10 Best Parks in Maple Grove, Minnesota

One Sunday, we packed up the kids and headed out to find some MAPLE GROVE FAMILY FUN and explore its parks. One thing I’ve learned is that you don’t need to go far in the Twin Cities to enjoy parks. While each park is unique, there is always something to do close to home. These are 10 parks we think are great places to start in Maple Grove.

For more parks, attractions, dining and family fun in Maple Grove, jump over to our Maple Grove page.

Become Amateur Dendrologists at Maple Grove Arboretum

9400 Fernbrook Lane N Maple Grove, MN 55369
A dendrologist is a scientist who studies trees. Now we know. The Maple Grove Arboretum has over 100 native trees that families can study together at their own pace. We have some suggestions in our directory for learning materials to use. The park consists of about 15 acres that mostly hug Elm Creek after it has flowed out of Elm Creek Park Reserve (see more for that park below! You don’t want to miss it.) If your kids can handle a roughly 10-minute walk from the Arboretum parking lot, take the trail north for a look at the Elm Creek Dam waterfall. The falls are on our list of 8 TWIN CITIES WATERFALLS TO VISIT WITH KIDS.

Learn More: 10 Ideas for Family Fun at Maple Grove Arboretum

Stop and learn about the varieties of trees as you explore the park.

Spread Out at Lakeview Knolls Park

9450 Juneau Ln N, Maple Grove, MN 55369
This 15-acre park spreads out to encompass a playground, walking paths and several sports fields and courts. It is also the home of the old Village Hall. There are quite a few older trees lining the walking path between this park and the Maple Grove Arboretum. The city and school district have collaborated to build a nature play area. Look for it near the preschool.

Learn More: 7 Ideas for Family Fun at Lakeview Knolls.

Explore both side of Maple Grove Central Park

12000 Central Park Way, Maple Grove, MN, 55369
For a quiet activity, walk the labyrinth at MAPLE GROVE CENTRAL PARK. It was created so visitors could find a space for quiet contemplation or prayer. The pattern of the labyrinth is actually named “partner stroll” because it is designed so two people can walk it together.

Then, if you need to get LOUD after all that quiet time, the giant playground is open for business. It’s got plenty of physical challenges for older kids and equipment that’s scaled back for younger ones. In the summer time, we dare your kids to resist the plaza of dancing spray fountains, and in the winter, we’ve enjoyed strapping on skates and gliding along the park’s free ice skating loop.

Maple Grove Central Park

Learn More: 7 Ideas for Family Fun at Maple Grove Central Park.

Visit Minnesota’s Biggest Playground at Elm Creek Park Reserve

12400 James Deane Parkway, Maple Grove, MN 55369
Okay, ELM CREEK PLAY AREA may or may not be the state’s largest playground. The playground at HYLAND LAKE PARK RESERVE is also quite large and I haven’t taken a tape measure. You could make it a mission to measure both this summer. If you do, send us your results and we’ll share with the community. And, not to overwhelm you, but the playground is just the beginning of all there is to do at ELM CREEK PARK RESERVE. If you can make a day of it (which we recommend), stop by the EASTMAN NATURE CENTER, hit the sandy swimming pond ($5/pp) and bike the trails.

Learn More: More Ideas for Family Fun at Elm Creek Park Reserve

Create a Ninja Obstacle Challenge at Kerber Park

9095 Elm Creek Boulevard N, Maple Grove, MN 55369
KERBER PARK in Maple Grove is a good example of why we don’t want to overlook small neighborhood parks when looking for fun with our kids. The linear design and more challenging aspects of the playground equipment make it a good place to create an obstacle course for grade school kids. While not on the scale of SCHAPER PARK in Golden Valley, neighborhood parks are good places to play and build skills. We had the playground to ourselves. Like many of the smaller parks in Maple Grove, Kerber Park isn’t even mentioned on the city’s website. This would be a great summer to get on your bikes and find as many parks as possible.

Learn More: 8 Ideas for Family Fun at Kerber Park.

Hit the Beach at Weaver Lake Park

Weaver Lake Park, 8401 Dunkirk Lane N, Maple Grove, MN
80 acre WEAVER LAKE PARK has a guarded beach that is open daily from noon to 7pm during the swim season. The beautiful wood observation deck and metal tube slide that leads from the playground area to the beach make this beach a unique outing.

Learn More: 11 Ideas for Family Fun at Weaver Lake Park

Image courtesy of the City of Maple Grove. Follow this link to see more pictures of the park.

Go Fishing at Thoresen Park

Thoresen Park, 6259 Eagle Lake Drive, Maple Grove, MN 55369
This pretty park offers shoreline fishing in Eagle Lake. While there isn’t a lot of easy access to shoreline, there are a lot of fish. According to the DNR this lake has a wide range of fish species, including bullhead, crappie, bluegill, sunfish, bass, walleye, perch and more.

Learn More: 4 Ideas for Family Fun at Thoresen Park

Get Sporty at Gleason Fields

Gleason Fields, 18815 67th Avenue North, Maple Grove, MN 55311
GLEASON FIELDS is an expansive sports park with fields for baseball, lacrosse, and soccer and courts for basketball, tennis and pickleball. Families can pack their favorite sports equipment into the car and find a place to practice together.

Learn More: 6 Ideas for Family Fun at Gleason Fields.

Explore the Outdoors at Fish Lake Regional Park

Fish Lake Regional Park, 14900 Bass Lake Road, Maple Grove, MN 55311
FISH LAKE REGIONAL PARK is a beautifully wooded park on the lake. Families can come for the unguarded beach or to hike or geocache. You can even rent equipment for both land and water play. Hiking paths wind through natural areas and include both paved and boardwalk areas.

Learn More: 10 Ideas for Family Fun at Fish Lake Regional Park.

Fish Lake Regional Park (image courtesy Three Rivers Park District)

Enjoy a Concert at Town Green Park

7991 Main Street N, Maple Grove, Minnesota 55369
Built in 2009, Maple Grove’s TOWN GREEN PARK is on Main Street and hosts city concerts, outdoor movies and other entertainment. But there is so much more to do here, like explore the pond, which is teeming with life and play music in the music park. I was surprised to learn that this was my kids favorite park on our Maple Grove park tour. We can do playgrounds anywhere, but an up-close view of fish in West Arbor Lake was something new and exciting.

Learn More: 10 Ideas for Family Fun at Town Green Park.

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