I'm a new annual pass-holder for the Washington and Anoka county parks. I've wanted to check out the Lake Elmo Reserve for a very long time and the fact that the Reserve had the Nordic Renewal Co. Sauna (pop up) on Thursdays and Sundays...this was the jump start I needed to just buy a pass. I've gone to the park now 4x's in over 2 weeks. I did the sauna once, took my kiddo to the beautiful brand new huge playground twice and then did a little hike solo. The park is huge. There are lots of spots to camp, they have their own beach (in the summer), beautiful lakes, lots of hiking trails, etc. I look forward to coming back not only to this park but others that are part of the pass. No time like the present to get outdoors and explore! read more

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If u have kids this is a good place to go because it is super shallow I recommend u come before 12:00 so u can get thare before the lifeguard because they have dumb rules read more

Top tier park. Lots of stuff to do and lots of trails! Shame you have to pay to het in though.

This 2,165 acre Washington County Park offers year round fun, but with Covid-everyone needs to be mindful of distancing and that the bathrooms will be porta-potties. The Nordic Rock Ski building is closed (see sign in photo), but the cross-country ski trails and groomed and ready to ski! There are many trails on the cross-country areas (but no walkers or dogs or bikes or snowshoes in this area please). Luckily there are many other trails for the non-cross-country users. We used the multi-use trail today for snowshoeing and there were very few people on it. There is a park fee for all Washington County Regional Parks ($7/day or $30/annual) or hit the 1st non-holiday Tuesday of the month for free admission. read more

We discovered this county park this year and like the trail around the lake which we can do in about an hour. Not crowded at all and very pretty. The only downside is it's near a shooting range so you can hear guns being fired a lot and that's not very relaxing. Other than that, it's a good park! read more

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This Park has always been one of my favorite ever since being a wee lad (when no one was ever there). It's become somewhat crowded over the last few years, with self important individuals, (hint- they're usually on cross country skis or fat tire bikes) and like some of the other reviews say, the (sometimes) police presence is indeed petty, particularly in the winter, when they monitor the trails, to make sure no "walkers" are on the ski trails. That being said, the further you go into the park, the less people there are, and it's a gigantic park, so there are so many great opportunities. It always was the dog's favorite park (as pictured smiling in the photo). Got a fat tire bike last fall, and there are trails galore to ride around on. read more

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This is a big beautiful park that is out in the middle of nowhere (in a good way). There are some great scenic panorama here. It costs $7 for daily entry. read more

After 4 months of quarantining in downtown MPLS without a car, we were in desperate need of some trail therapy; so when we rented a car for errands this weekend we decided to check out Lake Elmo. The Eagle Point Trail is a pretty moderate 4 mile loop, which is exactly what we were craving that day. The overall experience was underwhelming, but I wouldn't say it was a waste of an afternoon. As we drove in we asked the visitor center about parking and paid $7 for an all day pass, which is pretty high if you're just planning to be out on the trails for a few hours. This, coupled with the fact that when we got to the trail head, we saw no other cars with paid parking permits made us wonder why we were told to pay. The trail itself was unpaved, but it was super grassy, with only 1-2 thin strips of dirt/sand to walk on. The views aren't notable or great either--mostly just tall overgrown grass and not too many trees. I might have higher standards for hiking/nature parks having grown up in northern CA and lived in NC prior to moving here though. Word of caution: I came home with around 20 mosquito bites, but my SO managed to not get very many. I would suggest packing some bug spray just in case! I did notice they have snowshoe rentals, and would definitely be down to return for some snowshoeing near the lake! read more

