This is the "beach" we grew up at. So many memories of my dad bringing me here whenever I wanted to…read morego for a swim. It's usually really nice and clean. The fishing area is separated from the swimming area. Area to wash off the sand when you are done for the day. Plenty of parking. Playground nearby for kiddos who don't want to swim. Bring your beach toys for a nice day at the lake. Great place for picnic too.

This is a smaller beach which has its pros and cons…read more Pros: family friendly, easily walkable, grills, dog friendly Cons: can get crowded, drinks are not permitted So, I believe it is perfect for a stroll and a family grill. However, if you are looking for a hang out with your 21+ friends to drink and lay out I would recommend another beach. They have a beautiful dock for some quiet reading and fishing. However, I have yet to go down there because it's always being used.

On the North shore of Spring Lake (in Spring Lake Park, MN) you can find this little gem of a 11.8…read moreacre park. There are picnic tables/shelters/benches, a fishing pier ("no good" fishing per the teens fishing there during my visit), sand volleyball courts, playground, walking trail, softball field, beach. On my visit the beach was closed to swimming (maybe lack of lifeguards?). Off street parking lot, as well as nearby street parking. Mature trees to offer shade. Both Moundsview & Spring Lake Park run this park jointly.

BUY a season pass because you will be back. After 3 times in a few weeks we finally did and thank…read moregoodness because every weekend the forecast is sunny and warm we are/will be here. TIPS- if you want an umbrella get here early. We're talking 9-9:30 early or else you'll be stuck frying in the sun at all times. The food is pretty good too (chips, hot dogs, junk) and nice clean bathrooms. Cost $5 a person but that money goes towards keeping this place spiffy and all squeaky clean.

I would recommend adding a canopy to the food tables, away from the beach. We had to wait out a…read morestorm, and weren't allowed in the water, and it would have been nice to have somewhere covered to wait. Also, I wish they had slides or lily pads and some more fun things for the kids. Finally, I know it is a chlorinated lake, but it was gross seeing all the goose poop on the bottom of the pond.

This recreational park was one of my favorite places that we stopped while I was in town. There is…read moreample parking and the park was pretty empty but, it's was a cooler fall day. There is a playground that has equipment for all ages, swings, basketball courts and a skate park. There was also pavilions, arbors and a beautiful gazebo. The lake runs through this park and there was plenty of benches on the walking trails. I took the shaded trail that leads down to the lake front beach and it was absolutely gorgeous. Tree covered pathway through the forest and the crisp fall air whipping by is enough to make anyone's stress melt away. There is a map at the bottom of the trail near the lake that shows the various trails throughout the park. It does circle around no matter which outlet you take back into the main park area. Since it was a paved trail it was an easy hike and a great opportunity to take in the leaves changing colors. The beach park was small but, it did appear to have bathroom facilities and enough room to take a dip during the summer. Unfortunately it started to rain so, I didn't get to walk the trail to the front where there was a nice walking bridge.

This park was a park that I happened to find on Yelp while eating some lunch in Shakopee. I saw…read morepictures that an out-of-towner posted which made me want to check it out. What a nice park. I was surprised that this park was so large with everything to do there, they have trails, lake, beach, all kinds of sports fields and play sets. There is something for everyone. I took a lot of pictures because I would round a bend or come over a hill and see the park is bigger and with more to offer. This park is well kept and well marked. I can't wait to stop back to capture more photos and some sunshine. Have a great day. Keep Yelping! Enjoy the photos and maybe I will see you there. Make sure that you say HI.

Maybe I don't want to leave a 5-start review because then the secret is out…read more I'm searching for nice, quiet beaches around Blaine. I got tired of Anoka County Parks beaches with lifeguards because they tend to be overcrowded and loud. But that's a different post... Golden Beach was recommended to me a couple of years ago, and I finally took that advice. Easy access off of Lexington, down a quiet residential street. No wonder it's a hidden gem. I had no clue this was back here. A big parking lot right next to a playground. The lot was just re-tarred, but no lines were painted yet. The beach is not visible from the parking lot/playground due to a hill... added privacy. A slight walk to the beach made us pass a clean bathroom and pavilion. On the way back to the car, I noticed there was a concession stand open. Must be on the back side of the restroom building. There was another path leading into tree cover (away from beach path)...did not explore where that went. The beach is narrow and long. There was a retaining wall separating the sand from the grass. Prefect place for kids and adults to sit on while getting sunscreen put on or their swim shoes. Lots of grass to sunbathe in. Big mature trees to find shade under for those not wanting to fry as they watch the water. The swimming area is not roped off. To one side is high reeds. To the other is a fishing dock. Kid swimmers were either out in the open or towards the reeds. I dipped my toe in...87 degrees out and it was cold. There was staked signage that the water was treated with something (I can't remember what). It said the water was safe to swim in, but not to drink it (people and pets). The water didn't look clear, no algae. A very lovely beach. How no one reads this so that it stays that way!

Local Golden Lake Park is a public park on the lake. No outboard motors are allowed on this small…read morelake, so it's a quiet lake to enjoy. Fishing, swimming, hiking, canoe or kayak here. The playground equipment and picnic shelter are closed due to CV-19.

