Been here a few times with the kids. It is easy to navigate, has a decent amount of stuff to do,…read moreand the lifeguards are on point. It isn't Great Wolf Lodge, it is a manageable size, and has all the things you need - including nachos with the terrible but delicious cheese (that is so wrong yet so right). My kids like bouncing back and forth between the pool with the slides (a walk-in kind) and the lap pool nearby that is more your traditional pool. Prices are reasonable. Its a great way to burn some energy for a few hours.

So you've got this rec center in the middle of the hood. It offers all kinds of things for people…read morein the neighborhood. Playground, basketball, volleyball, yoga, exercise equipment, etc. are all offered and more. But it is the lap pool and swimming I'm writing about that is so awesome. A lightly chlorinated pool. That's right. They have a different filtration method here using sphagnum moss which significantly reduces the amount of chlorine in the water. There is nothing better then getting out of a pool and NOT smelling like a chlorine tablet. Less burning of the eyes and itching of the skin. A win all around. Plus they open @ 6:30am some days for you early morning risers and open it up from 5:30-7pm on other days (see website for schedule). Plus if you got the toddlers and young kids, there is the water park, 2 water slides, and a shallow pool to get them acclimated. Me likey.

This park has something for everyone. Plenty of paved and unpaved hiking trails. The boardwalk…read moreacross the lake offers plenty of scenic views and opportunities for bird watching. Some moderate hills, but for the steepest ones, there are more-accessible alternative paths available. Is it a chilly winter day and you need to warm up? Pop into the Discovery Center. There's some taxidermy animals to check out, often has a local artist art gallery, and frequently holds free and open to the public events, including farmers markets.

My wife and I walk with our dogs here several times a year. About two miles of paved trails that…read moreincludes some brief hills, which are the best section. Some shorter unpaved trails, as well. Heavily wooded, with a view of a small lake. Great place for a picnic, either in the well-kept picnic shelter near the parking lot, or stopping at one of the many benches along the paths. Absolutely beautiful in the Fall, but on a mild day in early April the sounds of the symphony of the mating frogs is something to behold. Beautiful Discover Center building that hosts many activities. Restored one-room schoolhouse also on the grounds (open only for special activities, though). The nature center is a bit out of the way and a little difficult to find, but worth the effort.

Good for walking breaks. Nice park that I used to take my kids to when they were small. The bike…read morepark was new to me so glad to see it being used. The bike repair stations are a nice touch. I love the trails and boardwalk but it's not my favorite lake to swim in due to the algae.

6/3/22: Compared to La Lake Park, Carver Lake is an actual park. It has a park loop trail that's…read more3.8 miles and is good for walking, running, hiking & mountain biking. There's a section with a free parking lot, a small beach for swimming (no lifeguard), bathrooms and an actual paved trail, as well as dirt trails. There is also a slight incline on the trails, which is nice for those wanting an extra workout challenge. The trails are also well maintained. The bonus was that the weather was perfect today (no bugs) and we saw a deer! If you go deep into the woods, you don't hear the traffic and it really feels like you're deep in nature. Carver Lake is better for outdoor activity compared to La Lake Park. They're probably less than a mile apart, so if you're close to both, just go to Carver.

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.

This great little park on a small island in the middle of the Mississippi river offers, grave view…read moreof the magnificent river, and some easy walks around the island for relaxation. To get here, you have to come to the middle part of the Wabasha St. Bridge, and then come down the spiral staircases. Great photo opportunities all around the island. If you go north across the bridge, you will reach downtown Saint Paul, where there is a number of restaurants; to the south there is also a number of small eateries. So nice place to spend half a day with nature, but not going too far from the city. A great destination for out-of-town visitors to get a glimpse of the magnificent Mississippi river within walking distance from downtown Saint Paul. There are a few spots that look like they can use some cleaning and landscaping, but hey, it's a free public park!

Hands down, best dog park in the area. Absolutely massive. Separate entrances and exits to…read moreaccommodate the higher traffic. FOR PUPS Tons of ponds, large and small, for pups of all sizes to comfortably splash around in. So much land for doggos to chase each other at full speed. Balls strewn all over. FOR HUMANS Picnic tables in every cleared area and by every pond. Free libraries with a small selection of books, primarily novels. Free poop bag dispensers by main trash and recycling areas. Only thing we need now is a shower area to rinse off stinky pondwater after playtime! Maybe a paid treat dispenser to help pay for upkeep and expenses.

This is my favorite dog park. Fully gated with acres of land. Trees, paths, and ponds. Friendly…read morepeople. Your dog will need a good recall because the place is huge. There is a separate small dog park. Lots of parking.

Currently this park is undergoing an improvement around the parking lot/street area. There is no…read moreplayground equipment here (but a hike across the fields can get you to the playground at Rice Rake School). Country Lakes Park has a paved trail, picnic tables and a scenic view of Reshanau Lake. In the past, there has been a fishing pier (but not yet out this season due to CV-19?). This rustic park offers a quiet view of the lake and basic picnic tables. There are no shelters/playground equipment/amenities but has lots of trees/nature/views.

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

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

We are on a mission to visit all the MN state parks and Afton was the next on our agenda. We had…read moreour grand pup with us and the trail was perfect for a 4 mile-ish hike. We started on blacktop, moved to dirt and finished on grass trails. We hiked in the afternoon and most of the trail was in the shade keeping us cool. The trail had a little of everything, river views, shallow waters for the pup to run through, creek, bridges, forest, prairie, and we saw a few deer hiding among the trees. We took the south trail and it includes a huge uphill hike and a long straightaway along the river. It was a beautiful late summer afternoon, mid 70s, perfect hiking weather. Really enjoyed this park.

Great park and many spots to explore! I stopped in with a friend for a quick hike and we walked…read moredown by the water and enjoyed some snacks by the river. It's nice that we have this park so close to the cities!