In this article, we shall be talking about the various things that you can do within the city of Farmington, Minnesota. These include parks and other recreational activities. Because of this, we must talk about Farmington’s Parks and Recreation department. The Parks and Recreation Department provides diverse services, programs, and facilities resulting in a high quality of life for Farmington residents.
Their Mission Statement? The Parks and Recreation Department’s mission is to provide quality facilities, parks, programs, and an environment that fulfills customer expectations, improves the quality of life, and promotes community unity.
And for their Vision Statements:
- Expand the city’s indoor and outdoor recreational facilities
- Communicate and publicize the city’s trail system
- Eliminate all barriers
- Re-assess existing programs and introduce new programs
- Create a diverse and premiere park system
- Utilize technology to improve efficiencies
- Keep communicating
- Explore and create partnerships
Let us now begin with the various parks within the city of Farmington, Minnesota.
Prairie View Park, and within it, Prairie Waterway Greenway. Prairie View Park in Farmington is a small (4 acre) park situated across 12th Street from the Prairie Waterway Greenway and the Prairieview Ponds (95 acres of ponds, wetlands and walking paths), giving families a playground with controllable access to natural areas. Family-friendly amenities include the playground, space to picnic, sports fields and lots of green space. Portable toilets are available seasonally.
Farmington updated the playground during the summer of 2017, by adding a Biba Smart Playground adjacent to the traditional playground equipment. Parents with smartphones can download an app that incorporates games and challenges to encourage children to take full advantage of the play equipment.
Then there’s Rambling River Park. Rambling River Park is a 76-acre park in Farmington, just southwest of Levi P Dodge Middle School. Family-friendly amenities include a playground, hard-surface trails, space to picnic with grills and drinking water, and areas to fish. It also has natural areas including a floodplain and wetlands. There are off-street parking available and seasonal restrooms.
In the warmer months, the park hosts a monthly Music in the Park concert. In the winter, the city maintains an ice rink with a warming house. In 2018, concerts will be held May through August on the last Thursday of each month. The Vermillion River runs along the east and south borders of the park, providing public access for fishing. The Minnesota DNR stocks the river with Rainbow Trout every spring.
North Creek Park in Farmington has family-friendly amenities that include a playground, sports fields and courts, a hard surface trail and natural areas. In the winter, this park maintains an ice rink and warming house. The park has off-street parking and seasonal restrooms.
This park traditionally participates in Farmington’s summer Movie in the Park program and the Puppet Wagon program.
Lake Julia Park is a popular suburban park in Farmington. The park is just over 17 acres, but 8 of those acres are a lake. Family-friendly amenities include a playground and space to picnic with tables and grills. There are also sports courts & fields, natural areas, and hard-surface trails appropriate for strollers.
The park historically participates in Farmington’s summer Movies in the Park program and its Puppet Wagon program.
Both the Eagan Macaroni Kid and Tireless Tot have written positive personal-visit reviews for this park, particularly the play area. Although a local Boy Scout recently complained about the night partying and subsequent trash left at this park.