First stroll of the season! Overall a good couple mile trail system in the heart of Eden prairie…read more Reminds me a lot of Elm Creek Park in Maple grove with the park and beach overlooking the lake. The trails are nicely paved as well as some gravel and dirt trails if you get deeper into the wooded areas. Concessions, trail maps nice playground for the kids and a nice size beach for the area it's in. Definitely want to come back when the leaves start returning.

A city park with a load of amenities and plenty of free parking…read more Just blocks from shopping and offices is a quiet well kept park. Boat launch, beach with large umbrellas where I saw at least 10 would be artists practicing their hobby. Swimmers and beach loungers. There is a walking trail and an off-leash dog park. Boat and canoe rentals are available as well. Even Disc Golf. Picnic tables and of course the all important concession stand which opens at 11:00 a.m. daily! The hiking trail is listed as 1.5 miles and then merges with a state trail.

We took our pup for a walk around purgatory creek park and appreciated the approximately one mile…read moreloop around the water. Having the loop non-paved, and the section crossing the water being uneven, may be difficult for those with accessibility concerns. The seating area and landscaping seemed to be well maintained. We appreciated having a bathroom as well.

This park was really a pleasant surprise. I accidently found it and I was so glad I did - looked…read morelike it had a great walking trail around it but then you can also cross the lake and go out to explore a little on this 'island' in the middle. Such a cool place to explore and see some fun animals. I meant to make it to the sunset but was not close enough to it - I am guessing they are amazing.

Had some extra time to spare before an event nearby and it was reasonably nice outside (aka,…read moreforties in March lol), so I decided to take a hike around the lake. You won't manage to escape road noise really because it's surrounded on three sides by fairly busy roadways, but still better than nothing! It's not a long walk around, just about forty-five minutes worth at a leisurely pace. The park actually features two paved trails that run parallel to one another, with the outer ring for bicyclists and other wheeled conveyance usage, and on-foot folk on the inner ring. Dogs do need to be on leash. Occasional benches around the lake, and a cute man-made waterfall. There are a couple of gazebos near the parking lot for if you'd like to have a picnic. The bandshell structure was particularly impressive and neat. There are bathrooms built into the back of it, which were even open during off season, so that was highly appreciated. Water fountain was currently turned off though, unsurprisingly. Parking lot seemed a bit small, but perhaps most folks who visit are from the surrounding office buildings on their lunch break.

Walked around here for the first time today.. and wow, I wish I had found this place sooner! I have…read moredriven past here many times but did not realize that it is the perfect over lunch walk around a lake. It is perfect because you get water front walking, woods walking, you can see the changing of the leaves. There are multiple places to park as well and you don't pass many cars at all. There is also a cute little waterfall (very mini) but nonetheless, some lovely nature for in the middle of the day. Will definitely be back there!

This place I have been SOOOO many times! The high dive is so fun and exhilarating…read more... The food is amazing (I recommend SpongeBob popsicle) The water is not polluted because they do not let and speedboats or stuff like that (although you always wonder if something is lurking in the depths....) If you are wearing goggles I recommend looking for the fish under the mini docks, but DO NOT wear them in the deep. It makes everything scaryyyyy~

Great place to enjoy a sunny afternoon. Shady Oak beach is…read morewell maintained and the staff is super helpful and friendly. When my son lost his glasses two lifeguards - Beth and Josh - jumped into action to help retrieve them Thank you!

Shhh! Dont go here!…read more You should totally go here. I've been going here for years, including before and during the times of Covid. The swimming beach is rarely crowded. The life guards are legit, like you want them to be. The water is big enough for little kid play and big kid or adult swimming. There's a splash pad! There's a fishing pier! There's a shady place with tables to eat! There are decent bathrooms! And it's free, like parks should be.

Friends invited us to this city gem, with three girls under 7 you are always looking for ways to…read morebeat the sun. Amazing splash pad Great little beach on a city lake - a a few stationary umbrellas but also some tree line off the water. Lifeguards that are a little intense but safety first. Picnic tables and a shaded area for those not wanting to bake - great area for birthday parties. Good public restrooms not super close to the beach but doable. Special needs accessible and has a fishing pier for kids to top it off :) We carried in a cooler and our own umbrellas and had an amazing day!

When my 9-5 job starts to drag and I begin to envision scenes from the movie "Office Space", I lace…read moreup my tennis shoes and head to Lake Smetana for a quick run. The scenery and solitude of the lake calms me. Lake Smetana has a 1.6-mile loop trail around the lake (Running the outskirts of the lake will put the run closer to 3 miles). The path is fully paved and scenic. The trail is not very busy, except for lunchtime Monday-Friday, when workers in the surrounding office buildings often walk or run on the path. There are water fountains and several benches placed along the path. I've never seen a boater on the lake, but there is a boat ramp off of Flying Cloud Drive and Smetana Lane. The lake is pretty and looks like a nice place for a romantic boat picnic or kayaking. All I know is that after my run around the lake, my day always looks better. Great for a walk with friends, quiet meditation, nature watching, a quick run, or a quiet lunch if you live or work in the area.

Great little neighborhood park!…read more This is a well kept full featured park. They have a fair sized playground with big and little slides, infant swings, big kid swings, and a small sun shelter. The playground is filled with newer mulch as of 2015. One of the great features of this park is that it has a tennis court that also serves as a full basketball court. They have a small boat launch for Red Rock Lake, although I've never seen anyone launching a boat at it, and I don't think the lake actually had many fish in it at all. Overall, nice little neighborhood park that the city keeps clean and updated.

I play volleyball here occasionally, and it's one of the most beautiful parks in the Twin Cities…read more It has well kept sand volleyball, basketball, and tennis courts. There's also a decent beach located on the lake. There's a ton of parking. Overall this park just has great vibes going on.

Okay, maybe I'm biased because my husband and I had our wedding at the barn at Lake Riley but... I…read morelove this park! Plenty of amenities such as trails, a picnic area, a basketball court, a tennis court, a big playground, grills, etc. The beach is really nice, and there is a lifeguard present. You can drink in the picnic area (not the beach). Makes for a nice afternoon.

We have been here in early spring and hiked up the hills, pretty steep and into the woods, and then…read morethe kids slid down just on their snowpants. Fun! They have a covered picnic area with 4- 6 tables, lots of playground equipment including an adaptive swing. The kids have gone out on the dock and fished, a small cute lake. This place usually isn't too busy which is nice but in the summer there tends for be local camps using the area, but still plenty of wide open green space for all to share.

After finding Bryant overrun with children, our hiking led us in a direction that somehow dumped us…read moreoff at Lone Lake Park. It was especially cool since we hadn't seen a bathroom since Bryant and their facilities were nice (besides some amateur artist using her permanent marker for evil purposes). Upon my initial look over, I saw ideal picnic shelters, a small playground, and basketball hoops, and of course, a pristine view of the lake and a dock for further inspection (and Instagramming). It isn't a big lake by any means, but the trails around it provide a good shaded hike that are also mildly challenging--my Fitbit sent me a notification I hit 50 flights of stairs climbed from going from Bryant to Lone Lake and back. Clean facilities (water and bathrooms), pretty views, and good trails? Check, check, and check.

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!

This is a nice park with a lot of walking trails. You can enjoy some nice views of water and…read morefoliage. Easy to get to with plenty of parking spots.