This park is one of my frequent group hike locations. The trails are well maintained and not too difficult to hike. More than 15 miles of trail with a good portion being paved. There is a nice new swim pond and a huge kids play structure not to mention a big beautiful lake for fishing and a smaller one for peaceful kayaking/canoeing. I lead a hike around eagle point lake quite often. From the trail head all the way around (red on the map), it's almost 4 miles. Gentle hills mostly around the lake. It's a good 75 minute walk. I love to kayak on this lake in the spring. The water is very clean and clear. But note, the weeds get high and unruly after June so skip it in the summer. The lake elmo and browns pond trails (green and brown) are lit after dark in the fall and winter. They are groomed for cross country skiing in the winter. There are extensive horse riding trails and a campground for riders as well as some very nice primitive and modern camp grounds. Lots of recreation at this park for anyone looking to camp and getaway for the weekend. Parking permits are $7 per day or $30 annually. Totally worth it if you hike here often! read more

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Really nice park. Be prepared, if you head to the swimming area, to deal with horrible parents that don't watch their children. The swimming area is a man made swimming pond that is filtered. The park has a lot of BBQs and picnic tables. read more

Lake Elmo Park Reserve - Playground - Parks Near Me - Lake Elmo, Minnesota

The playground seams very nice and can accommodate a wider range of ages than many I've seen. The bathrooms are decent and parking is close by. It seems like the man made beach/ pool area is pretty cool. I liked the picnic tables all around. Fun place to take the kids. read more

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What a gem of a park we have right in our own backyards! We bike, hike, walk, snowshoe, and ski here as a family. It is conveniently close and has year round offerings that help us get into the great outdoors. There are certain restrictions currently because of COVID but for the most part this place is wide open for year-round recreation. read more

We came here for our annual neighborhood camping trip. MUCH better than last year's location. The park reserve is located less than a half hour from most of the metro area and is a great place for just a day trip if you don't want to camp. Their "feature attraction" is a man-made swimming pond. I can't do any better of a job describing it than their web site, so here is some blatant plagiarism: "The swimming pond includes one-fifth mile of sandy beach. The gradually sloping, sandy bottom makes the pond ideally suited for young waders, as well as serious swimmers. The pond is six feet at its deepest point. In addition, the pond is filtered and disinfected for your pleasure and protection. Clean rest rooms, changing rooms, and a food stand are available in a nearby beach building. A grassy area provides picnicking with tables and grills." The pond is staffed with lifeguards and my only complaint (other than it's pretty crowded) is that they make everyone get out every hour for 10 minutes for what they call a "safety break". It appeared more like giving the lifeguards a 10 minute break. Which seemed odd since there were more than enough lifeguards to give them all 15 minute shifts. Anyway, a minor inconvenience and a good way to make sure you have your kids. The rest of the park is pretty cool, too. They have a big playground, trails (biking and hiking), an orienteering course, an equestrian center, and the only public access to Lake Elmo. The campsites are big and private with big bushes between campsites. You can choose between primitive campgrounds (basically a section of grass), or modern campgrounds with electrical and shared water spigot. Once a week, they do a program for the kids at their amphitheater. It's a bit of a hike from the campsites to the beach, so we had one person drive with chairs and coolers while the others walked. We were looking for a nice camping area within an hour of the Twin Cities and this was exactly what we were looking for. We'll be back next year. read more

We wanted a nearby place to hike and decided to go ahead and spring for the $5 entrance fee ($25 for an annual permit, but we weren't sure we'd be back). I think we'll go back. We never even got to the actual Lake Elmo, because we spent our time hiking around the other lake in the reserve, Eagle Point. The scenery is great and gives a good sense of what the first settlers would have seen, with rolling prairie land dotted with forests. I read that 80% of the park is dedicated to restoration and preservation. The Eagle Point trail is very easy walking and also has sections for shared use with horses and mountain bikers. We could see several million-dolla mansions along the periphery of the reserve so you know the view has to be good ;) I'd like to get back and check out the beach and other trails soon. read more

