Dropped by because my husband and I are planning to buy a home soon, and any place we live needs to be 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. read more

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

Battle Creek Regional Park - Parks Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

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This is for the dog park, and honestly, I'm surprised all the activities this park offers (5 stars right there) doesn't have this, the hiking, biking and everything else broken out in separate categories. So in regards to the dog park, I'll give it 4 stars as sometimes it feels like you have some sketchy folks hanging out. I'm also used to being able to keep an eye on the hounds for the most part. Here there is a lot of growth and I just wish I had an idea of where they are going (skunky old water?). Overall though it is a great place to go if you are in the area and need to get your walks in and the hounds get their sniffs on. read more

When they say "dog park" they don't mean a backyard-sized fenced area that no matter where you stand the dogs are always in view. They mean it's miles and miles of off-leash hiking. It is fully enclosed but truly you could spend hours in the dog section alone. Any off-leash opportunities like that are special and rare and I'm glad to live so close to one. Well maintained park with ample amounts and types of trails (paved, grassy, dirt, etc). Great signage throughout. I've done both trail running and hiking and had a great time doing both. I recommend parking in the southern lot as it's not as busy and there is dog-park access just a short ways to the left of the parking lot. I also recommend using the All Trails app on your phone as opposed to Google maps for a more detailed and accurate trail guide. Just a fantastic place to get a nature fix or get your sweat on. read more

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Not a bad park as it has long trails however it is very hilly in some places and not all trails are paved so be aware of that before you bring your bike. A lot of the park is taken up by a large off leash dog park so if you have a dog that likes to run around outside you have to check it out. read more

This park is huge and awesome and has a lot to offer! Even if you know about it, you might not know about ALL of it, considering there's the huge western chunk in St Paul and the huge eastern chunk in Maplewood. They both have miles and miles of trails through forests and around lakes and ponds. The East section in Maplewood has many paved trails, a dog park, a picnic shelter, a playground, and a bunch of open fields. Oh and also a little water park! The West section has tons of dirt trails, many of which are specifically designed for mountain biking and cross country skiing, but these are also the trails with more varied elevation, which appeals to me as a more aggressive hiker. Many of the trails in the West section appear to have lighting for nighttime activities, and there are baseball diamonds and an indoor recreation center on that side of the park as well. I only started coming here in the fall of 2020; despite the limitations that come from that timing I find plenty of reasons to return, so I can scarcely imagine all the activities open to everyone during nice weather and zero pandemics! read more

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Battle Creek Off-leash Dog Park is a great place to get your pup, and yourself, some exercise. I use to live closer to Minnehaha Dog Park, and you can't beat the views and trails there, but this park is a great substitute. There's private parking lot, and it's free! The park is about 35 acres, and there are plenty of creeks and ponds for thirsty dogs. My favorite time of year to go is in the winter, even though I need to strap on ice trackers and wear about 5 layers of pants and socks, the air is nice and crisp and it's quieter in the winter. In the summer months towards the end of the season the water in the ponds get pretty yucky. It just sits there, so it's stale and stinky. I try not to let my dogs jump in, but when it's hot out and I see them running for it, I feel like I'm yelling "NOOOOO" in slow-mo even though I know the inevitable is going to happen. Then they just smell like butt the whole car ride home. I'll usually take one leisurely stroll around the outer big loop along the fence, then spend time in a large open area. There are a lot of small trails that you can cut through, benches to sit and enjoy the scenery, and multiple bag bins and trash areas so you can make sure to keep the park clean. It's definitely busier in the warmer months, and there are a lot of friendly pet owners out there. It's quite fun for me having two dogs to watch them interact with others. Sometimes when one dog is being embarrassing, like sniffing that one dogs behind for way too long, or what we as humans would consider rude, like barking at people with fanny packs, I just pretend like I don't know who owns that dog. Aside from the trails there are a couple of open areas for dogs to socialize or play fetch. Spending a good 45 minutes to an hour here will surely wear your dog out, and you too depending on how fast and hard you're walking. read more

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Awesome place to hike around. Even for mountain biking and skiing in the winter. There are over head lights throughout some bit of trails to make it a fun evening adventure park. Hike to the back for a view of the city St. Paul. Just through the trees. The trees here are massive and hikes are not difficult. Now I did notice some trails that hike off down steep slopes into the Abyss. I bet there is some difficulty in doing these ones. Battle Creek is magnificent for being right here in the town. No place like it for miles I'd say. read more

Battle Creek Regional Park - Peaceful place - Parks Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

I love everything about this park. It's a must every summer with my fur babies. There are many trails and even a dog park. read more

