What an incredibly awesome spot, courtesy of the City of Fridley. I was there on a rainy day, so I…read morechecked out the Nature Center itself first. The facilities are honestly quite impeccable. They had a variety of fun exhibits, including a play structure, a comfy spot by the fireplace to read nature books to your kids (or to yourself), building "blocks" (wood pieces), a puppet theatre with plushies, two microscopes with big flat screen TVs to see nature things up close, a bird watching station (with info on how to identify birds), some taxidermy critters, even tanks containing live turtles, snakes, and frogs! Caring for live animals is a task in itself, so I'm impressed they have them here. A couple of the smaller exhibits seemed broken (the one with all the colored lights and the one with the crank for the lightbulbs), but I imagine kids playing with these all day takes its toll. Still, it was super fun! Also inside the building are bathrooms: men's, women's, and family. These were clean and spacious, and even had environmental info in them to read! There was a water fountain and water bottle refill station. Vending machines with beverages and snacks. And pamphlets about upcoming goings-on at the center. Apparently you can also "rent an activity backpack" from the front desk full of fun stuff to inspire exploration along the trails. Outside there is a big picnic shelter with lots of picnic tables underneath it. It also has an inside portion. You can be there and enjoy it whenever, or reserve it for things like birthday parties. Behind that is the Nature Play Area, which is a large playground with nature-themed elements. The climbing structure here was an impressive length, but in particular I liked the giant beaver! I didn't play on any of the equipment just because it was pretty slippery from all the rain. I did however hike all the trails! Yep, all of 'em. The full length of all the trails combined is three miles. I did the outer loop first, then spiraled inward to see the rest, including the two observation points (one has a cool gazebo overlooking the lake!). These'll take you through the woods and over marshland via boardwalk! Lots of picturesque bridges over creeks. So many photo opportunities! I also saw a lot of wildlife: squirrels, frogs, birds. You might also get to see a train rumble by to the west. There is ample signage along all the trail junctions so you never have to worry about getting turned around. Additionally there is an amphitheater and a meditation garden. Unfortunately when I went up to the latter, there was some guy hiding there smoking pot... it reeked! I informed a staff member (because the posted rules DO say no smoking), and he was responsive about the issue. I feel a little bad about tattling, but at the same time, dude, you're ruining other peoples' experiences of the great outdoors! Parking lot seems to be a decent size. I could see it filling up on a day where they have a popular event going on though. I'm definitely considering coming back with a friend for their upcoming Pumpkin Carving days! I'd love to visit again for another hike once more of the trees begin changing color.

Lovely nature center inside the metro! I didn't have a chance this time to go into the visitor…read morecenter but the walking paths in the woods are very nice and secluded. There's some nice ponds throughout the woods that has swans geese and other birds. Theres also a playground near the visitor center. Great place to take your family or little ones for a walk in nature.

Bikeable, walkable park. There are a few run clubs that will run through here. Saw a hand full of…read moreartists painting the trees and lighthouse that really added to the magic of the experience as I stopped had a picnic and enjoyed a charcuterie board.

Great park. Nice and spacious. Historic area next to the Mississippi River. I love looking at the…read morepublic art and taking the walking bridge near De La Salle and to the Hennepin Ave bridge. Fun place to hangout and have parties

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.

First stroll of the season! Overall a good couple mile trail system in the heart of Eden prairie…read more Reminds me a lot of Elm Creek Park in Maple grove with the park and beach overlooking the lake. The trails are nicely paved as well as some gravel and dirt trails if you get deeper into the wooded areas. Concessions, trail maps nice playground for the kids and a nice size beach for the area it's in. Definitely want to come back when the leaves start returning.

A city park with a load of amenities and plenty of free parking…read more Just blocks from shopping and offices is a quiet well kept park. Boat launch, beach with large umbrellas where I saw at least 10 would be artists practicing their hobby. Swimmers and beach loungers. There is a walking trail and an off-leash dog park. Boat and canoe rentals are available as well. Even Disc Golf. Picnic tables and of course the all important concession stand which opens at 11:00 a.m. daily! The hiking trail is listed as 1.5 miles and then merges with a state trail.

