Minnesota has always impressed me with the effort it puts into its green spaces, parks, trails and…read moreespecially its playgrounds. There are a lot of good ones scattered throughout the Twin Cities, but the Hyland Play Area is operating on a different scale. The first thing that hits you is simply the enormity of it. A landscape photo barely does it justice. This isn't a playground with a couple of oversized structures--it's an entire playscape built around elevation, exploration and seemingly endless ways for kids to disappear upward and reappear somewhere completely different. There are distinct areas that make it approachable for kids of different ages, select water features, and plenty for younger children to explore without making the bigger kids feel like they've outgrown it. But the stars are those towering structures and enormous climbs spread throughout the park. If you've got a kid who needs to "get their zombies out," this ought to do it. A determined child could probably accumulate the equivalent vertical ascent of Minnesota's Eagle Mountain before lunch. What impressed me almost as much as the playground itself was how well the space handles people. There can seemingly be hundreds of kids here and somehow it doesn't feel like hundreds of kids. The scale absorbs everyone. Instead, you get this constant background soundtrack of giggles, playful screams and kids absolutely exhausting themselves. And somebody clearly thought about the adults. There are huge umbrellas providing shade along with benches, tables and places to settle in while the kids go explore. You quickly understand why the crowd is such an interesting mix: stay-at-home parents making a morning of it, grandparents with their grandchildren, friends meeting up with their kids, and even remote workers squeezing in some laptop time while periodically looking up to make sure everyone is still accounted for. It's less "take the kids to the playground for 30 minutes" and more pack some food, bring water and make this the destination. We're only reviewing the play area for now, but based on this alone, Hyland deserves the five stars. It's enormous without feeling chaotic, ambitious without forgetting the little kids, and thoughtfully designed for the adults who inevitably spend half their day here too. Minnesota does parks exceptionally well. This is one of the ones worth going out of your way for.

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!

I recently came here to ice skate and had a really pleasant time! The pond had been cleared off in…read morea somewhat oval shape and was relatively smooth. I would recommend it if you have your own skates!

Fireman's Park is located on the west side of downtown Chaska. Easily accessed by walking and…read moredriving. It is adjacent to the Chaska community center and Crooked Pint's patio overlooks it. It is a fantastic area for kids. With playgrounds, a splash pad, and fishing allowed by the DNR it is a great place for first-time fishing experiences. The lake has crappies, bluegill, walleye, and largemouth bass. It is also ice-skating available in the winter months. The landscaping is beautiful. They have flower gardens and an awesome boardwalk that lights up at night. It's a stunning sight. The fun continues with a beach that has lifeguards on duty from 1 PM - 7 PM during the season in addition to your required supervision. The concession stand and restrooms are available from Memorial Day to October. a beach. Planning a party? The picnic shelters are available to rent for an affordable cost. You can rent a time block of 9 AM - 3 PM or 4 PM - 10 PM. Speaking of renting.. paddle boats and paddle boards are also available for 30 minutes at a time. There are many monuments around the park to teach about the brick-making in Chaska and the history of the local fire firefighters. It is so important to see brave heroes being memorialized and remembered here.

Me and my friends go here all the time and it's one of our favorite spots to play soccer, frisbee…read moreand just any sport or game.

I remember going to Powderhorn Park as a kid. Happy to see it still around and well maintained…read more I've been here just to walk and/or chill, the art fair and more recently went for a pride event. The event was pretty chill. They had vendors, free food, live performances and such going on. Parking was all street. I parked 2 blocks down into the surrounding neighborhood. There is a lake - Powderhorn lake. The water didn't look the best as far as swimming or anything but generally nice for the views. There is a playground & wading pool. Also some other amenities.

17.5 acre park in Arden Hills. The warming house for the ice skating area is CLOSED due to Covid…read moreconcerns. This park offers: soccer & baseball fields, basketball & tennis courts, an ice playground, a picnic shelter and tables, benches along the asphalt path. The best part of this park is the trail system! On our visit today we saw a family sledding down the hill, and a scary sled path as well. Next time-we bring the sled!

