Minnesota has always impressed me with the effort it puts into its green spaces, parks, trails and…read moreespecially its playgrounds. There are a lot of good ones scattered throughout the Twin Cities, but the Hyland Play Area is operating on a different scale. The first thing that hits you is simply the enormity of it. A landscape photo barely does it justice. This isn't a playground with a couple of oversized structures--it's an entire playscape built around elevation, exploration and seemingly endless ways for kids to disappear upward and reappear somewhere completely different. There are distinct areas that make it approachable for kids of different ages, select water features, and plenty for younger children to explore without making the bigger kids feel like they've outgrown it. But the stars are those towering structures and enormous climbs spread throughout the park. If you've got a kid who needs to "get their zombies out," this ought to do it. A determined child could probably accumulate the equivalent vertical ascent of Minnesota's Eagle Mountain before lunch. What impressed me almost as much as the playground itself was how well the space handles people. There can seemingly be hundreds of kids here and somehow it doesn't feel like hundreds of kids. The scale absorbs everyone. Instead, you get this constant background soundtrack of giggles, playful screams and kids absolutely exhausting themselves. And somebody clearly thought about the adults. There are huge umbrellas providing shade along with benches, tables and places to settle in while the kids go explore. You quickly understand why the crowd is such an interesting mix: stay-at-home parents making a morning of it, grandparents with their grandchildren, friends meeting up with their kids, and even remote workers squeezing in some laptop time while periodically looking up to make sure everyone is still accounted for. It's less "take the kids to the playground for 30 minutes" and more pack some food, bring water and make this the destination. We're only reviewing the play area for now, but based on this alone, Hyland deserves the five stars. It's enormous without feeling chaotic, ambitious without forgetting the little kids, and thoughtfully designed for the adults who inevitably spend half their day here too. Minnesota does parks exceptionally well. This is one of the ones worth going out of your way for.

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!

LOVE this park, especially in Autumn! We used to reserve the picnic shelter from Dakota County for…read moreour kids' birthday parties. This was one of our kids' favorite playgrounds when they were 4-10 years old. The trails are beautiful and can range from a 2 mile hike around the lake to an 9 mile hike if you go all the way to Shultz Lake.

Jensen Lake Trail is part of the greater Lebanon Hills Regional Park, which is so big it has four…read moreseparate entrances. So far I've visited three of the four (the fourth is the Equestrian Trailhead though, and I don't have horses so...). For not being the "main" entrance, this one sure is nice also! There's plenty of parking available, including handicap parking. A short distance away is a large gazebo-like structure with a plentiful number of picnic tables, countertops, electrical outlets, fire pit, grills, firewood, trash/recycling receptacles, restrooms, water fountain, and water bottle refill station. You can apparently rent the gazebo, or just use it if it's available while you're there. Next door to that is a very nice children's playground, with a variety of swings (regular, bucket seat, handicap accessible, and tire swing) and structures. Plenty of benches nearby for adults to watch their kids too. The trail itself goes around Jensen Lake and connects to the rest of the trails around Lebanon Hills (most notable of which is the Voyager Trail). The loop around the lake is quite gorgeous, with many plank/boardwalks as part of the trail. It is mostly shaded, and you'll find a few park benches along it if you need to stop and take a break or just want to pause and soak it all in. I'm going to need to return soon to utilize the portage entrance on the west bank. I've been wanting to try this park's canoe/kayak "trail" for awhile!

I was in the area the other day and decided to take advantage of the nice spring weather. I wasn't…read moreexpecting a $7 day fee to enter, but I decided to consider it a donation to the parks system, fed it my debit card and got a ticket to put on my dash. There were three parking lots to choose from, but I drove all the way down to the third and last one by the park office and playground. Decided to do the approximately six mile loop on the dirt path trails (also used for skiing when there's snow on the ground). It was nice hiking through the various groupings of pine trees. I could still hear the freeway noise, but it was mostly in the background. The prettiest part was definitely at the beginning beside the lake though (but perhaps in other seasons, like fall, it might be even prettier). Some mild elevation change, nothing too challenging by any means. There was also the option to walk on a paved path with many benches if you do need something less strenuous or you aren't hiking. The playground was really cute with relatively new equipment. Lots of climbing options, slides, and one large swing (very comfy to lean back in and admire the lake). There were picnic tables around along with barbecues and trash/recycling bins. There's a dock for fishing off of, and another (at the second parking lot) for canoe/kayak launching (which I'll have to come back and try when I have some free time this summer). There were two port-a-potties available for when the park office isn't open. The park office has many a toilet, all singletons so non-gendered, which was lovely. They were clean and well-stocked. The park office didn't have much going for it from what I could glean, but there was space in the lobby to sit and relax if desired, as well as a large backroom that seemed like it was probably for classes and such. It wasn't very busy while I was there; likely because the weather was predicting a storm, but I lucked out and it never came the two hours I was there. I came across a couple that had their dogs off leash, which the park rules state you're supposed to keep your dogs leashed... People, man.

