Beautiful park with hiking trails. There's also a dog area so that's always a plus. The trails…read moreconnect to other regional trails so make sure you read the maps or bring your own so you don't get lost.

A great walking path if you don't mind a bug or two…read more Hike (or bike) along rice creek in several areas with plenty of newly remodeled benches to rest on. Many connections to other regional trails for the more adventurous. A small area park lies just over a foot bridge for the younger set.

Maybe I don't want to leave a 5-start review because then the secret is out…read more I'm searching for nice, quiet beaches around Blaine. I got tired of Anoka County Parks beaches with lifeguards because they tend to be overcrowded and loud. But that's a different post... Golden Beach was recommended to me a couple of years ago, and I finally took that advice. Easy access off of Lexington, down a quiet residential street. No wonder it's a hidden gem. I had no clue this was back here. A big parking lot right next to a playground. The lot was just re-tarred, but no lines were painted yet. The beach is not visible from the parking lot/playground due to a hill... added privacy. A slight walk to the beach made us pass a clean bathroom and pavilion. On the way back to the car, I noticed there was a concession stand open. Must be on the back side of the restroom building. There was another path leading into tree cover (away from beach path)...did not explore where that went. The beach is narrow and long. There was a retaining wall separating the sand from the grass. Prefect place for kids and adults to sit on while getting sunscreen put on or their swim shoes. Lots of grass to sunbathe in. Big mature trees to find shade under for those not wanting to fry as they watch the water. The swimming area is not roped off. To one side is high reeds. To the other is a fishing dock. Kid swimmers were either out in the open or towards the reeds. I dipped my toe in...87 degrees out and it was cold. There was staked signage that the water was treated with something (I can't remember what). It said the water was safe to swim in, but not to drink it (people and pets). The water didn't look clear, no algae. A very lovely beach. How no one reads this so that it stays that way!

Local Golden Lake Park is a public park on the lake. No outboard motors are allowed on this small…read morelake, so it's a quiet lake to enjoy. Fishing, swimming, hiking, canoe or kayak here. The playground equipment and picnic shelter are closed due to CV-19.

We came to the park by the library. We were with our grandsons and daughter. It is a great size…read morepark for 3+ years old. Our grandson really enjoyed the park. We go to the library often for story time which he really enjoys.

Small, quiet playground in the park behind Circle Pines City Hall & just south of Centennial…read moreLibrary. Adaptive equipment on the playground, benches to sit on, a picnic table to eat nearby. Beyond this playground there are gravel hiking trails.

A local park actually located in Circle Pines. A park for all seasons: ball field, playground,…read moreice skating rink and hiking/biking trails. At this time of year, the trees and sumac make a colorful walk. The parking lot is sand. One of the main trails meets with the Rice Creek Regional Trail-making it a perfect place to leave (and LOCK) your car and bike or hike! For map, go to: ci.circle-pines.mn.us

Rice Creek Regional Trail Corridor is quite long-I think that this Yelp review pertains to the…read moreregional trail between the Lexington Avenue to almost the old Arsenal. There is a paved hiking/biking trail as well as a wetland Rice Creek flowing through it. This really is a lovely area. The Rice Creek Off-Leash Dog Area is on just off Lexington Avenue North. There's a canoe access area just before the main parking lot. The public bathrooms are closed for the season.

Wow, Rice Creek is a hidden gem. I'm specifically talking about the creek, we didn't use the…read morewalking trails or dog park. We kayaked down rice creek from County Rd J to Old Highway 8, which goes through Rice Creek Park. It was amazing! It's hard to realize you are ok the Twin Cities, as you are completely surrounded by nature. We saw cranes, deer, ducks, musk rats, flowers, reeds, calm flowing water, and all sorts of other nature. We did not see cars, houses, buildings, advertisements, or any of the other normal sensory bombardments of city life. The entire creek, or water trail as it's called, is pretty long and goes through several lakes. The portion we went down was about 4.5 glorious miles. The water is pretty shallow throughout and the only rough water is just right after you go under a couple of bridges. If you have access to any paddle powered water craft, go check it out now!

2.4 acre heritage park in Shoreview. Highlighting the Lepak Larson Farmhouse and the Guerin Texaco…read moreGas Station. Before Shoreview was a suburb, it was a place of farmsteads & cabins along the lakes. This farmhouse was built in 1896 by the German immigrant family Lepak.

A very nice park with plenty of parking. It is next to the Turtle Creek Open Space Area (which…read moredoes not have any paths/walks thru it). This park has baseball fields (including Frank Viola Field), 2 tennis courts, basketball courts, lacrosse & soccer fields, as well as 2 ice rinks, small sledding hill, open areas to cross-country ski and snowshoe.

This is hands down my favorite dog park. Now with that being said, I'm giving it only 4 stars…read morebecause of the lack of a clean water for the dogs to run in. Sure, the creek is right there, but it's not in the dog park. But honestly, why quibble? This place is great! Each loop on the side sandy/icy track (depending on the season) is a 1/2 mile trek and a great way to get your way steps in as your hound does the same. Crowd wise it always varies. I've been there early where I'm the only one and the hound is running everywhere sniffing and pissing on all as he gets a sensory overload. Other times not only is the hound running everywhere sniffing and pissing on all, he's also playing with the other hounds that are there. And he yes, he's getting his ass sniffing on. There are two gates. trash cans at each location. Plus sometimes cans are located around the main loop along with that occasional picnic table where us out of share humans can sit. Water is brought in by volunteers (from home during the summer months) along with mailboxes situated to easily grab a plastic bag to pick up after your hound. But honestly, the main reason this place is so amazing (s/b a five star review but we don't every asshole showing up) is the fact that there are volunteers who work with the county, donate personal resources, along with their own time to make this place so great. Don't believe me? Go to their FB page as there is a real community about this place. Oh! One last thing. When it's cold, and that wind blows from the west across the open field and where you walk, you will feel it. Also, there are times when that same loop can be incredibly icy so be careful.

We really loved this dog park! Parking was great. There is a little short walk to the entrance of…read morethe park. The park itself is great, they have a great system of making sure all of the dogs have enough water with a watering station, lots of water jugs, and even a water wagon to help transport the full jugs to the park. Make sure you grab a full water jug when you go walking around the park to help out and fill up the various bowls around the walking path. There are also lots of grocery bags in the mail boxes!

12 acre neighborhood park in Blaine (but close to Circle Pines, so people refer to either…read moremunicipality). This park offers an asphalt trail around the park, a playground, picnic tables and benches, a tennis/pickle ball court, basketball court, baseball and softball fields. There is a dedicated off-Street parking lot but it is unplowed today (lots of snow), but the walking path has been cleared.

Located off of Aqua Lane, this little patch of woods is a delightful stop along the Rice Creek…read moreRegional Trail. There are a couple of parking spots along Aqua Lake. It's just a short walk to the bridge and the creek. It's not paved but a nice place to walk in the woods.