An extremely popular spot for group activities. It's not unusual to various nature curious groups…read moreand school and preschool students exploring the exhibits. There is a large fire pit in a meeting area near the headquarters. Hit the trails and take a gander at the map provided to prepare for how long of a hike you want. All the trails loop around and come back but you may end up out longer than anticipated as the only problem there are few trail markers along the way, not like the state park system. The park system is connected and you could cross into another territory. Look for the various ponds and lakes nestled in valleys and thickly wooded areas. Trails are always in good shape and there are steep hills. There is no charge to enter the park and plenty of parking.

The Richardson Nature Center is a part of the greater Hyland Lake Park Reserve, situated at the…read morenorth end. It includes a large indoor community space building, an outdoor nature playspace for kids, as well as a mile or so double-loop around three lakes. The southern loop goes through wooded area, whereas the northern loop will take you through the prairie. Both are gorgeous in their own right/ways. Along the loops you will find benches to take a breather, as well as occasional docks to admire aquatic life. These trails also connect with longer trails that continue further into Hyland, if you're looking for a longer adventure. Inside the nature center building are interactive exhibits for youngsters, activity rooms, pamphlets on monthly events that utilize said rooms, and even a small gift shop with toys/books for kids and snacks. I bought a cute little plush fox to accompany on my hike and support the park. Additional facilities include restrooms, water fountain/water bottle refill station, trash/recycling, and picnic tables if you care to relax and have lunch (which I also did). The hours of operation for the nature center are 9am-5pm Mon through Sat and noon to five on Sun. The restrooms are open the same hours the park is, which is 5am-10pm. The natural play area seemed quite popular while I was visiting on a Thursday late morning; lots of families had brought their small children to run, jump, and climb around. Even so, you likely won't ever have to worry about finding a place to park, as the lot (which is free) boasts approximately 120 spots. I really enjoyed my time here. The place is well cared for and a resource for the community to connect with nature.

Loved the new playground equipment and hopefully, the tennis court can get a make over to include…read morepickleball courts. We loved that the park is within walking distance from our house. It is a nice bike path and and a hill that works great for learning to downhill ski in the winter or sledding. It would have been nice if they had kept the sand instead of wood chips. It's also nice to have a few mature trees around for shade.

There are some nearly hidden trails off the paved path in this quiet park. A few picnic benches…read moreand play area, the rest is multi-purpose trials. The paved trail seems to lead into private property. The hiked over trails through the woods can lead to various streams. The area has some thick forest golf course green lawns with new trees planted. There is no central building but there is a portable potty on the grounds.

Laps on laps on laps. If you are a snowboarder who loves riding the park, this place is simply…read moreamazing. Located about 20 minutes from downtown, nestled into a hillside, lies a tiny ski area, where a top-to-bottom run takes about 30 seconds (I timed it), there is probably one of the best snowboard parks in the country. WHAT?? That is a tall claim, you say. So let's start from the top. 1. It is in the burbs, not a 3-hour drive away. I moved here from NYC, and Vermont was 5 hours away to get big mountain skiing. 2. You can park next to the lifts for a few bucks an hour. At a big resort, you are schlepping through a big parking lot or taking a shuttle bus from some remote lot, madness. 3. The base lodge is nice and new and while basic, it has everything you need. 4. It has night skiing, so you can literally ride 12 hours a day. 5. The park has a high-speed rope tow, which is an amusement park ride unto itself. It is like 20-30 seconds to the top. This means no waiting in a lift line for 5-10 minutes, riding a lift for 10 minutes, then riding most of the trail just to get to a small park. Very efficient here. 6. Trick progression - you can do about 2 laps per minute, so you can really work on tricks on features and jumps, building confidence to nail the things you are working on. I can't wait to go back soon!

It was my first time skiing in the first time in 11 years. I was a bit nervous, but it was so fun!…read moreThe ski pass is a bit on the pricey side for what the slopes are, but they are definitely a great beginner/intermediate level skier. Rentals were easy, and the staff are super nice and helpful. There were a bunch of older ladies that give you good tips and help for choosing boots and ski poles! I'd 100% come back.