A beauty hidden gem in the southeast metro that I would recommend if you are looking for a close to…read morehome walk/bike with some varied terrain. We hiked this the first week of March and we both wish we would have worn spikes or brought poles- if you get off the main trail, there is some really great up and down. I did not have my cross country skis with me but the trails looked amazing and are groomed for both skate and classic! Highly recommend if you need to get outdoors and want some up and down!

Perfectly adequate experience for hiking. Definitely got the impression that this park is more…read moregeared towards winter cross-country skiing purposes. Though there is also a mountain biking path. There is both an East and a West entrance to this park. The East entrance seems to more be the main entrance with a tennis court, hockey rink, children's playground, and little free library. The West end however has a younger children's playground and a gazebo with ample picnic tables and a grill. Both ends have trash/recycling bins and a port-a-potty. No plumbed toilet facilities and no water fountains (this fact admittedly lowered my rating of the place). Trails are all pretty wide (again, to accommodate the cross-country skiers), and there are a decently number of maps posted periodically along the route to help you keep track of where you are. The outermost loop is 3.2 miles, so this would be a decent place to practice your 5k, especially if you want frequent elevation changes. I didn't find the scenery to be all that stunning compared to some other spots I've found around MN, but it was still reasonably pretty here and there. Nice large parking lots on either end.

I love this Burnsville area! Feels like I am hours away from the city. The trails here were nice…read more Took my dog around the loop. Very peaceful....

Harriet Island is a fabulous place for a picnic, outdoor adventure, or even a music festival…read more I enjoyed attending the Minnesota Yacht Club festival on the island in July 2024. It was clean and well maintained each day.

Should you visit this park? If you're in the twin cities and have a pulse, I'd say yes…read more There's a lot to enjoy, from skyline views, a river pier, some riverbank trees with really cool roots sticking out, and some man made contraptions (primarily for the kids).

One of my favorite places to go in the fall. I get lost every time. I'm in here and end up going on…read moredifferent trails every time. I eventually end up finding my way out. All the beautiful maples looks so beautiful in the fall. They have a small parking lot. If it is full, you could always park on the street where the trail entrance is. Be sure to keep an eye on signs so that you're not wandering into peoples private land.

I love these trails. I frequent the area regularly to walk my dog. There are a few muddy areas, but…read morenothing that is impassable. I love the old growth forests, the birds, and the flowers. There's some invasive species creeping in so i usually pull them myself (garlic mustard, tansy, and mullein). The deer enclosure in the middle of the park has a fallen tree that collapsed the fence so I'm sure deer have been able to get in there. Highly recommend this park anytime of year!!

There are two sides to enter Reservoir Woods, I was on the dog park side and drifted to the paths…read moreof the Reservoir. Some steep hills and winding trails with mostly easy paths. There are a few interpretation signs including wildlife sightings of Deer and Coyote. You probably won't see much more than a few squirrels but best to keep you Pug pup on a leash.

You go to the top of the hill and drive into a bit of a narrow parking lot. From there it's only…read moreabout a hundred steps to some very thick, impressive wooded areas. I would have explored more if I wasn't in a rush, but boy was it nice.

10000000/10 trails...but i keep falling off my bike. Otherwise this park is optimal...super…read moreoptimal...

This Three Rivers Park is on the westside of the Twin Cities in Victoria. It offers: Lowry Nature…read moreCenter, Lake Auburn Campground, Grimm Historic Farm Site, Carver Park Archery Range, Dog Off-Leash area, Horseback trails, King Waterbird Sanctuary, Monarch Singletrack Bike Trailhead. Lots of hiking and paved biking trails available. Free entrance, lots of parking lots.