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Has to be the best park in the Twin Cities for a spirited hike. Lot's of elevation (at least for St. Paul, so you can get a great workout sprinting around uphill, laterally, etc.) The stairs by the parking lot were a great training ground for a "tough mudder" at Afton State Park, and there is a ton of space, so it's easy to find quiet spots and refuge within many areas of the park. Only downside is that cars (at least in the past years) have a tendency to get broken into by the riff raff in the area. A few years ago, it was so bad that just abou every other time I'd get done with a hike there was a broken car window upon returning to the main lot. I think they've installed security cameras though, so it should be much better now. read more

Battle Creek Regional Park - The Lewis n Clark pose. Likely taken circa 2004, wonder how much taller dis tree is now. - Parks Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

I love love love this park. You've got so much here: smooth paths for walking, vistas of really small mountains (lol, I'm not an natural sciences person), in-the-woods trails for hiking/biking, flowing waterways, even nice little waterfalls. It meanders and goes in so many ways, you could definitely spend the afternoon hiking about and not feeling like you've seen the whole thing! read more

Perfect for walks with your dog (pets). I love that there off-leash areas as an option. Aswell a huge playground perfect for kids just across the street and with many more trails to offer. read more

This dog park is a weekly trip for me, black lab and my son, who is eleven. I like that this park is so huge that we get a good workout along with the dog. Ponds, grass, hills, more ponds, woods, well maintained trails. People to say hi to, dogs to sniff, many poop bag stations and garbage bins along the way. Bring some old towels for those muddy pond days. Woof read more

This park is amazing! Beautiful woods with paved and grass trails. Felt like paradise crunching through all the leaves in such a beautiful place. Cross country skiing would be challenging with all the rolling hills and trees to potentially stop you... but I'm willing to give it a try as soon as the snow flies. The only thing out of place is the constant air traffic noise... Not used to that where I'm from. Now we almost didn't visit the dog park even though we had our little tyke with us as she usually is accosted by every big slobbery dog the moment she steps in those places and hates it. She loves to run off leash though and we found this dog park to be DOGGIE HEAVEN! No joke. With open spaces, trails through woods, benches for the doggie mommie and daddies to sit on, and two ponds to get wet/muddy in, it doesn't get any better than this. Gorgeous! Most dog parks are a fenced in dirt area with a dilapidated picnic bench and people smoking in their sweats. This was a whole other ballgame folks. Loved it! read more

The other evening we decided we could walk on the HUMAN side of the park as our 8 year old beast needed a night of rest after his last frolic to the off-leash dog part of the park. It was an absolutely gorgeous evening in Minnesota. The trail we went on was almost two miles round trip. It was a nice paved trail along tree lined hills and a stream. You will see and hear various birds and trickling water. There are also numerous benches if you want to just sit and relax. When you get to the end of the trail or if you decide to climb the hills you can take in an amazing view of the city. read more

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Great Dog Park, best off leash park in St Paul. BE CAREFUL WITH PERSONAL BELONGINGS IN PARKING LOT. My car window was smashed and wife's purse stolen. Even more unnerving is the thought that people lurk and wait in the parking lot to watch for people to leave their vehicles, or watch for a purse to be put in the trunk. Only to smash and grab when you walk away. Shameful .... There is a special place in hell for loser thieves that target dog park goers. I will find you read more

Ohhhh how I love the outdoors! Especially on days when it is 80 degrees and sunny! The sound of the wind, crickets, and birds warm my heart! I love Battle Creek Regional Park as it is located right in the heart of the city! This park has a paved and a non-paved trail that are friendly for people and dogs. The path is fairly easy as there is minimal incline (on the paved trail). There are benches spread throughout the park to rest, read, soak up the sun or whatever else tickles your fancy. Located at one end of the park is a small swimming area for dogs. During my visit today, I saw about 4 dogs with their owners having a great time! Although the dogs appeared as if they were having fun, I would not recommend this swimming area for humans. I'd recommend checking out this park if you're in the area! read more

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Hiked a bunch of new trails today. The hiking trails are nice and wide mowed Turf. Very well maintained. I didn't see any litter. I was very impressed and can't wait to go back read more

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An excellent Dog Park adventure for my ten-year old pooch. Lots of territory for frolicking and many other pooches for that most important doggy socialization activity. A definite return spot for me. read more

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This is a regular spot for my me and my Siberian husky. This is her favorite park because she likes to run. So with the huge amount of space there, she's able to go crazy and into the woods. When spring, summer and fall hits, we take a break from this location because of the ponds. My husky is fluffy and the water smells and there is a lot of algae. So it's just a lot of deal with. read more

