Multi-use trail (biking, hiking, skating, horseback riding & mountain biking on the side of the…read moreasphalt trail, snowmobiling), stretching 12.5 miles from Pine Island to Rochester. Relatively flat (an abandoned Chicago Great Western Railroad spur) with an unpaved natural trail alongside it. Wonderfully shaded and scenic views! Trailheads in Rochester and Pine Island with plentiful parking. Named after the tiny town of Douglas, it is a great spot to stop and explore the Douglas Saloon & Social Club. This is a free State Trail and worth checking out!

This has got to be one of the most fun parks I have taken my boys to in awhile!…read more There is free street parking and a small parking lot down the street. This park has all kinds of things to climb, swing and explore but it also has... TOYS!! What kind of a park has toys!? The best kind of course!! As far as what is surround the playground, it's wood chips and the vast majority of the playground it wood. The entire playground is fenced in with only one way in and out, truly a parents dream haha!! There is a big sand pit to the left and alllll kinda of trucks, push toys and things to ride! There are several benches and picnic tables as well! This was a clean and well maintained park! If you are in the area, it's definitely worth the stop!

I know this place as "Wood Park". As in "Can we go to Wood Park, please please please ...". After…read moreall, its made mostly of wood. But to the city of Rochester and the kind people that made it happen, its know as the Field of Fun. Its located just a hop and a skip from the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial. This park is small, but is a great place to take younger children. The play area is enclosed so they cant stray to far. There is a separate area for the toddler set with toddler sized play gear. For the 4-8 crowd there are more advanced slides, poles, and other climbing do-dads (even a climbing wall). There are even some picnic tables up front. if you were 4, wood it get any better than this?

St. Marys Park is roughly a ten-minute walk from St. Marys Hospital, which is a part of the Mayo…read moreClinic. I decided to drop by on a rainy Saturday afternoon, just before the temperature dropped and freezing rain happened. I don't know why there isn't an apostrophe in St. Marys. I find it weird. What's interesting about this park is that it's on a hill. If you like killing yourself doing a brisk walk up an incline, come here. You cannot miss a water tower that is at the top of this hill. It's made of concrete and is cylindrical. It was built in 1924 and has a capacity of 200,000 gallons. It's on the National Register of Historic Places. There were roughly four parking spots at this park when I visited. You get free parking for two hours. I don't know how often this parking period is enforced. There was a slide and play area for kids. I saw a couple of squirrels having a nice time climbing up trees. I have a feeling that a lot of staff and students at the Mayo Clinic take advantage of this park when they need a break. It's probably nice to check out in the summertime, as opposed to my doing it when it's Winter. It was a cool find. I'd like to come back and check it out when it's much warmer. (503)

When you live in Rochester and you have a boat--this is one of the nicest places to get it wet for…read morea couple hours as you don't always have time to drive north ---We have used this lake many times just to get out of the house and drop a line--and I have caught a few fish but always thrown them back. There is a waterski show on the lake typically every wednesday night during the summer. It gets busy with tubers, skiers, and fishing. It is a small lake but the summers are short in MN so you need to get your boat out every chance you get even if it's just for a few hours.

The location is great and the staff is friendly, but the mosquitos are the worst we've experienced…read moreat a state park. Half of the campers we saw had bug netting or a fan which would've made our experience much more enjoyable. We usually hike at parks, but couldn't bear the idea of more mosquito bites. We camped in B and appreciated the trees between the campsites for a bit of privacy. If you have an awning, use it if you're going to sit by the camper - the tree over us dropped 10-20 acorns just on the awning while we were there for a weekend. If you need a dump station, this location does not have one. There is a free spot a few miles up the road in Owatonna (pic for reference)

Very flat easy trail hiking. I bumped up the rating a bit because of lovely hike along the lake…read more The trail goes right past all the camp sites but, fortunately, no one was camping when we walked by so it was quiet and peaceful. We did the main trail but added a snow mobile trail section to make it a bit longer. That section took us out of the woods and into a grassy field. Lots of wild flowers and butterflies. We did not see many birds but the lake views and reeds were lovely.

It's nice to see a more robust tribute to the military in a place called Soldiers Field than what…read morewas here years ago. The track is nice, the golf course is okay, but this makes a fitting remembrance. Rochester really did a nice job in creating a memorial wall honoring veterans and the military. Made of etched granite, the wall briefly depicts in pictures and words major military actions since the Revolutionary war. It has the names of deceased veterans from SE Minnesota beginning with the Civil War. The pictures of the major conflicts etched into the granite are striking. Visually it's almost too much to process in a short visit. As you walk in, there are paving stones with names of veterans and allies. Around the memorial are trees, one representing each state, or benches dedicated to specific families or people. There's a book from the dedication listing the names on the wall or stones, and giving directions to locate it. It's nicely done. Unique among most memorials, this was built by donations instead of tax revenues. While the names are focused on SE Minnesota, this site really honors all veterans. It's an easy walk from the Mayo Clinic and on a nice day is a quiet respite from the nearby traffic.

First, I must apologize for the tardiness of this review. How could I have overlooked it?…read more A few months ago while visiting Rochester, I took a short 10 minute ride on a free Centerstone Plaza Hotel shuttle from the nearby Mayo Clinic to Soldier's Field. While Soldier's Field may not compare to some of the other National Memorial Parks and Cemetaries around the country, it was still a humbling experience nonetheless. The first and most obvious sight you'll see, is The Wall of Remembrance. The Wall of Remembrance was created to honor Veterans from Southeast Minnesota who died while fighting for our country. More than 3,000 service men and women are honored here. As you stroll along, look down at The Walk of Remembrance. It is made up of approximately 6,000 tiles honoring US Veterans and Allies for their service. Last, but not least, The Trees of Remembrance. The trees line the open grass area of the field, and each of the 50 trees represent every state in the United States of America. I was here at just about the start of Spring. It was overcast, cold, and the trees were still pretty bare. But I loved how still and serene everything was. The grounds are well maintained, and of the other pictures I've seen, it looks beautiful during different times of the year too. So if I make a return visit, perhaps it'll be when I can see The Trees of Remembrance when they are full and green. If you plan to drive over, there's plenty of free parking directly in front of the field.

We enjoyed our afternoon with the silver lake boat and bike rentals during our visits in Rochester…read more The staff are so friendly and helped out our kids with life jackets. They are very polite and patient with our family. The price is reasonable and the paddle boats are very easy to use. It even has motor to save some leg power. Recommend!!

Their bikes aren't fancy but I rented one that was good enough to go for a 40 mile ride. Most…read morepeople just go on the trails around the lake and nearby along the river, which is also pleasant. The owner was super friendly and accommodating and works with you if you're not sure if you'll be out for an hour or two or the whole day. Also, as far as I can tell, it's the only place in town to rent a bike

I was hoping for a large park where I could take my dog for a long walk. What I found was a quaint…read morefor kids to play in when there's no snow. There is a path about two blocks long. The best feature is a long yet low hill. It would be perfect for looking at stars, clouds, or a nice picnic. Parking isn't great.