Great spot on the lake to stop and enjoy the view...or play on the playground equipment with the…read morekiddos! No wildcats witnessed on our visit.

Fantastic park right off the lake. Wood structures with plenty of areas for play - even for the…read moreyounger children. A pavilion nearby, plenty of swings. Such a wonderful variety with balance beams and climbing walls. Nooks to hids. Play boat or castle....or dig in the sand and look out at the lake. Just beautiful. The only bad part is the city need to wipe the spider webs off more.

Great place. Nice pic nic, great concerts, very clean. Will be back to rent a paddle boat.read more

Since retirement, my wife and I would bring our young grandchildren here for a stroll every…read moremorning. Very peaceful here and I truly enjoy the scenery. The kids love the playground here.

Fort Ridgely State Park is beautiful. Camp grounds were VERY clean. Bonus points in the amount of…read morean extra star for an actual clean, good smelling non-flush toilet. Its a HUGE deal! Electric camping sites are sorta on top of each other, but not nearly as bad as I've seen elsewhere. Tent campsites are nice and spread out. The 3 walk-in camp sites are flipping FAR and up this steep hill. If you're testing out gear for actual backpacking - it'd be a good place to try. The historical aspect of Fort Ridgely is very interesting. We enjoyed our stay and would return.

Another stop on our quest to visit all MN state parks. This was the third of three parks in a day…read moreso we were very tired and only saw a small part of the park. We checked out the remains of the fort and learned about the people who lived there. The visitor center was still closed due to the pandemic but there were many placards around to read and learn. We took a short hike to a lookout point and found these amazing communal cocoons (my bug people say they are either gypsy or tent caterpillars). Views were beautiful. The area looked hilly and would have liked to see more. Best part about visiting all the parks is we get to see which areas are our favorites and visit again.

Great park to spend a few hours in. There is a little zoo with elk, bison, goats and some birds…read more Lots of playgrounds and trails to burn your kiddos energy down. On top of that, there is a nice little walk to a small water fall. No entrance or parking fees. Rustic camping is an option as well if you are looking for a place to stay. Big hadd to find, the park is right on town. A good use of a few hours if you want to get outside.

The zoo is a nice touch. My 4 year absolutely loved it. Lots of trails for folks if all ages plus a…read moregood driving path to the waterfall if that's all you want to see. We had fun and can't wait to go back to explore more.

Kids love this Splash Pad they run and play for an hour or more. I as a parent like it because…read morethere is no play ground so I don't have to be two places at once. They also have live music in the summer.

From the owner: Children's splash pad, wedding location & pictures hotspot, Summer Concert Series location.read more

It's undoubtedly a nice park. The downside is that there aren't really many picturesque views, it's…read morebasically just the woods. But they are nice woods for sure.

On our quest to visit all MN State Parks, this was number 31. We did a 3+ mile hike through lakes,…read morewoods, and prairie. Loved the lookout hill to be able to see the colors highlighted by the sun on a beautiful fall day. Trail was well marked, wide, and well maintained. Watch out for horse droppings as you share the trail. There were quick a few cars in the parking area but we didn't see a ton of people on the trails so nice to be able to spread out. Easy hike for most. Enjoyed the day here.

I love this park! The first visit we had was to shoot photos showing the beauty of Minnesota and to…read morepotentially include in a calendar. As we walked the trails with our dogs - on leash - I had some reminiscing about riding my horse on the other side of the lake and sailing with my father. Wonderful memories. Lake Minnewashta Regional Park is a 340 acre park on the shores of Lake Minnewashta. Facilities include a swimming beach, bathhouse, off-leash dog area, reservable picnic shelters, sand volleyball courts, creative playground (which looked like a regular playground), paved boat access, paved bike trails, turf trails for walking and skiing, ski/snowshoe rental, and vending machines. If your dogs are good at dog parks, this is one to visit! The Off Leash Dog Area is fenced-in off-leash dog area at Lake Minnewashta Regional Park. This 18-acre site has a separate area for small dogs and approximately one mile of trails. To get in to the off-leash dog area you'll need either a $6 daily or $28 annual vehicle permit. Both are able to be purchased through the honor box at the park entrance by the gate house. Definitely worth visiting!