Battle Creek Regional Park - Running at Battle Creek dog park. - Parks Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

DOG PARK - Great park with areas where you can get away from the pack if things heat up. A couple of the "ponds" turn into mud baths during dry periods. The southern play area (off Lower Afton Road) is mostly sand, while the larger northern play area (off Upper Afton Road) is like prairie grass. There is a series of paths and ponds that connects them. It might be my imagination, but this park seems to have more than its fair share of owners who couldn't care less about what their dog is doing or who bring dogs who aren't properly socialized. Thankfully, there is a large number of "regulars" willing to speak up when necessary. Also, folks should remember that a dog park is not a good place to bring small children. It is true that not all sides of the off-leash area are fenced, but this doesn't really cause any problems as the unfenced side only goes further into the wooded park and is bounded by a couple of ponds/wetlands. There is a plan to fence this border in the next several weeks, but there is some disagreement between the park board and the dog owners on whether or not the swimming ponds should be included in the fenced area of the off-leash park or within the general park. There are stainless steel bowls in both play areas, but not everyone thinks to bring a jug of water with them to share with the dogs -- I need to be better at this as well. Empty jugs are left out so that you can bring one back full of water the next time you return. It would be nice if a source of city water could be added. All in all, it's a nice place for man and dog alike. It's one of my favorite things to do with my dog on a nice sunny day -- in fact, I think that's where we're headed right now. read more

This is a great park from my childhood and I have many great memories here. My family love to make this park out go to place for family events. There is a good sized shelter on the top of the hill that overlooks the park and parking lot. At the shelter you have a grill and plenty of tables for a large family picnic. A trail goes around the whole edge of the park and there is a bridge that goes over a tiny dam that separates the two ponds. There is a big field for all sorts of sports to take place and a playground for kids. There is an additional large shelter with bathroom facilities in it. Several years ago they added a small water park towards the rear of the park beyond the parking lot. I haven't been there yet. Want a fun park thats not too intimidating then come here. Also across the street there is a dog park as well! read more

Five stars for the off-leash dog park now! This is pooch's preferred stomping grounds because of the space and the variety of areas such as the ponds and the grassy knolls, as well as the forested section. They've fenced in the entire area now, which calms my nerves, not that we spend any time near McKnight anyway and not that our pooch is one to bolt. There's plenty of parking at either the north or the south entrance, and the poop bag mailboxes seem to be well-stocked. Howevah... 3 stars for the rest of the park. We went over to the spur that's off Shepard Rd/Point Douglas Rd and had some fun tramping around on the trails that lead off from the paved section. My bad for suggesting it, though - hubby AND pooch both got tagged with some ticks. What the eff. We've done a lot of hiking in MI backwoods and have never been ticked! The removal part was a pretty gnarly experience. Take it from me, stick to the paved trail, which is pretty enough! read more

This is a lovely park. Very nice picnic shelters. Lots of birds to try to identify! We mostly use the dog park, and I love everything about it except the long walk over rough ground to get to it. This makes it very hard for older people or people with disabilities to use the park. There is a gate that doesn't require a long hike, but it is far from parking. But if you can get to it, it's a great place to let your dogs play. Lots of trails to walk with your happy pups. read more

We love this dog park. The fence we were conserned about when they put it in, but now it is good for dogs that aren't as well trained as ours (or have a tendency to run!). Parking lots at either end of the park. Porta-potty only at the South end parking lot, no restrooms at the North end enterance. This park has ponds, trails, lots of other dogs to play with, majority very well socialized. Recently added more waste bins throughout the park. Absolutely no excuse not to pick up your dog's droppings. Otherwise volunteers have to. This park is shaping up in other ways as well, adding more benches, wood chips to the trails. Thank you to all the Volunteers! read more

Battle creek kicks ass. The dog goes here at least 4 times a week and it is his favorite place. Well maintained, poopy bags, and a good field for the canine shakedown. Everyone here is friendly, and I've never felt as though safety was an issue. So glad to have this patch of dog happiness. read more

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Dog park is across the street from the main entrance. Awesome off leash dog park. Park has about a mile plus of trails fenced off. Me and my dog ran the outside trail. There is also a pond for swimming. Well Done St. Paul. read more

Battle Creek Regional Park - Main Entrance - Parks Near Me - Maplewood, Minnesota

Battle Creek Dog Park is 35 fenced acres of off-leash dog heaven! Details (with lots of photos and descriptions of the areas): http://alittlebrownblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/battle-creek-dog-park.html read more

