Thinking about taking a road trip through Minnesota, or are you a local just looking to spend a day amongst the flowers and in the sun? Check out these ten beautiful parks for nature lovers within driving distance of downtown Rochester, Minnesota.
Central Park
Image via Flickr by Raymond Bucko, SJ.
Central Park, not to be confused with New York City’s Central Park, is located on 225 1st Ave. NW, Rochester, Minnesota. This quaint park is only a three-minute drive from downtown Rochester, making it an ideal spot for nature lovers to escape the city without going too far.
READ MORE: 6 Best Rochester Historic Sites
Play a game of horseshoes, or bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the park’s picnic shelters. If you want a quiet place to sit and read, the benches around Central Park’s fountain provide the perfect backdrop for you to relax and take in the scenery. While you’re here, be sure to also check out the Heritage House Victorian Museum.
Northern Heights Park
Located on 919 22nd St. in Northeast Rochester, Northern Heights Park offers guests year-round activities. Opt for a nature walk on one of its unpaved trails, or have a tennis match on one of Northern Height’s tennis courts. The park also includes a baseball field, softball field, natural area, and outdoor hockey, and the ice skating rink is open seasonally.
Essex Park
Ten miles outside of downtown Rochester, Essex Park serves as a haven for nature lovers. Located on 55th Street NW, its unpaved paths sculpt through the woodland area with a historic barn acting as a destination for hikers.
In addition to its walking trails, Essex Park also provides you with a quaint picnic area to enjoy a packed lunch during your visit, and there is a small playground for visitors with children to enjoy.
Silver Lake Park
Silver Lake Park, located at 840 7th Street NE, is the perfect spot for you to enjoy nature while also taking in the picturesque city views. Whether you want to walk, run, or bike, the 1.8-mile path that stretches around Silver Lake gives you the illusion of being deep in the woods.
If you are not in the mood for a stroll, there are other activities offered at Silver Lake Park that may pique your interest. You can rent canoes and paddle boats and join the flocks of Canadian geese that enjoy a swim in Silver Lake. If you prefer swimming to boating, there’s also an outdoor swimming pool.
If you are bringing your family to the park, be sure to check out the Children’s Adventure Playground. This park feature is completely handicap-friendly as well. After you enjoy one or more of these activities, have a rest at one of the many picnic tables.
Foster Arend Park
If you enjoy waterfront excursions offered at Silver Lake Park, you are sure to love Foster Arend Park. Located between 37th Street and East River Road and only five miles from downtown Rochester, this park features an 18-acre lake for you to enjoy.
The lake offers a beachside area perfect for sunbathing or fishing, along with a designated swimming area for visitors to enjoy hot days. In addition, this park also includes an inflatable water park that visitors can make use of for a small fee.
For colder months when it gets too chilly out for waterside fun, Forest Arend Park has other features that make it the perfect spot for a day trip. You can play horseshoes, sand volleyball, or other games in its open green spaces. An array of picnic tables are the perfect place to watch your kids play on the playground or rest up after a stroll on one of the park’s unpaved trails.
Slatterly Park
Slatterly Park, located on 950 11th Ave. in Southeast Rochester, is an array of green spaces intermixed with walking paths, playgrounds, horseshoe, disc golf, baseball and softball fields, a picnic shelter, and a bridge over Bear Creek, which runs through the park. In the spring, the trees offer a beautiful display of pink flowers to set the backdrop to the surrounding landscape.
Allendale Park
Located on 1895 Allendale Park Lane in Northwest Rochester, Allendale Park is an excellent outing for sports and nature lovers alike. The park includes tennis courts, an outdoor hockey rink (seasonal), a baseball and softball field, and a playground for kids to enjoy. While you are here, you can enjoy a picnic in one of its many green spaces as well.
Indian Heights Park
Located on 1800 Terracewood Drive in Northwest Rochester, the historic Indian Heights Park provides you with several walking trails through wooded areas, which include endangered oak savanna and a unique prairie scape. What’s more, the park’s location means it is close to local historical attractions such as Assisi Heights, so you can easily incorporate another stop into your day.
Quarry Hill Park
Quarry Hill Park, located on 2100 9th Street in Northeast Rochester, provides nature lovers with a beautiful landscape featuring a woodland area surrounding Quarry Hill Pond. There are several unpaved walking paths for you to enjoy the scenery and catch glimpses of the lake in the distance.
If you like being on the water, you can rent canoes and enjoy the park from a different perspective. What’s more, the park also has a basketball and softball field, tennis courts, horseshoe set up, and a playground. If you need a rest, you can take in the views from the park’s picnic shelter or have a seat on one of its pond-side benches.
Soldiers Memorial Field Park
At Soldiers Memorial Field Park, located on George Gibbs Drive in Southwest Rochester, there are features for nature lovers and historians alike. Walk along the Wall of Remembrance honoring American veterans before taking a stroll on the park’s paved trail. Visiting during the summer? Go for a swim in the park’s outdoor pool, while you can take advantage of the park’s outdoor ice skating rink in the winter.
You can also enjoy the other park features like its football and softball fields, tennis courts, horseshoe station, and golf course year-round. As an added benefit, this park’s central location to downtown Rochester means you are a stone’s throw away from restaurants and other attractions.
What Do You Think About the Top Rochester, MN Parks?
What do you think of the beautiful parks available to visit in Rochester? Did we miss any on our list?
(Because this guide is just so popular, we made an entirely new guide for the best Rochester parks to bring fido.)
Regardless, while you are in the area, stop by Tom Kadlec Kia to talk about your favorite outdoor spots and the best cars you can use to get there.
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