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. :)

Hidden jem in the middle of oakdale. Highly recommend for a nice walk and bird watching. Bring your…read morekids bring your spouse, bring whoever wants to learn about nature. I particularly liked the info on the plant life. Plenty of fun birds to watch and just an overall peace visit. Only downside is there are no bike racks. Oh well.

My husband and I were looking for something to do close to home but also in nature and found this…read moreplace! The nature center building is closed on the weekend but the trails are open dawn to dusk. The trails were nice and secluded with so many native species of trees and flowers and animals. The trials aren't very well labeled as far as direction so taking a picture of the map was handy! The overall terrain was very easy and took us 30 minutes to walk the majority of the trail with frequent stops to read signs and watch birds. I would highly recommend and will be back again!

The facility looks to have a lot to offer. It is really clean and well kept. There is a cozy room…read morewith a fireplace where cutling up with a good book would be perfect. I went and attended a buck thorn wreath making class. What fun! I had never done anything like that before. The instructor and volunteers were great. I hope to attend more activities that are offered.

On a misty summer day, we were looking for a place to walk in nature that had a canopy of trees…read moreover the path. This one was perfect. It was about a 2-mile wood-chipped path around a beautiful lake. The entire area was gorgeous and well kept up. Although we didn't have kids with us, we noticed a large, brightly colored playground area that children would love to explore.

A popular park with an emphasis on nature, meaning they haven't cut every tree in site and crew cut…read morethe grass. Plenty for us tree huggers to appreciate with some winding trails. Great views along the bluff and then we realize this park area just keeps going. There is modern 'Gathering Area' for indoor events and room outdoors for your 250 guest outdoor wedding pending Minnesota's rapidly changing weather. Bikers follow a trail from Hastings and then head south, we hikers can hike till we near drop.

Loved this park! We visited on a beautiful sunny mild winter Feb morning. The path is paved so easy…read moreto walk. It follows the river with some stunning bridge views over ravines. We saw several hawks and bald eagles. It looked like they had some non-paved trails that were marked for cross country skiing which I assume would be available for walking in the summer. Will definitely be back!

This lovely park has extensive walking/jogging trails through the lake, marsh and woodlands, plus…read morehigh quality children's play areas, a full water park ( closed for the winter in late August), tennis and pickleball, and fishing docks. I enjoyed an early morning walk along the lake front and marshland with nice late summer flowers and great bird watching.

It was a cute park, more run down than the other parks we visited in the area. It does have a lot…read moreto do and is safe for toddlers and bigger kids!

This is a fabulous park in St Paul. It's easily accessible by bike trail. This is a perfect spot to…read moreenjoy some green space, with a view of the Mississippi River. I'd love to bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic here.

We did an Urban Sketching event at this park. We were there to sketch the paper machete Mexican…read moresculptures. So colorful and lively. I was surprised at how many people were walking about enjoying this artwork. I parked off the island and walked over the bridge. Didn't realize there was parking right on the island. Either way, the walk was not an issue and the parking limit was 4 hours off the island so plenty of time. Definitely worth a trip to check out this outdoor exhibit.

A lovely, adorable little spot near downtown Minneapolis, away from the city hubbub. At 15-acres,…read moreit's by no means a sprawling adventure, but it's incredibly peaceful and teaming with life. There's a one way road leading to the entrance, with a small standard parking lot (including a couple of handicap spots), but additional parallel parking available as overflow for busy days as well. There is also a walking path that can be followed to the sanctuary's entrance as well, as it is fully gated, and the entrance is down the steps from the parking lot. There is a volunteer booth just outside of it where you can grab a map if desired, as well as additional pamphlets with info about events taking place, charitable donations to the garden, etc. Depending on the hour, there may be a helpful volunteer there to answer any questions you may have. Once you step inside you'll be greeted by a path to the left and a path to the right. Immediately to the right are some privies (fairly primitive, but there is running water for the sink to wash your hands), which are all-gender. There are also benches here, as well as throughout the trails at quite regular intervals. This place is meant less for extensive hiking and more for soaking up nature (I recommend bringing a book, journal, or plan to meditate). The trails loop, with various off-shoots you can explore. The terrain has some mid-level elevation changes, and the paths are either a soft mulch or wooden boardwalk, which make for very pleasant walking on the feet. In particular, my favorite section was the sunnier wildflower segment, which had many pollinators (mostly bees) flying about. It was great for photos. Also neat is the nature center, which is a repurposed old house. Inside is a crafting table for kids to color, as well as additional info on the sanctuary and the kinds of birds and plants you'll encounter there. We encountered a number of volunteers/employees while there who were busy working to beautify the space or providing info to guests. Our visit only took around an hour, but I'm already planning to visit again, most likely in the fall when the leaves begin to change color. I'm certain it'll be even more gorgeous then!

Such a cute day trip to this location! We enjoyed the grounds so much, they have plenty of parking…read morealong the street and a parking lot up the hill! The area is well mulched, so I'd recommend closed toed shoes to keep it out. There is a nice volunteer who welcomes you to the garden -- admission is free. There's plenty of maps and trails to explore, and so many flowers. Absolutely gorgeous time here enjoying nature. They have a visitor center as well which has lots of information and activities to do! They have weekly bird watching as well. Super fun experience!

Best kept secret and splash pad!! Super lovely park with all these places for kids to play in the…read morewater. They have public restrooms by the flags if you need them. Cool murals and beautiful flowers. Very beautiful peaceful place. Lots of places to sit - concrete benches and grass.

My son absolutely loves this park! Such a cool splash pad and wading pool area for kids and the…read morecommunity to use for free. They also host party on the plaza here during the summer which we've enjoyed. They have music, food trucks, movies in the park, and other festivals held here. During the winter they light up the trees, so beautiful!