This is a fabulous park in St Paul. It's easily accessible by bike trail. This is a perfect spot to…read moreenjoy some green space, with a view of the Mississippi River. I'd love to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic here.

We did an Urban Sketching event at this park. We were there to sketch the paper machete Mexican…read moresculptures. So colorful and lively. I was surprised at how many people were walking about enjoying this artwork. I parked off the island and walked over the bridge. Didn't realize there was parking right on the island. Either way, the walk was not an issue and the parking limit was 4 hours off the island so plenty of time. Definitely worth a trip to check out this outdoor exhibit.

Good for walking breaks. Nice park that I used to take my kids to when they were small. The bike…read morepark was new to me so glad to see it being used. The bike repair stations are a nice touch. I love the trails and boardwalk but it's not my favorite lake to swim in due to the algae.

6/3/22: Compared to La Lake Park, Carver Lake is an actual park. It has a park loop trail that's…read more3.8 miles and is good for walking, running, hiking & mountain biking. There's a section with a free parking lot, a small beach for swimming (no lifeguard), bathrooms and an actual paved trail, as well as dirt trails. There is also a slight incline on the trails, which is nice for those wanting an extra workout challenge. The trails are also well maintained. The bonus was that the weather was perfect today (no bugs) and we saw a deer! If you go deep into the woods, you don't hear the traffic and it really feels like you're deep in nature. Carver Lake is better for outdoor activity compared to La Lake Park. They're probably less than a mile apart, so if you're close to both, just go to Carver.

The refuge is a great place to explore nature. There are many trails to hike both short and long…read more The Visitor's Center has a wonderful display and activities. There is also a viewing area where there are bird feeders. A favorite is the turkeys that stop by! The staff here are helful and friendly. They also plan community events that are always fun and educational.

Hooray, I finally came here when the visitor center was open! I've been a couple of times in the…read morepast just to do some hiking on the trails, but I'd never gotten to see the inside as the hours are somewhat narrow being just Wednesday through Sunday. It looked really grandiose from the outside, so I'm unsurprised the inside was quite modern and comfortable. It's comprised of many available seating areas where you can sit and relax (I especially recommend the seating facing the bird feeders, though there's also a cozy fireplace), or simply wander and explore the exhibits they have up with information on them about the history of the refuge, the work its done and is doing, and the animals that inhabit it. This is important work! I'm so glad they're doing it. Unsurprisingly there is a gift shop with expected trinkets such as stickers, pins, patches, plushies, postcards, jewelry, hankerchiefs, and lots of books. So if you'd like to support the refuge and get a little something for yourself, that's a great way to do it. There is additionally an art gallery with revolving local Minnesota artists that take inspiration from nature, an auditorium playing a looped track, and plenty of space for kids to play (including corn hole and giant puzzles). There is a conference room (downstairs) and a community room (upstairs), and considerable office space (not open to the public, obviously). Two water bottle refill stations. Clean bathrooms (separated by gender, but there's also a bonus unisex, accessible one). These folks do LOTS of events throughout the year, most of them completely free to attend (some require RSVP, others don't), so I recommend keeping an eye out for something that interests you. Plenty of free parking is available on site. There are picnic tables around the visitor center, as well as an outlook with binoculars. If you go down along the left side the visitor center, it will take you to the trails if you're here to do some hiking. :)

Dropped by because my husband and I are planning to buy a home soon, and any place we live needs to…read morebe nearby a public park. I had a lot of fun while I was here! There is more than one entrance/parking lot where you can park; I entered from Upper Afton Road in the Pavilion Area and hiked through that area as well as the Eastern Trails area sound of that. Total time spent was two and a half hours just enjoying the trails and scenery and exploring about, and I didn't even check out the Bluff Corridor or Winthrop Recreation areas! The playground is most certainly an A+ feature of the park. The slides are tall enough to even give an adult a thrill going down, haha. There's also a fun zipline and some natural climbing poles as well that are fun. If that's not enough, there's even a waterpark! (Obviously the waterpark is seasonal June to August, so it wasn't open while I was there, but still so neat!) The pavilion is quite large, a bandshell-esque structure with plenty of picnic tables and shade, with trash cans and recycling and bathrooms available (toilets are also seasonal, but there were plenty of port-a-potties scattered about so you could relieve yourself). I was also delighted by the small pollinator/gardening area, which also featured a free little library. The trails are well maintained and primarily paved for multi-use. There were some dirt paths you could choose to take in the Eastern Trails area, which I did. Many of them offer additional elevation change to increase your challenge rating, if desired. c: I appreciated the frequent and easily legible trail marker signs at each intersection; I was never at risk of getting lost! All in all, a large peaceful place to enjoy nature.

I've been a couple times to walk the 2 mile paved loop this summer and the views are stunning. So…read moreexcited this park is so close by.

Hidden jem in the middle of oakdale. Highly recommend for a nice walk and bird watching. Bring your…read morekids bring your spouse, bring whoever wants to learn about nature. I particularly liked the info on the plant life. Plenty of fun birds to watch and just an overall peace visit. Only downside is there are no bike racks. Oh well.

My husband and I were looking for something to do close to home but also in nature and found this…read moreplace! The nature center building is closed on the weekend but the trails are open dawn to dusk. The trails were nice and secluded with so many native species of trees and flowers and animals. The trials aren't very well labeled as far as direction so taking a picture of the map was handy! The overall terrain was very easy and took us 30 minutes to walk the majority of the trail with frequent stops to read signs and watch birds. I would highly recommend and will be back again!

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.

We hiked for about 3 miles through the woods and prairie. The section along the Crow River was…read morereally nice. The trails are very nice to hike on.

Great park and trail system on the Mississippi River. There's two sides one in Brooklyn park and…read moreother in coon rapids. You cross the river walking the dam. Theres endless places to fish and lots of trails. Renovated visitor centers and playgrounds.

Oh my gosh it was so beautiful and peaceful with many walking trails and such. A breathtaking view…read moreI could have stayed all day. Excellent for a walk or bike ride. Check out Thursday evenings during the summer for great free music...and free parking! My friends and I enjoyed the amazing Minnesota band, The Power of 10 and danced to it all night long!

Nice walking area on the Mississippi River with open spaces and wildflowers and grass fields…read more There's a disc golf course here too.