One of the nicest little hidden beaches on the Saint Croix. While it is really nice it is very…read moresmall. The story I heard was Mr. Pemble gave this little sliver of land to Troy Township just to piss off the neighbors that he hated. Who knows if this is true but it is a fun story. It is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. The beach opens at 10 am and stays open until thirty min after sunset. There is no current up by the beach but on weekends there are some pretty crazy waves from all the boat traffic. ******WARNING:***** When you are on the beach facing the water their is normally a large sand bar that goes out 250 yards into the river. This sandbar allow you to walk about 2/3 of the way across the river. The dangerous part is at the end of the sandbar there is a very wicked spinning vortex of rushing water. As long as you are standing on the sandbar by the buoy you are safe but if you dive under the water just south of the buoy, it will be the last thing you ever do. In the last 10 years two people have died in this very spot. Please be careful and by the buoy and stat on the sandbar. Don't let the warning scare you, it is at least 250 yards from the beach and as long as you are no out by the buoy you are perfectly safe.

Great little slice of heaven we stumbled on by accident after the beach at Willow River was a bust…read more Highly recommend!

I am transplant from the other side of the river and absolutely love living in this neighborhood…read more Obviously the perks of this park requires a list so here goes: - The old water tower gets opened up during Highland Fest and in the fall for the fall colors. Once you climb the many stairs, you are treated to an amazing open air view of the surrounding area. The planes at the airport look like toys landing and taking off and all the colors just pop if you time it right. When open, it is only on the weekends. - Two golf courses. On the 18 hole, the 15th hole has a sand trap done up like Snoopy (zoom in on link) in honor of Charles Schulz once being a caddy. The 9 hole across the street is much hillier and is that way because a lot of it is the dirt from the construction of I-94 back in the 60's linking the two cities. http://goo.gl/maps/ZnXbz - Cross country skiing. Both course become x-country ski havens in the winter with even one of the courses having trails groomed. There is also a sliding hill by the water tower which gets packed after a fresh snowfall. - The Pavilion (and many other shelters) can be rented for picnics. Many a fine Booyah's, a fine upper midwestern treat that you need to have once in your life, are served here by neighborhood groups doing fund raisers. Bring a tupperware container to bring some home if you'd like. People will be there with empty ice cream bucket containers for the good ones. - The swimming pool. St. Paul has a few pools now that utilize sphagnum moss as a major cleaning process. Amazing water and you don't come out smelling like a chlorine factory with your hair turning a different color or your eyes burnt red. It's fantastic. - Frisbee course. While I don't understand the layout, many people do and it is always getting used. - Just walk around in the park or on the paths. Towering oaks, deer, fox, willow trees, hills and hidden stairs. This is really an old park and a gem in the city. Even the playground equipment has been updated in the last few years.

The pool facilities are excellent at the Highland Park Aquatic Center, and lots of updates since I…read moreenjoyed swimming here as a kid have really made this a very entertaining destination for kids of all ages and adults too, but the way it's run leaves a lot to be desired unfortunately. There was plenty of free parking and lots of shade available on the pool deck, but during the 4+ hours we spent there (2 adults, 3 kids under age 10) I didn't see one adult worker anywhere-just lots of teen life guards and workers. Also, the pool and deck rules are very unclear, sparsely posted and inconsistently enforced, so we found ourselves breaking all kinds of secret, nonsensical rules only the lifeguards seemed to know about (and we definitely weren't alone). Then, when asked to clarify how what we were doing was wrong, we could never get a clear answer and the lifeguards were often rude and dismissive. We were also given contradictory information from 3 different lifeguards about the same rule! We figured things out for ourselves quick enough and learned which lifeguards really could be consistent, so in the end we had a really good time, just be aware when you go that it's on you to figure it all out, not many of the staff will be helpful (even in matters of safety) at all. Lastly, the admission cost is a little steep ($6 per adult, $5 per kid under 48" tall), and even though they give a little break to families, it's not like you're getting all that much bang for your buck. Also be aware that no outside food or drinks are technically allowed--which I understand to a point, but this is also not listed online or posted officially anywhere on site which is annoying and inconvenient, especially since the concessions are mainly very overpriced junk food. So it would be nice if they offered some healthy alternatives like fruits and veggies rather than more processed, packaged, sugary junk for sale. If that's not possible then just let us bring at least those things with us? With little kids it's not easy to drag them out of the pool, back to the car for a healthy snack--which we ultimately did only to be harassed exiting AND re-entering by the overly enthusiastic little "teen bouncer" at the front gate even though re-admission is permitted as long as you're wearing your wristband. Like I said earlier though; ALL the rules at this facility and how they're communicated and enforced are very inconsistent to say the least! We resolved that if we return we'll just smuggle our own snacks in since they that's what we observed most people doing anyways! The bottom line: you can have a great time in the pool and the facilities have a lot to offer people of all ages if you take some of these tips to heart, learn how to work the ill-managed "system" of rules and their teen army of enforcers, advocate (and think) for yourself a little, and just basically ignore the incredible inconsistency that truly rules here!

Very beautiful. A pier for fishing, an area for scuba and snorkeling. Designated swimming area…read more Very well kept. Nice bathrooms, lifeguards on duty.

A spacious sandy beach. Too bad I'm exploring in November but I'll keep this location in mind come…read morenext summer. There are three parking lots and one has a kiosk with a sign saying a pass is needed. I'm not sure for what, perhaps for boating. The other parking lot has no such warning. Just walk in head to the beach and enjoy.