A rather plain looking park. There is a large office which apparently is open all year. There are…read moreplenty of picnic tables protected from rain. Not much for hiking as there are a few trails that are not scenic. The main reason for the bland look is a lack of trees. Here we go again for a regional park. Wide open areas with crew cut grass which just burns in the sun all summer. There is a small patch of prairie grass which they more of, or else plant some trees.

Washington County Regional Park on the St. Croix River with a nice campground and some nice trees…read moreand picnic areas. From the size of the boat parking lot, I would guess that this is a main boat launch. Not a fancy beach, Rocky and a little weedy, but swimming river water felt great.

I've enjoyed all seasons at this state park: in the winter, I've snow showed, in the spring/fall…read moreI've hiked, and in the summer I've enjoyed the beach. I've been to all 69 state parks in MN, and this one is my favorite near the metro area. There is something for everyone, although the hike to the beach includes a steep incline which can be a bother if you are carrying lots of gear (chairs, umbrella, water toys, etc).

Always amazed by the beauty MN has to offer and my friend took me on a scenic trail walk around…read moreAfton State Park. Everything was beautiful and the grounds are vast with summer flowers everywhere you look. Love the view of the St. Croix River as well. There are camping grounds here as well, which looks like a lovely getaway.

This is the "beach" we grew up at. So many memories of my dad bringing me here whenever I wanted to…read morego for a swim. It's usually really nice and clean. The fishing area is separated from the swimming area. Area to wash off the sand when you are done for the day. Plenty of parking. Playground nearby for kiddos who don't want to swim. Bring your beach toys for a nice day at the lake. Great place for picnic too.

This is a smaller beach which has its pros and cons…read more Pros: family friendly, easily walkable, grills, dog friendly Cons: can get crowded, drinks are not permitted So, I believe it is perfect for a stroll and a family grill. However, if you are looking for a hang out with your 21+ friends to drink and lay out I would recommend another beach. They have a beautiful dock for some quiet reading and fishing. However, I have yet to go down there because it's always being used.

Trying to be more intentional about exploring parks around Minneapolis this year, and Hidden Falls…read moreseemed like the perfect place to start. We usually default to Minnehaha Falls across the river, but I'd never actually explored this side--which looks to be really sprawling with new townhomes and modular single family homes. We parked near the dam and walked along the trail to reach the stairs leading down to Hidden Falls. Heads up: the walk down is a little precarious since there's no railing for most of the stairs, but it's not very steep and the trek itself is pretty short. The falls themselves were a bit disappointing at the moment--more of a trickle than a waterfall--but it is early in the season. That said, the forested park area it winds through was really nice, and made the visit worth it regardless. I can already tell this place is probably stunning in the summer when everything is green and flowing! Even with the lower water level, it was a great way to explore somewhere new and great to see there were so many people already exploring the park with it being chilly still!

Beautiful park near the city. Grabbed some take out and found an empty picnic table in the middle…read moreof the day - lots of parking! Watched a few boats launch, saw some geese, enjoyed watching people along the shore. Picnic tables near the water at the North Entrance. Check it out!

A great place to take the kids to play in the sand along the shores of the St. Croix. Clean water…read moreand places to grill or sit at a picnic table. It is one of the county's parks so you have to purchase a 25.00 for the year pass or a day pass for 7.00. They have an employee there during open hours to watch the water and people. Parking is right there. The water/beach can be a little tough on the feet with some rock areas. Wear water shoes and bring your chair you can just enjoy a little bit of the blue Wisconsin sky. There is no alcohol allowed or pets. It is typically a very calm crowd and they close early so no late night swimming...

Found this place on accident and very happy I did. The playground is very large and splash pad is…read moredirectly next to it. The location is clean and it has a very great story about why it was created. I highly suggest it

This is an amazing playground and one of our favorites...not only is this a playground but it also…read morehas a splash pad. Madison's is named after a little girl who passed away when she was young. The cool part of this playground is that it is accessible to those who are handicapped. Lots of fun ramps, slides and more modern playground fun stuff. Try to score one of the trees to put a blanket under so you can chill in the shade.

Absolutely beautiful park. Went jet skiing with my family there and had a great time. They have…read moreplenty of parking and lots of shaded seating to get a break from the sun. The beach part is just gorgeous too. Water is pretty peaceful. On a non windy day like this, it was easy to ride the jet ski around. There was a decent sized separated area to go swimming in, which sd enjoyed. I loved that there was a playground and also a small splash pad nearby. My toddler loved it. Definitely plan to be back some day to explore more of the park, as we were mainly on the water.

Came for a few hours for hiking, which was great! The kids played in the splash pad area for a few…read moreminutes, they almost didn't get to use the splash pad because we couldn't figure out how to get it running, it started going after we started walking away....other than that it is a unique design. The beach was good size but I don't recommend swimming, the water is nasty green and scummy.