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!

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!

Love this park! Beautiful sand trails by the river and also paved trails. Highly recommend checking…read moreit out. There are many places to park along the road, but I love the parking lot by the picnic shelter, too!

I'm going to have to return to this park again when I have a bit more time to explore. I stopped by…read morefor a quick hike and was a bit stymied when my GPS took me an unnecessary two miles over to the west entrance (past the unrelated marina) when I'd been intending to use the east one. The west entrance has a good-sized free parking lot nearby the gazebo. This structure has picnic tables, fire pit, water fountain, and restrooms (however, the latter two are seasonal... in November the fountain was shut off and the restrooms were locked, which kind of sucked for me who was in need of both... thus why I made my stay somewhat short). The trails for the most part are all paved, unless you take the unofficial ones beaten down along the riverway (which seem to be most utilized by fishers from what I could glean). So that's great for bicyclists or people pushing baby strollers or rollerbladers, but wasn't exactly the vibe I was looking for. Depends on what your desires are recreationally. There was one lake area under restoration that was therefore inaccessible for now; always nice to see when resources are being invested to keep our parks nice. Lots of trees, plenty of shade, even when most of the trees have lost their leaves in preparation for winter. I think I'll come back when some snow has fallen, because I'm sure it would probably be quite gorgeous.

My brother, our friends and I used to come here in high school, long before they paved the place…read moreover. It had a lost, haunted, abandoned feel to it then. We had to hike through a graveyard and find a hole in the fence. We used to have campfires, even in winter. Once, we raided my friends' parents' liquor cabinet and filled a few two liter bottles with a mixture of red wine, cheap brandy, and kahlua. Don't laugh! At age 16 it seemed like quite a score! After we were done vomiting around the campfire, my brother wanted to see how sharp his brand new pocket knife was. He ran it along his thumb to test it out and--surprise! He immediately began to bleed all over everybody. I think he said, "oh, f--k, is that MY blood?" Though drunk and disoriented, we never lost our way back there, not even on starless nights without the benefit of flashlights or clear cognition. We got my bro to the ER, and I don't remember if they gave him a new thumb or just stitched him up. What a scene! We always had an ear out for the cops, close as we were at times to busy Roselawn Ave., but they never came, and even if they had, they would never have found us. They didn't know those trails like we did. It was our secret place, and we were its kings. I loved the Reservoir. I knew every inch of it and enjoyed it in every season. I collected medicinal herbs there that helped cure people. I buried a dead pet there. It was like having a forbidden, abandoned state park right in the burbs. But unlike state parks, which are highly regulated, manicured places, the Reservoir was like a refuge for the select few people who knew how to appreciate its depth and diversity. There was prairie, old-growth pines, ponds, owls and pileated woodpeckers, a small herd of deer. Not to mention the actual reservoir itself, a creepy, unnatural hill with ancient brick buildings on the corners like the entrance to Druid burial vaults. We used to ascend its bare plateau and sit silently and smoke cigarettes as we gazed at the view of distant, downtown Minneapolis while we thought about the past and the future. We did a lot of other things at this place that I will not mention, except that none of them were harmful to the land or other people, and they were equally the doings of carefree, misspent youth, and also formative experiences that helped us grow up. I always felt a sense of belonging here, a peacefulness. I still do, even though it's paved over with trails. I married my brother and his wife here in a tiny, shotgun ceremony. A stranger's excitable dog came bounding up to us at the conclusion of the ceremony, and we all petted it and laughed. It was during the last snowfall of the season, in April, 2011. That was the last time I was there.

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.

Alright this review needs an update. Pretty crazy how this river has gotten clean over the past 15…read moreyears. No more barge traffic and no as much heavy industry above the city using the river like a toilet. No more labs but I have a couple of mutts and they love that frolic in the water. If I lived closer, this would be my #1 dog park. I usually get in 2+ miles of walking when I go here with the hounds. I don't have a problem paying for the parking since the city can offer this park. Does it get flooded when it is spring/a lot of rain? Sure but for the most part it is a great romp for the pooches and yourself. A nice incline down to the river requires a climb back up. The old trees that are down and the one thick old ones growing gives the walk a nice shaded feel and helps shelter out the noises of the city.