A lovely, adorable little spot near downtown Minneapolis, away from the city hubbub. At 15-acres,…read moreit's by no means a sprawling adventure, but it's incredibly peaceful and teaming with life. There's a one way road leading to the entrance, with a small standard parking lot (including a couple of handicap spots), but additional parallel parking available as overflow for busy days as well. There is also a walking path that can be followed to the sanctuary's entrance as well, as it is fully gated, and the entrance is down the steps from the parking lot. There is a volunteer booth just outside of it where you can grab a map if desired, as well as additional pamphlets with info about events taking place, charitable donations to the garden, etc. Depending on the hour, there may be a helpful volunteer there to answer any questions you may have. Once you step inside you'll be greeted by a path to the left and a path to the right. Immediately to the right are some privies (fairly primitive, but there is running water for the sink to wash your hands), which are all-gender. There are also benches here, as well as throughout the trails at quite regular intervals. This place is meant less for extensive hiking and more for soaking up nature (I recommend bringing a book, journal, or plan to meditate). The trails loop, with various off-shoots you can explore. The terrain has some mid-level elevation changes, and the paths are either a soft mulch or wooden boardwalk, which make for very pleasant walking on the feet. In particular, my favorite section was the sunnier wildflower segment, which had many pollinators (mostly bees) flying about. It was great for photos. Also neat is the nature center, which is a repurposed old house. Inside is a crafting table for kids to color, as well as additional info on the sanctuary and the kinds of birds and plants you'll encounter there. We encountered a number of volunteers/employees while there who were busy working to beautify the space or providing info to guests. Our visit only took around an hour, but I'm already planning to visit again, most likely in the fall when the leaves begin to change color. I'm certain it'll be even more gorgeous then!

Such a cute day trip to this location! We enjoyed the grounds so much, they have plenty of parking…read morealong the street and a parking lot up the hill! The area is well mulched, so I'd recommend closed toed shoes to keep it out. There is a nice volunteer who welcomes you to the garden -- admission is free. There's plenty of maps and trails to explore, and so many flowers. Absolutely gorgeous time here enjoying nature. They have a visitor center as well which has lots of information and activities to do! They have weekly bird watching as well. Super fun experience!

If you're looking for a great spot for you and/or your kids to run around and climb stuff, this is…read moreit! Really great playground structures with plenty of different types of equipment, including things like balance beams, teeter-totters, and spinners, in addition to more standard playground fare like swingsets and slides. There's also a splashpad that you can activate for playing around. Water squirts or dumps from various water features. A lot of fun. It was even still running in October when I was there! Lots of gazebos (which can be reserved, if desired) with picnic tables and grills and trash/recycling cans. An ice cream truck swung by while I was there, much to the delight of the kids there. Massive parking lot. Only port-a-potties. Nearby is also a large grass field for soccer. If you go a little deeper in, you'll see it also connects with the Black Dog Trailhead. Be aware however that this is a "minimal maintenance" trail. I tried to follow it for aways after the railroad track but felt a little lost and ultimately turned back. Not sure how often or at what time of year they maintain it to make it easier to follow, but it's understandable that they don't because it is part of a specific biome of wet meadow known as a "fen". These are fairly rare and thus requiring protection, so tread lightly and respectfully if you do go! It's important nature be preserved as much as possible.

My grandson (7) loved it. Being able to run between the water features and the playground was a…read morewonderful way to be able to stay cool. The reason for the 4 instead of a 5 is because the entire playground was in direct sun. The slides were too hot to touch and the lack of shade intensified the temperature. Other than that, the features were great and the shaded areas for the parents was much appreciated.

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.

Need a quick but close-by getaway and one with lots of wildlife? I highly recommend this one,…read moreespecially with the little humans as the trail is super easy but still is dirt so feels more like in nature. The highlight was going on the bridge and seeing swans, ducks, turtles, & egrets! Not too busy right now with the center under reconstruction. Just park on the street and walk in.

At the last Minnesota Wild game that I attended, I had parked at Infor Commons. I exited the…read morebuilding and needed to cut across a park to get to Xcel Energy Center. I came to realize that I was walking through Rice Park. This public park has a fountain that was fairly frozen when I was there in March. I'm sure that it's beautiful when it's warmer and there's water coming out of the fountain. There's also a bandstand. I was thrilled to see sculptures of Peanuts cartoon characters. I quickly cut through this park to get to the game, but took my time to stroll through the park after the game was over. Rice Park is one of the venues of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. I have never been to it, but I did see on Fox 9 Good Day that an ice palace was built here for the occasion. The park's location is cool. It's bordered by the Landmark Center to the north, the Saint Paul Hotel to the east, the George Latimer Central Library to the south, and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts to the west. I basically stood in the park to admire the other sites as the tourist that I can be. There is a sign that details the history of this park. It is named after Minnesota Senator Henry Mower Rice. He donated the land to the city in 1849 along with Saint Paul banker John Irvine. The land was first used by settlers to dry laundry or graze animals. The park's first major renovation occurred in 1965 renovation that was initiated by the Women's Institute of Saint Paul. A statue of a girl created by Wisconsin artist Alonzo Hauser was added as a centerpiece to the park. It's a nicely maintained park. I enjoyed looking at all the Peanuts statues. They are fitting tributes to Charles M. Schulz, who hailed from Minneapolis. I hope to return when it's warmer and enjoy the park more. It was a pleasant surprise finding this park and strolling through it. (104)

Rice park is an adorable spot right in the heart of the city. Featuring the peanuts characters,…read moreplenty of benches and lights, it is a breath of fresh air! Very well decorated and a popular spot for events. Currently hosting the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship events including s'more's, plenty of hockey games, and more family fun in the park.