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Winter invites people outdoors

Glide, slide, tromp and stomp in regional parks

Tis the season to celebrate, and for many metro area residents, regional parks provide the perfect setting. Have fun with holiday guests, beat the holiday blues or drop those holiday pounds with a visit to a regional park.

Like the cookies on a holiday table, the variety of activities to choose from is rich. Here’s a list of winter fun recommended by each of the 10 regional park agencies. 

Hunt for treasure

“Hi-tech orienteering” happens year-round at Lake Waconia Regional Park for geocaching enthusiasts, said parks coordinator Lenny Schmitz. Carver County hosts geocaching because the popular activity is “a great way to get families and kids out in the wilderness to combat modern society’s nature deficit.” Visitors also enjoy spectacular rides on a two-lane, 80-foot sledding hill built specifically for the park.

Pull back that bow

Archery is a great choice if you want to meet other people, take up a new sport and stay active, said Jon VonDeLinde, Anoka County’s director of parks and recreation. The state-of-the-art archery center at Bunker Hills offers lessons for novice to advanced students.

“The center includes both indoor and outdoor ranges, making it perfect – regardless of weather conditions,” VonDeLinde said.

Enjoy the quiet

Snowshoeing is a lovely way to navigate the winter landscape. Miesville Ravine, in Dakota County, boasts a three-mile snowshoe trail that winds through the Cannon River Valley along Trout Brook. The trail is “really beautiful and unique – and Trout is a babbling brook, which enhances the experience,” said Beth Landahl, Dakota County Parks visitor services supervisor.

Glide and slide

Three Rivers Park District offers the perfect retreats for those who can’t live without snow. Both Elm Creek and Hyland Lake Park Reserves provide snowmaking for cross-country and downhill skiing/snowboarding. Elm Creek kicks it up a notch by making snow for sledding/tubing at its new sledding hill, which is complete with lanes, rental tubes and a conveyor-style lift.

Trails at Hyland, Elm Creek, and French regional parks are also a highlight – literally – said associate superintendent Boe Carlson, because the district lights them every evening. “People can still get out and ski or walk after work – even on our short winter days,” he said.

Work those thighs

If advanced cross-country skiing is what you’re after, head to Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve. “The trails are far too challenging for me,” said Mark Themig, parks program manager for Scott County. “I have to go to Cleary Lake [also in Scott County], where there are lessons, lights and beginners trails!”

Fly that kite

The Winter Kite Festival at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis (January 12) boasts
spectacular floating constructs of all colors, sizes, shapes and themes. Other events at the festival include horse and wagon rides, ice skating, ice fishing, snowshoeing, a kid’s medallion hunt, a marshmallow roast and refreshments. The family-oriented event is free.

“You can see experts from the Minnesota Kite Society show off their spectacular kites, and they help newer kite flyers as well,” said Paul Hokeness of Minneapolis Parks. "You can bring your own kite or buy an inexpensive one at the lake. This is a great place to be outdoors in Minneapolis.”

Climb the ice

Are you on the adventuresome side? Ice climbing is allowed at three locations in regional parks in St. Paul: the Lilydale Brickyard, Crosby Park (on Mississippi River Boulevard near I-35E) and at Shadow Falls (at East River Rd. and Summit Ave.). Ice climbing requires an annual permit and approval from the St. Paul Parks Department.

Explore the natural world

Explore winter through the eyes of an animal, search for tracks and play in the snow during the Tamarack Nature Center’s Frogs and Polliwogs winter class series. The Center, located in Ramsey County’s Bald Eagle/Otter Lakes Regional Park, offers a variety of art and nature-oriented classes for all ages. Special family events are held monthly throughout the winter, including the Winter Festival on Feb. 23 and the Sugar on Snow event, for collecting maple syrup, on Mar. 15.

The Center also features 4.2 kilometers of groomed ski trails for classic-style skiing, with lessons and equipment rentals offered as well.

Follow your compass

Learn how to navigate with a compass on the Orienteering Course at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. “It’s a great year-around activity for families or friends, and can also be a challenge for individuals or as a competition among individuals,” said Peter Mott, program coordinator with Washington County Parks. If you do the course in winter, you either need to be on skis or stay off the ski trails.

Take a lunchtime stroll

Bloomington Parks and Recreation Director Randy Quale said he loves to get outdoors to break up his winter work days. “A winter walk around Normandale Lake [in Hyland Lake Park Reserve] is the perfect distance for a lunchtime refresher,” he said.

But for most people, skiing is what comes to mind when they think of the regional park shared by Bloomington and Three Rivers Park District. The Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area features lighted cross-country ski trails, snowshoe trails and a Nordic ski jump. It also offers ski and snowboarding rentals and lessons. Bloomington’s Winter Fete, held in January each year, features several activities in the park, including horse-drawn sleigh rides and 19th century toy making. Off-road bicycle enthusiasts take to the ice for Bush Lake’s “Chilly Chili” bicycle race, held the two days before and after the Fete.

“Don’t hibernate – CELEBRATE – winter is great in metro area parks,” said Quale.