***This is a review about their off-leash dog park.***…read more Even though I've only visited a few dog parks, Minnewashta's must rank amongst the top! Essentially, Carver County dedicated a small forest to everyone's favorite four-legged friend, where plenty of tall trees, fresh water streams, gigantic leaf piles, paw and foot friendly trails, sizable grassy green spaces, and speedy squirrels for them to chase exist. In other words, dog heaven resides in Chanhassen. Also, don't worry about your pup running away, because there's a huge fence that wraps around the entire park. Aside from the park itself, prior to entering, there's a little area with a water fountain and hose. Visitors can use the hose down your pup, before loading him or her into the car. For $24, you can purchase the annual pass. Otherwise, like me, you'll have to pay $5 per visit. From what I heard from another dog owner, though, no one mans the tollbooth after September, so the park relies on the honor system for payment. Once you arrive, drive slightly past the tollbooth, and open up a metal lid that holds paper envelopes. Put your $5 in and write your name on it. It's a bit of a cumbersome process to enter, but seeing the biggest smile on my dog's face was well worth it.

My wife and I took our two granddaughters here today, and I was astonished at what a lovely place…read moreit was - and staffed with such helpful people. It's a hodden Twin Cities gem!

I have been here in the Summer and also in the winter. It is a nice park that isn't too small just…read moreoff of Hwy 169. We have gone here for some cross country skiing last winter with a bunch of assorted family members! It was a blast. We were also here to take senior pictures for our son a few years back. This park isn't too large that you would get lost. The trails are not paved but most of them are mowed and clear. This used to be an old family farm and many of the buildings and the old house still exist. They have several small lakes to enjoy walking around in the summer. They have ski trails and snowshoe trails in the winter. We always enjoy this park when we come here. We have family that live in nearby Henderson which is just down the road past the Ney Nature Center, heading west on Hwy 19. There are places to eat and shop in town. If you are running low on fuel, they also have a few gas stations. We are planning to return this winter to ski some more! Maybe i will see you there! Enjoy the photos!

This is THE best dog park in a 30 mile radius. It is definitely worth the drive. Pack a lunch and…read moreyour doggy - you don't even need a leash. It's also not overcrowded so you can ensure a stress free fun walk This off leash dog park area runs roughly 2 miles in a loop along the Crow River in Hanover/St. Michael. There is so much room for dogs to run and a well maintained, mulch trail to guide you. In the summer it is ideal for dogs to play in the calm areas of the river. I haven't have many experiences with "bad owners" either which is a bonus. The dogs out here seem well socialized and exercised.

My family and I wanted to take our dog in a nice trail to enjoy all the fall colors. It was a…read morereally nice well kept up park with picnic benches, bathrooms, and even a fountain for your four footed Trail Blazers. I really enjoyed our time here and look forward to trying the other trails offered at this park.

Prarie Park is a nice place to spend time with your family. It has everything here. There is a…read moreplayground, half basketball court, a skate ramp, baseball field, soccer field, sand volleyball court, splash pad, picnic tables all around, and covered areas to eat. There's portapotties all around the area, but no actual bathrooms with plumbing or anywhere to change. The splash pad is just water spraying from the ground, there are no fun water tables or anything. The playground is pretty nice and there is a smaller one for smaller kids as well. There is also a fairly big parking lot so finding space should be easy. The park is very nicely maintained, the grass is cut and there's pretty flowers planted everywhere. There's no graffiti on the playground and there's no garbage thrown around.

This place is great! The water is cold in the water park which makes it good to cool off in heat!…read moreThere is a big and small park both for certain ages. There are water things that shoot out of the ground in the splash pad. There is one bucket that dumps on you in the splash pad. There is a soccer field and a gagaball pit! There are also pickleball courts that come WITH SUPPLIES! (Balls and rackets.) There is a full-court for basketball! (Even though it doesn't come with a ball it is still fun to bring a ball!) There is a lot of open space to like throw a football or play a game! There are picnic tables and portapotties! The playground isn't the most fun playground, but because of everything else this is 4 stars!!