Excellent walking trail close to my home. Nice size lake, cool outdoor activities to do here like…read morecanoeing or kayaking. Great place to take your dog walking. Cute little nature center.

Lots to do at Staring Lake. There's also three unique entrances with their own parking lots, one at…read morethe south end, one at the north end, and one on the west side. Depending on where you enter from, you can enjoy different activities. The south entrance has a very extensive playground, as well as basketball courts, bocce ball courts, a volleyball court, and disc golf. There's lots of benches and tables to sit at or eat at, as well as a full amphitheater. There is a building with indoor restrooms (well kept), a water fountain and water bottle refill station, and a couple of rentable rooms and a rentable gazebo with BBQs, as well as an office (though that was closed when I was there midday on a Monday). There's plenty of parking spaces at this entrance. The north entrance has a smaller playground as well as a garden, a couple of cabins that serve as a place for community events, a firepit, canoe rentals, a pier, a red tail hawk enclosure, an observation station (for their stargazing activities), a minimal wildlife blind, and a nature trail. There is limited parking at this entrance. The west entrance was lamest by far. It had a sizeable parking lot, but the only amenities were a port-a-potty, a pier, and access to the paved trail that goes all the way around Staring Lake. Speaking of the trail, which is what I hiked while exploring here, it is entirely paved and has a line down the middle to delineate directionality. The east side is quite lovely, taking you through shaded secluded-feeling forest; the west side is not as nice, with less shade and a loud road right next to the trail as well as lots of residential housing. Yuck. It also connects with the nearby lake north of it, Purgatory Creek Wildlife Area.

The Millennium Garden is situated off to the side of the Plymouth Community Center, and the trails…read morearound it connect over to the Plymouth Creek Playfield as well as the Hilde Amphitheater. I parked in the big lot of the community center and walked over. I brought some dinner along with me so I found a nearby bench to eat at while soaking up the lovely scenery. I was genuinely impressed by all the teaming blooms. It's not a huge garden, but it isn't small either, and it's clearly well maintained. I was grateful to see it looking so nice considering all the heat waves we've been subjected to as of late. I definitely saw some folks using it as a backdrop for their wedding photos. I took a few photos myself too, of course. Too pretty to not! The garden is broken down into smaller individual areas, specifically: the grand lawn, the labyrinth, the rose garden, the butterfly garden, the water garden, the native shrub garden, and the woodland restoration area. I definitely recommend checking it out! If I lived closer by, I'd probably bring a book or my journal regularly.

Great park to take the kids or take a walk. Landscaping is really well done and some fun statues to…read moresee. Lot of wildlife around. Plenty of parking at the community center. It's a bit on the smaller side but a great place for locals to stop by.

This is an awesome park and such a great asset for the Maple Grove community. I was impressed how…read morewell the park and A/C restrooms are maintained. Great outdoor venue for outdoor music. The acoustics of the ampitheater are fantastic and the view off the lake make it a quite aesthetically pleasing. I was quite impressed. Theres a patio area on the upper level that hosts food trucks. It's a great spot.

Always a great place to take a walk around the lake and enjoy nature. There's constantly events…read moregoing on at the stage. There's a playground, skate park, library, and community center. Just a walk to nice restaurants and stores.

Fridley has an updated park. As a former Fridley resident while going up there I went to this park…read morea lot. From going to the playground and sliding down the hill in winter. The new playground is beautiful and the splash pad was very fun for my grandchildren! There are bathrooms available in a building in between the playground and splash pad. The one thing they are lacking is shade. There a nice covered area with picnic tables but nothing really for adults while the kids play. Our grandkids had a great time and want to go back soon. Looking at the hill I hope that sledding is still available. Looked like there maybe some obstacles near the bottom. As a kid this was a very popular place and we spent a lot of time sliding and at the ice rink.

Large park with lots to offer-especially the sledding hills! This is a large park abutting the…read moreFridley Middle School so lots of area to walk my dog. Look for the water tower-you're there! Off street parking is available (and appreciated!)