Tony Schmidt Regional Park

Ramsey County Parks & Recreation

Tony Schmidt Regional Park is a Ramsey County park located in Arden Hills, stretching from County Road E and Lake Johanna Boulevard along the north shore of Lake Johanna to Mounds View High School and the 35W-694 cloverleaf interchange.  It is largely a series of wetlands connected by streams and open bodies of water, nestled in among woodsy residential neighborhoods and other city parks, like Charles Perry Park and Chatham Open Area.  The park is basically in three sections – an active railway cuts across the southern portion, and County Road E2 cuts across the north portion.  There are picnic grounds and shelters, playgrounds, a play field with backstop (Perry Park has three ball diamonds), and a boat launch, swimming beach, and fishing pier on Lake Johanna.  A paved walking trail heads north from the main parking area, going through a tunnel under the railway and leading to an at-grade crossing at County Road E2.  There are also several turf/dirt trails that lead off at different points; one trail leads over to Snelling Avenue and Lake Valentine.  The campuses of two universities can be seen from the park: Bethel University across Lake Valentine, and the University of Northwestern-St Paul across Lake Johanna.  A 2011 article by Jessica Bakeman in the Star Tribune also describes how residents around Lake Johanna take great care to keep the lake clean and free of invasive species like Eurasian milfoil (http://strib.mn/17kn2Zj).  Near the beginning of the paved trail, a signpost talks about how a segment of the Arden Hills trail system was dedicated to the memory of former Governor Elmer L. Andersen.  All in all, it is a well-maintained park, offering something for all comers.

https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/parks-recreation/parks-trails/find-park/tony-schmidt-regional-park

https://www.cityofardenhills.org/208/Trails

Charles Perry was the first white settler in Mounds View Township (what is now Arden Hills) in 1850:  https://www.parkbugle.org/first-como-settler-didnt-stay-long/

— Kirk Nelson

park map

winter map

3500 Lake Johanna Boulevard
Arden Hills, MN 55112

N45 2.898, W93 10.384

The park is open 5 a.m. - 11 p.m.

No fee

No hunting

Trail

Bethel University across Lake Johanna

Chatham Open Area Trail

UNWSP across Lake Johanna

Crossing County Rd E2

Elmer Andersen Memorial Trail Sign

Tunnel Under Railroad

Wetlands

eBird Field Checklist

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Insects List