a large, brightly colored playground area that children would love to explore.

We have been here in early spring and hiked up the hills, pretty steep and into the woods, and then…read morethe kids slid down just on their snowpants. Fun! They have a covered picnic area with 4- 6 tables, lots of playground equipment including an adaptive swing. The kids have gone out on the dock and fished, a small cute lake. This place usually isn't too busy which is nice but in the summer there tends for be local camps using the area, but still plenty of wide open green space for all to share.

After finding Bryant overrun with children, our hiking led us in a direction that somehow dumped us…read moreoff at Lone Lake Park. It was especially cool since we hadn't seen a bathroom since Bryant and their facilities were nice (besides some amateur artist using her permanent marker for evil purposes). Upon my initial look over, I saw ideal picnic shelters, a small playground, and basketball hoops, and of course, a pristine view of the lake and a dock for further inspection (and Instagramming). It isn't a big lake by any means, but the trails around it provide a good shaded hike that are also mildly challenging--my Fitbit sent me a notification I hit 50 flights of stairs climbed from going from Bryant to Lone Lake and back. Clean facilities (water and bathrooms), pretty views, and good trails? Check, check, and check.