Great park/forest that offers: picnic tables, benches, boardwalks, hiking trails & x-country ski…read moretrails. There is a dirt parking lot at the north end of the park, off of 227th Avenue. 210 acres which makes this Linwood's largest park. Please respect the "no trespassing" signs that border the park. Lots of dog walking out here-per the signs dogs should be leashed but I witnessed lots of unleashed but pleasant dogs. We had a great hike today on many of the trails-just be sure to bring insect repellent & sunscreen & water. There are no bathroom/water facilities at this time.

Loved our weekend trip to this park! When we arrived, the parking lot was very busy and there were…read morevery few spots left, even though it's a pretty sizeable lot for a park. We quickly learned this was because there was a special event going on (the Sankofa celebration) inside the center, with vendor tables and a couple of food trucks and even some crafting activities. So we got to experience that on top of the rest of the park's great amenities! The center is sleek and modern inside. LOTS of toilets (single occupant, all-gender), lots of coat hangars, multiple water bottle refill stations. The ground level has some cool reptile/amphibians behind glass you can ogle, as well as interactive informational displays (great for kids and adults, imo). Downstairs they have the rental booth for gear and educational rooms (they had a falcon demo in one while we were there!). Beside the center is an awesome multilevel playground, very fun. As well as a splash pad (for non-winter months) and an elevated boardwalk. The most nearby attraction is obviously the dam, which has an impressive spillway that's mesmerizing to watch. You can even walk across it to go over the river to the park on the other side. Apparently this spot is popular with fishers (though I don't have much knowledge on that subject). There are also trails that can be explored. Paved routes good for all recreational uses, as well as further out hiking paths that are just dirt. It'd be great to come back out again sometime and explore more. Across the street it seemed there was even archery!

I'm really happy this park has been updated to such a lovely and unique park. I love the the…read morenatural material and wood playground. The new visitor center is very nice and cute.

This review is only regarding the cliff jumping you can do at the park into the water- this review…read moreis not meant to discourage others to go to this beautiful park - just to make people aware of the risks. If you plan to cliff jump - please read!!! I have been to this park many times in my life, and jumped off the high cliff into the water at least half a dozen times. Last Memorial Day, I went with my friends to enjoy the park. I went to the highest cliff jumping spot and I jumped off into the water. I immediately knew something was wrong with my spine when I hit the water as I could barely breathe and my back exploded in pain. As the signs state at the park - you jump at your own risk. It was clear they do not have a protocol for when people get injuries. It took about 10 minutes to get a ranger to come over and help, who did end up calling an ambulance, but they did not offer anything else. They didn't clear the area, and people continued to climb up and jump around me. My friends had to kick me across the whole quarry to get to the shore to get to the ambulance. At the hospital they did an x-ray and a vertebrae in my spine had compressed due to the angle I hit the water and fractured. It was about a 5-month recovery with a back brace full time. If you go for the cliff jumping just be aware that there is a risk jumping into the water, and the risk gets greater the higher you go. All this to say - the park is beautiful and it is still a lovely spot for swimming and hiking. Just know the risks before you go cliff jumping into the water.

Definitely a gem in this little town. The walking trails are pleasant and go for miles. Wear…read morecomfortable shoes. There's a quarry with cliffs to dive from. Parking fee's vary $5 Sep-May and $10 during the summer.

Whitetail Woods is such a great park system tucked near the University of Minnesota agricultural…read moreresearch farm. It's one of my favorite nature spots close to the Twin Cities. Even though it's not far from the metro, once you're out on the trails it really feels like you're deep in nature. It's quiet, peaceful, and you can't hear any city noise. There are plenty of trail options with different lengths and scenery. You'll find trails around the lake, wooded paths, prairie areas, and a mix of paved and natural surfaces. It's also very dog friendly, which is a big plus. They've done a great job with the amenities too. There's a nice play area for kids, restrooms, and well-maintained paths. One of the best things about this park is that it rarely feels overcrowded.

I love this park! Whitetail Woods is a relatively new part of the Metropolitan Parks System, but…read moreit has quickly become a favorite. It is close to the cities, yet when you're walking/hiking/snowshoeing, or whatever, it feels very isolated. Part of that in nature feel is because it is primarily surrounded by federal or state wildlife area and a U of MN researh farm. We first discovered if for snowshoeing and it continues to be one of our favorites for that activity. There's hiking trails you can walk on, or you can explore your own path. The terrain is varied with flat plains, lots of hills, plus swamps. Though we love it best in Winter, it is beautiful for hiking during any season. There's enough variation in terrain that you can get a good workout. Though it has become more popular as people have discovered it, it is still large enough that you do not feel overrun. There are also camper cabins if you would like to stay overnight. Highly recommend as an outdoor escape.

First time camping with our trailer and it was a good campsite to start at! Only 20 minutes away…read morefrom the cities. The site was clean and maintained. The bathrooms were well kept and all around the campsite. The trails and bike paths were nice and plentiful. You can walk around by the lake and fish. The site itself was open and wasn't very private but not too close to where it's suffocating. Overall a great place to camp!

This is our second time here. We've been here in Aug the first time and the weather was cooler than…read morethis time around. We camped in the A-loop campground this past Memorial Day Weekend and it was hot. The sites are a good size lot that you could for two vehicles if tent camping and could for up to four structures. The bathrooms are modern and clean. The showers are good except that the hot/warm water are low if you take showers in the evening.

Newly opened FREE regional park just north of the Elk River Golf Club, is 427 acres of dense woods,…read moreprairies & wetlands. It is called the crown jewel of Elk River Park system (with good reason). This park offers: archery & biathlon ranges, cross country skiing trails, paved & grass trails, picnic tables, benches, and the Glacial Ridge Nature Play Area (fort building sticks, log balance beam, boulder scramble, log climbing, tunnels, benches and water pump feature). We took an evening hike with the Elk River Park & Rec Department and explored a nice trail. They arranged to have a demonstration of the Biathlon at the shooting range.

This is a great trail park to take walks. I give it four stars though, because there is no…read moreplayground for kids to play, and the wood logs that they have set up for kids to jump around are not safe and I have seen kids fall and get hurt. That aside, there's a nice covered shelter there, the trails are nice and clean and paved, they have plenty of maps everywhere along the trails and the nature is beautiful.

Only an hour from the metro area, this park offers incredibly beautiful views with a variety of…read moretrails for all hiking levels. I personally prefer visiting parks earlier in the day to avoid foot traffic, but even as we left around noon it didn't feel as crowded despite how many people were there. No matter which side of the park (MN or WI) you find yourself, you will not be disappointed!

Beautiful! You don't need an agenda or plan, just explore and enjoy nature. The scenery is…read moreincredible. Just go, look and listen.