Used to go here quite a bit as a teenager in a rusty old Chevy Chevette. Went back to try it out again on the 4th of July. It's been a good 15 years at least since I've been there, but it turned out to still be a lot of fun. The "lake" (a man made pond) is quite a bit smaller than I remembered. It has a toddlers section that is extra shallow and has bouys that section it off from the rest of the swimming area. There are lifeguards everywhere, but that seems to mean some parents are a bit lax with watching their children. We were able to find a grassy spot to put our towels down and tan. We swam a bit too. The concession stand was constantly packed - note also that the stand does not share the same hours as the swimming area. They close an hour or two sooner, so plan accordingly if you want a snack. The changing area seems to not get any usage. I think everyone comes dressed. They really should use that space to make the bathrooms bigger. With only two stalls and a trough in the men's bathroom there was a huge line (ditto for the women's - it was even longer!). They really need more than one bathroom facility available. There was also a line at the outside spigot and shower. I don't see why people line up for that. The water is filetered pool water so it's not like a lake where you want to hose yourself down to get that lakey smell out. And you have to walk through sand to get out of there, so I don't know why people obsess with washing their legs and feet trying to get sand off. At only $5 per car to get in, it was a pretty good way to cool off on a 100 degree day. We had to park pretty far away but that was expected as it was a holiday, on a perfect summer day. We'll probably stop back again later this summer. read more

Washington County Parks are the most hostile parks to dogs I've ever encountered. We wanted to stop by off down by the boat launch, way off to the side, and let our pup dabble in the water while we watched the boats go by. Dog firmly on-leash. Not a fishing or swimming area. No people there. We bring poop bags and always clean up if our dogs need to go. We've done this many times before. But this time a cranky ranger said dogs are only allowed on paved trails and in parking lots. You can't bring fido on a picnic. Dogs are not allowed to TOUCH the lake. Not even on a leash. Not even where no people are allowed to fish or swim. We've bought up to three permits for Washington County parks every year, and that for only a few hours of light use. Never again. I fully support rules for dog owners, but there just is no reason to make outdoor areas hostile to dog owners like this. read more

Really nice place. The playground was totally amazing! It had so many things and was in great condition. We came here for camping over the weekend and the campground is nice. The only thing was that the campground staff were super strict about their grass. It does not matter if you are parked on the grass for 2 minutes to unload your supplies or if you just have someone dropping bye. They were still strict about the grass and said they would call a police officer if we did not get off it at that moment. The grass wasn't even in that great of shape when we were there. The place looked great and we loved the playground and other activities. Just remember don't park on the grass in the campground area even if it is just for a short time! read more

Great park for all ages. Hiking and running trails, camping and a lovely man-made beach, great for summer days with the kids. I purchased a season pass. We will be back. read more

We greatly enjoyed staying here. Large, flat and very well maintained RV sites. They have a large and small playground for the kids near the campground. They also have a chlorinated and filtered pond to swim in. This park is very well maintained. Lots of trails to walk, a fishing pier and a boating lake. Really enjoyed our stay here. read more

This is a great man-made beach for families to play at. The water is clean and only goes about 5 feet deep so you can walk across the lake. On either side there is a large playground and concession stands and bathrooms. It's big enough so it doesn't feel crowded, has large umbrella's for shade and picnic tables. There are lifeguards on duty and there are "safety breaks" every hour. Sometimes they seem too often though but the kids can play in the sand still. We will definitely be back. read more

For whatever reason, of the millions of parks we've ever taken my two kids to, this is the only park that they can spend hours at without a single complaint. This is even without stepping one toe in the man made pool. Maybe simplicity really is the winner? Pros: Clean playground, nice bathroom on site. Parking lot is close to the playground. 1 picnic shelter a few steps from the playground and it doesn't appear that you need to reserve this shelter. I did not observe any grills for grilling. The man made pool was redone this summer and didn't open until mid August so we didn't get a chance to try it. Cons: Must obtain a $5/day Washington County Park permit. The fee does include free entrance into the pool which is well worth it. (Large groups need a special permit). I cannot attest for any water fountains by the pool, but the one water fountain by the playground has nasty water. I think it's well water. Bring your own. read more

I love it for the lighted cross country ski trails. Unfortunately, the park is also somewhat inaccessible if you live north of it -- it is quite huge and you add several miles on to your trip by going around the park to the southern entrance. read more