The 456-acre Whitetail Woods Regional Park north of Farmington is Dakota County’s first new park in 30 years. It offers a sledding hill, a nature play area, and cabins.
A road winds through a wild, wide-open prairie that opens up to towering pines. It curves around and ends at a main shelter building. Read this first!
Camping
For those looking for a more relaxed camping experience, Whitetail Woods Regional Park has five year-round camper cabins to suit your needs. They offer power, heat, overhead lighting and wi-fi.
A sledding hill is also a linchpin of this Dakota County Park, and if you’re into snow sports you might want to check out their winter trails. The best part is that the sledding hill is free to use. It has a designated path back up and snow fencing on either side. The park has a number of other outdoor activities to keep you entertained. Among them, one of the park’s most notable features is its Fawn Crossing Nature Play Area, which is a must-see.
Hiking
Dakota County’s Whitetail Woods Regional Park is a 456-acre preserve that offers plenty of hiking opportunities, including wetlands, woods, and rolling hills. The 10.6-mile Lone Rock Trail is a great place to start.
The area is also home to a nature play area and camper cabins, making it an ideal family destination.
Hikers can take a short walk to the Prairie Overlook to view hundreds of acres of restored prairie. Or they can hike down Lone Rock Trail to Compass Corner, which features a large flowering compass plant. A short hike along the Prairie Walk is also a fun way to learn more about the plants and animals that live in our prairies. Explore more!
Horseback Riding
When it comes to horseback riding, this 456-acre regional park has plenty to offer. Its crown jewel is the Lone Rock Trail, which is a favorite of local riders for its challenging terrain, large open spaces, and scenic views of the surrounding prairies and wetlands.
Among other features, the park boasts 10 miles of hiking and horseback trails, a 53-foot sledding hill that is illuminated at night, and a state-of-the-art pavilion with an outdoor kitchen and fire pit. The park also boasts five glamping cabins tucked in the woods. The park also has an ice skating rink and a winter sliding hill.
Fishing
The 456-acre Whitetail Woods Regional Park is in Empire Township, one mile north of the Vermillion River. Bordered by the Vermillion Highlands Modified Wildlife Management Area to the east and the Vermillion River Wildlife and Aquatic Management areas to the south, it offers a variety of recreational opportunities.
The park features a number of amenities that are great for the entire family, including the Fawn Crossing Nature Play Area and camper cabins. It also has 10 miles of summer trails and six miles of ski touring trails.
Picnicking
A large hilltop picnic area provides sprawling views of the surrounding countryside.
The 456-acre county park, located in Empire Township in the heart of Dakota County, one mile north of the Vermillion River, offers a number of family-friendly amenities. The park’s most impressive feature is a 4.2-mile soft-surface hiking and snowshoeing trail encircling an awe-inspiring lake.
The park also boasts an IMAX-worthy observation deck, a 53-foot sledding hill, a nature play area, and a handful of nifty tidbits. The top-billed item is the Fawn Crossing nature play area, which features the aforementioned largest bottle holder. Among other things, it boasts the first-ever sky-highlighted waterfall in the state of Minnesota.
Camper Cabins
One of the first things visitors see when they drive up to the 456-acre park in Empire Township is a sweeping road that swells outward from the surrounding farmland into a woodsy landscape of wetlands, prairie, and a ridge topped with pine trees.
The park also includes a nature play area, boardwalks, and ADA accessibility features. And in the future, Dakota County is planning more cabins, dog parks, and a disc golf course, said Josh Kinney, senior project manager for the county’s capital projects division.
But for now, it’s the camper cabins that are a big draw at Whitetail Woods Regional Park. The three tiny, treehouse-like structures, built by county employees and high school students as part of a vocational program, are another clever way to increase outdoor accessibility by offering folks not comfortable with camping a place to immerse themselves among nature for the night. Check our next area of interest here.
Driving directions from Reflections Window Cleaning to Whitetail Woods Regional Park
Driving directions from Whitetail Woods Regional Park to Lebanon Hills Regional Park
