Minnesota Destinations

Some of these city parks were selected for their large size or exceptional birding opportunities. Others were selected because either MinnesotaSeasons.com visited and photographed them or a visitor to the park uploaded photos. All of them are open to the public.

Brackett Field Park, Minneapolis

Colvill Park, Red Wing

Crosstown West Park, Burnsville

Day Park and Earley Lake Trail, Burnsville

Eagles Bluff Park, La Crescent

Henry’s Woods, Rogers

Joy Park, Maplewood

Lake Rebecca Park, Hastings

Magelssen Bluff Park, Rushford

Maplewood Heights Park, Maplewood

Pilot Knob, Mendota Heights

Rieck’s Lake Park and Campground, Alma, WI

Ritter Farm Park, Lakeville

Riverfront Park, Moorhead

Sunfish Lake Park, Lake Elmo

Terrace Oaks West, Burnsville

Valley View Park, Oak Park Heights

Vetsch Park, La Crescent

Wood Park, Burnsville

Apple Blossom Overlook Park

Cannon River Wilderness Area

Garvin County Park

Kensington Rune Stone Park

Mississippi River County Park

Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo

Point Douglas Park

Rockville County Park

Seven Mile Creek County Park

Thompson County Park

Regional parks often extend across multiple jurisdictions. They are administered by local governments, including regional park boards, counties, and other units of local government.

“Regional Park” is a designation granted by the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission to parks outside the seven-county metropolitan area that have met four key criteria.

1. Provides a High-Quality Outdoor Recreation Experience

2. Preserves a Regionally-Significant and Diverse Natural or Historic Landscape

3. Well-located and Connected to Serve Regional Population and/or Tourist Destination

4. Fills a Gap in Recreational Opportunity within the Region

In the Twin Cities Metro Area, “Regional Park” is a designation granted by the Metropolitan Council to parks that meet five key criteria.

1. Use: Area of natural or ornamental quality for nature-oriented outdoor recreation such as picnicking, boating, fishing, swimming, camping, and trail uses.

2. Service Area: 3 - 5 communities

3. Size: 200 - 500 acres (100 minimum)

4. Site Attributes: Complete natural setting contiguous to water bodies or watercourses where possible.

5. Site Location: Where natural resource occurs-particularly water.

Above the Falls Regional Park

Bald Eagle-Otter Lakes Regional Park

Battle Creek-Indian Mounds Regional Park

Battle Creek Regional Park

Baylor Regional Park

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park

Bunker Hills Regional Park

Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park

Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park

Cleary Lake Regional Park

Clifton E. French Regional Park

Como Regional Park, Zoo & Conservatory

Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park

Crosby Farm Regional Park

Hidden Falls-Crosby Farm Regional Park

Keller Regional Park

Lake Byllesby Regional Park

Lake George Regional Park

Lake Minnewashta Regional Park

Lake Waconia Regional Park

Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Lilydale-Harriet Island & Cherokee Heights Regional Park

Lilydale Regional Park

Long Lake Regional Park

Martin-Island-Linwood Lakes Regional Park

Minneapolis Chain-of-Lakes Regional Park

Minnehaha Regional Park

Mississippi Gateway Regional Park

Mississippi Gorge Regional Park

Mississippi West Regional Park

Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park

North Mississippi Regional Park

Phalen-Keller Regional Park

Rum River Central Regional Park

St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park

Spring Lake Regional Park

Theodore Wirth Regional Park

Tony Schmidt Regional Park

Two Inlets at Bde´ Heh?a´ka - Omashkooz Zaaga’igaans Regional Park

Vadnais-Snail Lakes Regional Park

Whitetail Woods Regional Park

Woodland Trails Regional Park

In the Twin Cities Metro Area, “Park Reserve” is a designation granted by the Metropolitan Council to parks that meet five key criteria.

1. Use: Area of natural quality for nature-oriented outdoor recreation such as viewing and studying nature, wildlife habitat, conservation, swimming, picnicking, hiking, boating, camping, and trail uses.

2. Service Area: County, multi-county area

3. Size: 1,000+ acres; sufficient area to encompass the resource envisioned for preservation.

4. Site Attributes: Diversity of unique resources, such as topography, lakes, streams, marshes, flora, fauna.

5. Site Location: Where natural resource occurs.

Baker Park Reserve

Big Marine Park Reserve

Carver Park Reserve

Crow-Hassan Park Reserve

Elm Creek Park Reserve

Hyland Lake Park Reserve

Lake Elmo Park Reserve

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve

Miesville Ravine Park Reserve

Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve

Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve

Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve

Spring Lake Park Reserve

Stanley Eddy Memorial Park Reserve