This Carver Park Lake Auburn Campground is so very well maintained. And it's quiet and calming…read moresituated among the woods of Victoria, Minnesota just 29 miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis. I absolutely loved every minute of my one night stay here! For any person, avid camper, adventurer, tourist, or simply just a local wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city or looking for a short weekend getaway...this Lake Auburn Campground is it! Alright well, although it may not have all the amenities I look for when camping out (like showers, flush toilets and electrical AMP Power), I was easily able to overlook all of those additions for the simple fact this place is so easily accessible for folks like myself who showed up randomly without a reservation and needing a simple spot to rest for the evening. I couldn't have been more pleased and satisfied with my experience here. Let me run down all the terrific details this Carver Park Lake Auburn Campground offers.... - They have 57 campsites. - Prices are $15.44 for each campsite per night and then with 6.8% sales tax it = $16.50 in total. - They accept cash or check payments. - There's Wi-Fi, though cell phone reception works perfectly. - You can purchase firewood for $5 per bundle. - Check-in is at 4pm and you can check-out as late as 3pm. - You can re-register for each additional night starting at 11am. - Make reservations ahead of time by calling (763) 559 - 6700. - Quiet hours are 10pm - 7am. - Maximum of 2 tents and 6 guests per site or 1 tent and 1 RV. - Each site has a firepit and picnic table for barbecuing. - Pets are permitted at campsites but must be leashed among the grounds. - Even beer and wine are permitted, though no kegs or hard liquor. - How cool...they rent canoes, rowboats and single kayaks by the lake for $15 every 2 hours, and tandem kayaks for $20 every 2 hours. - Dump Station is $5. Some last things I'd like to mention.... - I discovered this Carver Park Lake Auburn Campground through the amazing app on my phone called Campendium. I highly recommend it for all camping enthusiasts. - The entrance road into the campground was not paved but easily drivable on very flat ground. - Once past the entrance station, I simply looked for an unoccupied campsite, backed my car into the space, set up my tent and then returned to the front section with my written check payment inside an envelope and released it into a white drop box. - I was able to pitch my tent on nice, fluffy grass which made the padding for lying down inside my tent that much more comfortable. Ya know, a lot of campgrounds are situated along hard, dirt ground that can make for difficult night sleeps. But not here, I always appreciate setting up on the grass! - Even though it was no big deal for me, there weren't any showers and only vault toilets. I guess just keep that in mind for when visiting. - The town of Victoria, MN is only 2 miles away and has all the extra necessities you'd expect from a big town like restaurants, grocery stores and even a Dairy Queen to stop in for a blizzard dessert treat at night. And that's it. I can't say enough good things about this Carver Park Lake Auburn Campground. Had I been staying in the area longer I'd happily camp out another few nights. In the end, I just keep thinking about how it was so peaceful here among the charming woodsy outdoors of Minnesota...I hope I can return during my 2022 summer cross country road trip.

Looking forward to checking this out this summer!!! The people working there were very nice and…read morehelpful

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.

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.

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 for the Eagan Market Fest at the Eagan Community Center (select Wednesdays), but I was a…read morebit early for doors so I decided to go exploring the surrounding park grounds. It's not much in the way of hiking, as the longest path/loop is only a mile long and fully paved with asphalt, but it's got a lot of amenities that would make for an excellent visit during warmer months. This includes a kid's playground, an extensive fitness zone, a splash pad (with toilets and water fountain-- not operating during winter), a bandshell, and a sizable festival grounds. On the other end of the park (near Pilot Knob) there's a gazebo structure with more seasonal restrooms/water fountain, with a multitude of picnic tables, trash/recycling, and grills that would be excellent for outdoor get-togethers. There is parking at both this location and by the splash pad, as well as the massive lot attached to the community center. There's a couple small lakes and plenty of trees, so it's a nice little retreat (even if right across the street is a massive outdoor shopping center...).

I've been bringing my kids to this park for over 10 years. They started with the playground, and we…read moreloved when the splash pad was installed. Now, they like to work out at the Core Valley area (we call it Ninja Warrior Park), while I walk the lovely trails around the pond area. The band shell has some free performances sometimes. My fav feature is the cute gazebo and bridge next to the pond. A very well thought out park for so many uses, including art fairs, food truck fairs, a weekly farmer's market and even a huge July 4th celebration. The Eagan Community Center building is conveniently located the middle of the park.