Sometimes there are not very well behaved dogs and uneducated owners. Beware. The water area needs…read moreto be fenced off as that's a total hazard. It's a nice large space for dogs to run though.

It's a pretty walk and I like that there are a couple different loops to take. We did the one that…read morewas about 1.5 miles or so. It is a sort of unofficial off-leash park for dogs as apparently Inver Grove Heights leash law is that if the dog is under voice command it does not need to be on a leash. So lots of dogs running and swimming out here, the ones we met today were all very friendly and well behaved. My only real compliant about this place is that most of the walk you are very close to the highway (there's a fence along the highway side, no worries about pups running out there!) so while it was beautiful to see all the trees, grass, and water, the constant sound of traffic was less peaceful.

Very nice neighborhood park Gathered here with friends for…read morememorial weekend bbq Lots of space and picnic tables and garbage /recycle area Bbq grills available but bring your own charcoal Beach area is small but clean and perfect for the kids Lots of parking

This is an ok little lake/swim/beach area. The water is fairly clean for being a lake that is not…read moreconsidered up north. They must rake the beach so that all the creepy floaty thingys stay at bay. The fish however really like to bite at this one which kind of creeps me out. I mush prefer a good chlorinated swimming pool, but those aren't always available. There are lifeguards at this location. The swimming area is quite small and quite shallow, but I think its made more for the kiddies not for doing any serious laps or anything. Basically its a nice little area to go cool off in. The park itself is nice. There are picnic tables up the hill. It's clean and well maintained. Flat surface parking, but it does fill up pretty quickly making it difficult to find a spot on a really warm day.

The perfect place to bring small dogs! We have 2 small dogs under 10 lbs and this has been a fun…read moreplace to bring them to play and socialize with other dogs. There are a variety of toys and a ramp for the dogs to play and explore. We've had birthday parties for our dogs here and always have a great experience. Wonderful community and amazing staff. Highly recommend for anyone with a small pup!

From the owner: It's the only indoor dog park exclusively for small dogs!read more

So pretty! We brought our dog but that might have been a bit much for him Everyone had funread more

Lebanon Hills Regional Park is such a great park for hiking! The trail system consists of over 14…read moremiles of summer hiking trails and over 12 miles of mountain bike trail. There are multiple parking lots available and even if they seem full don't let that deter you as the park is so large it never feels overly busy. There is also a beach and picnic area available too.

This is my favorite dog park. Fully gated with acres of land. Trees, paths, and ponds. Friendly…read morepeople. Your dog will need a good recall because the place is huge. There is a separate small dog park. Lots of parking.

Hands down, best dog park in the area. Absolutely massive. Separate entrances and exits to…read moreaccommodate the higher traffic. FOR PUPS Tons of ponds, large and small, for pups of all sizes to comfortably splash around in. So much land for doggos to chase each other at full speed. Balls strewn all over. FOR HUMANS Picnic tables in every cleared area and by every pond. Free libraries with a small selection of books, primarily novels. Free poop bag dispensers by main trash and recycling areas. Only thing we need now is a shower area to rinse off stinky pondwater after playtime! Maybe a paid treat dispenser to help pay for upkeep and expenses.

I like this place in a pinch. If I'm running around with the hounds and they need to get a quick…read moresniff on and I'm close by, this is where I go. It's fairly long, a small dog area and it is great for the owners who have the dogs who like to retrieve as it is a great spot to launch that tennis ball.

One of my favorite dog parks to go to. It's a huge long stretch that gives you room to walk around…read more The drainage is good so it doesn't get too muddy (except in the spring). Just wish they had lights at night.