Lake Chase is a modest little park on the northwest corner of Owatonna. It doesn't have all the…read moreattractions of the larger parks, but it does have one thing the others don't offer. It's also a dog park. The eight acre park has a large enclosed area to let your dog burn off steam. Aside from the dog area, there's also the small spring-fed lake for which the park is named. The lake is stocked and managed by the DNR for fishing. There's no boat access to the water but a canoe or kayak could easily be carried from the parking lot. There's also a path to a fishing dock. The park has picnic tables, both inside the dog area and down by the lake shore. The only restroom is a port-o-potty, but it's gender-neutral ! I discovered this park by accident a couple years ago. Most of the people I've mentioned it to had no idea it existed. It's a nice little place, but if you're not there for the dog park or the lake, it doesn't offer anything else. * There are plans to further develop the park. ** Land adjacent to the park has been purchased to become the new home of the Steele County Humane Society

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!

This is an awesome dog park!…read more We stopped here twice while visiting and both times were enjoyable. There's plenty of space for the dogs to run/play, as well as lots of places for owners to sit. We attempt the jumping posts but our dog was not having it- cool for the dogs who figured it out! If you keep walking to the back of the dog park you'll see another gate. Go through the gate and follow the path for a couple of minutes and you'll find a creek. It's a nice area for dogs to be able to run and get wet. The walking trail is always nice if you're dog free but looking for a way to get some fresh air.

Park was clean and spacious. There were lots of other dogs there and there was plenty for all of…read morethem to do!! Also love the location and that it is connected to other trails and areas.

Excellent! I stumbled here as our normal dog park was under construction. Located next to a giant…read moresoccer field, I felt totally safe as lots of matches were being played on a Sunday afternoon with families all around. We checked out the large dog park and my understanding is that there is a smaller one next door. Both parks contain agility courses should your dog enjoy that and it's also what makes this park unique. In addition, there is a large common space with a gazebo type shelter for owners to sit and free water for the doggies. Down the hill you will find two paths where one leads to water (don't worry dogs can't get in as there is a fence) and a giant uphill climb and the other is a more flat circular loop. I enjoyed all the wildlife, the greenery and the open space. My doggies enjoyed it too! Parking is excellent!

The park wasn't too crowded with dogs, and people seemed to "clean up" after their pets well.read more

Awesome park to let you dog of any age run and play with or without other dogs. It has 3 separate…read morefenced in areas for dogs to play

We are so grateful for this park. 3 big fenced in areas, but bring your own water. People use to…read morenot pick up after their dogs, but either people are getting better or the volunteers that pick up are just awesome.

Great off leash area for dogs. They have two areas. A smaller area that is fenced in and a larger…read morewooded area. Dogs must be current in vaccinations and display a rabies tag. Great place to take the dog off leash.

There a light show was fantastic. The service was amazing. You can donated food or money to this…read moreevent . You also can buy thing for souvenirs. The food and drinks variety prices. There is a drive-through or a walk for you. You can do both it's up to you. There are restrooms for on the site. Many cool pics you can take for social media.

When to the Kiwanas drive through light show. My first time there, really cool and is family…read moreapproved. Seemed a bit smaller than bentlyville but it's still fun. Go during the weekday if you are planning to do drive they instead of walking. Over the weekend, it took me about an hour from the exit of bentlyville to the start of the light show. No restrooms along the way, so be cautious about that. Overall a great experience, must for one time. But you can always make it a family tradition.

Nice park. Two open fields. Beautiful sunsets. And most of the people and dogs are super friendly…read more I had a couple of wonky experiences...I don't recommend this park for small dogs that don't play well with any other dog or doesn't play well with big dogs. There are A LOT of big dogs that visit here and there's no designated area for small dogs. If your dog is aggressive (big or small), also not a good spot to bring your dog. I've had one small dog that ran up to me and tried to bite my ankles. And another small pooch that didn't want to play and tried to bite my dog. Not cool and not the right place for your dog.

I love this dog park. I almost didn't move out of the area I love this dog park so much…read more Unfortunately it's now an hour drive one way for us so we very rarely get out here anymore. It's 27 (roughly) acres, all fenced in of tall grass, trees, some water, and walking trails. My dog and I used to spend hours here, it was a sanity saver when she was a puppy, bring her here in the morning for an hour or two and she'd be good and worn out so I could actually get something done in the afternoon. So details about the park, it does cost money, $5/day or $35/year. The year runs out on Dec 31. If you buy a $35 pass Dec 30, you'll need to get a new Jan 1. That said, you pay to *park* there. So if you walk in, it's free. There's a parking lot just down the hill for the bike paths, it's tiny, but it'll fit a few cars. Park there, walk up the hill to the park, and it's free! Do not, I repeat, do not get caught parking in the dog park lot without a permit. It is a *huge* fine, like over $100 fine (luckily I do not know this from personal experience, but from others who got caught). And it is pretty regularly checked for non-permit cars. There is a small dog section of the park that people are picky about being for small dogs, but it is rarely used. There are also free bags at the entrance, and unfortunately it's where the only garbage can is too. So sometimes there's issues of people not picking up the poop on the other end of the park because they don't want to carry it back to the entrance. The regulars are super nice and I met many good friends this way, as did my dog. If you go a mile further down the road from the dog park you'll find Lake Zumbra, which is a public boat access. Dogs are welcome, but must be leashed. The park ranger regularly patrols down here too to make sure dogs are actually leashed. I would just go swimming with my dog, we both loved it. Often I would leave the leash on her, but not always hold it, if you hear a truck coming down the dirt road, grab the leash and pretend like you've always been holding it. (shh)

Parking, cleanliness, presentation was 5 stars. However, the condition of some of the animals had…read moreme a little concerned. The bear we saw was pacing and panting back and forth. I'm not a zookeeper by any means, but considering the heat and kids screaming, maybe stress and hot! The same was for the mountain lion. He actually was pawing at his enclosure door to get out of the sun, but seemed unable to do so. Other animals were even seen pawing at empty bowls, which again, assuming this to be for water. I grew up on a farm, not a zookeeper, but the animals looked very uncomfortable.

This was unexpected. Like, really unexpected. We drove here after camping at a state park nearby,…read moreand the roads made us think we were headed towards someone's backyard and we might be the only ones there. We could not have been more wrong! Buses full of field trip kids! So many granny nannies! Plenty of older kids, including a few groups of teenagers! This is a legit nature center, quality playground, and perfectly nice little zoo. I don't know what it's like to live down here, but apparently the locals love this place. That said, it wasn't too crowded at all, and the bathrooms were clean. Parking was easy. We stayed for about an hour, but plenty of people looked like they had packed lunches and intended to stay all day.

I feel like my dog should be writing this review, but she doesn't have the best written…read morecommunication skills so I will fill in on her behalf. Dakota Woods is an all around good off-leash dog park. It's about 40 acres in size with half being wooded and the remainder a combination of mowed grass and some taller grass (there are no ponds or lakes to worry about). Paths cut through the woods that are great for walking with or without your furry companion. The only downside to this park is it's quite close to a landfill which can add a bit of an unpleasant aroma to the air. I've never found it to be that bad, but those with sensitive noses should take note. We've found the people and their dogs to be friendly. If you're looking for a spot to take your dog this is it!

I love this dog park. It is not free. You can buy an annual pass or pay a pay box each time you…read morego there. This place is well maintained with wood chips on the paths. Most owners pick-up after their dog. There isn't any mud, no smell. Since this is a pay lot, the owners and animals are better than the free places. Our Puggle, Sammie likes this place also. We have been going here for years.