There is this real asshole British guy who is always wearing soccer outfits who will yell profanity at you if your dog plays with his dog. Beware. Other than that: Great dog park - garbage cans everywhere so I'm not holding a poop bag for 40 minutes. Lots of areas to explore and it's not as busy as the Minnehaha dog park so my dog can get some good sniffing in. And free parking! read more

I love this park, I bring my son who has autism, the dogs are wonderful the people are friendly and I always feel safe, most of the people allow my son to pet and play with their dogs on their own, They can see he loves it there and are always nice and understanding, so super friendly park great people great dogs and well picked up! I have no problem picking up orphan poops i don't see them often, but still no problem. Thats what makes this park the best!! read more

This area has gone through a lot of changes since I was a kid. I would build forts in the woods and catch tadpoles in the streams. This was long before the first paved paths and the dog park. Returning to the park after many years, if not a couple of decades, is pretty eye-opening, but it's still a great park. A huge green space just 5 minutes from downtown. It's hard to see it all in one trip, the paths span several miles, and the park has 3 big main parts. Bring a bag of bread crumbs, you might get lost! read more

Really awesome trails, various terrain for the dogs to choose their "scene". (Ponds available for swimming as well as a large prairie for group play) my only complaint is that the pond areas were very muddy and slippery. With the dogs running in and out of the water the dirt gets slick. It would be helpful if they put down some stone or mulch here to combat the mess. Wear shoes you wouldn't want to get dirty. read more

Love this park. And of course my dogs do too, with all the trails, ponds and certainly other dogs. My dogs and I get a great workout we see other people and the dogs get socialized. It's just a great all-around place to go. read more

With all the varied terrain, the trees, the fields, and the ponds, this is an awesome dog park, but the best part is right by the entrance: my hound hates the water, and hates bridges, so she always tries to jump over the stream, and it is never not funny when she ends up wet. read more

Saturday was my first time visiting the Battle Creek dog park. The park was fantastic - however not all people attending the park are dog lovers. My husband and I brought our two dogs for a lovely hike on the wooded trails when another patron of the park coming in the opposite direction told us that we should NEVER bring a pit bull into that park. We were in shock. Our Piper who is a Staffordshire Terrier / Boxer mix, was leashed and controlled. She is not an aggressive dog at all. She is very well behaved and being properly trained. This person then proceeded to "bully" me by saying that she has been charged by THREE pit bulls in the park. As this person walked away - several people approached me to say that this awful person's dog has gone after their dogs and that she is a terrible dog owner. Actually I found it amazing that this person would accuse our Piper of terrible bully behavior when she in fact was doing just the thing she was complaining about. Breed discrimination should be a crime. I am not intimidated by this individual in any way. She did mention that she was going to bring a tazer into the park and that she would use it against any pit bulls. First impression - well, it was eventful that's for sure. Oh and we will be back. The number of understanding and welcoming people in the large grassy area and along the trails proved to us that one person's opinion just doesn't matter in this case. read more

The best part about this place is the 35 acre off leash dog park, but even if you are sad and lonely because you are pooch less there are still lots of beautiful trails to walk or bike on and playgrounds for the kids (or so I've been told). Only thing to be aware of is there have been a few break ins in the parking lots, mostly in the "off" hours (early morning/late evening/bad weather) when there's not a lot of foot traffic. read more

Great trails for running! Nice community center building for bathrooms and water after.

We went for the first time last night, I admit I was a bit nervous after reading a review site about a lady that wanted to bring a tazer to protect her dogs. My dog often gets confused with Pitbulls but she is not, she is an Olde English Bulldogge. This was also her first time off leash. The park is amazing! All the walking trails, ponds, and open areas we hardly saw anyone else. Just every once in a while through passing. There are a lot of stations to get poop bags, which I forgot to bring my own so this helped A LOT! I will be going again next week! read more

Me and my dogs love it here. Lots of trails to romp through, a couple big fields to play "tag" in, a few ponds to go splashing around in. People are mostly good about picking up their pets waste. rarely meet a ill behaved dog or human. Can be muddy in spring and slippery in winter, but unfortunately we're not 4 wheel drive like our furry friends. The thing i love most is that i don't have to pay a fee to use a county park, its something i've never understood. This place is better maintained than any of the pay to play dog parks! read more

While recovering from surgery I was instructed to engage in walking exercises. The walking paths were a Godsend and the people met along the way were all surprisingly friendly or just all-out unsociable altogether (except that pack of elderly women that were randomly beating people with canes and walkers). Haha haha! Just kidding! LOL. Battle Creek trails are a typically pleasant and quiet piece of leisure whether you're exercising or just with your animals and taking in the warm sun. Plenty of trails - plenty of nature and plenty of leisure. (Is it summer yet?) LOL! read more