Lakeville has many recreational opportunities. The Parks & Recreation Department maintains a total of 62 public properties, including neighborhood and community parks, athletic fields, playgrounds, greenways, trails, tennis courts, skating rinks, picnic areas, conservation areas, nature areas, several public fishing areas, swimming beaches, the City’s Central Maintenance Facility, Senior Center, and the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Notable parks include Ritter Farm Park, North Park, Antlers Park, King Park, Valley Lake Park, and Aronson Park, which features a Veterans Memorial.
Antlers Park features a large swimming beach with volleyball courts, baseball diamonds, a playground area, water equipment, a picnic area, a fishing pier, and horseshoe pits. Orchard Lake Beach has a picnic area, shore fishing, playground equipment, and volleyball courts. Valley Lake Beach includes playground equipment, a picnic area, a walking trail around the lake, a fishing pier and seasonal restrooms.
There are multiple shops located on Lakeville’s “Main Street” that you can visit, perhaps you could grab a bite there, or how about a souvenir or two?
Here’s a breakdown of parks you can visit, as well as directions in order to access them.
First, there’s Antlers Park, which we have talked about earlier, here is its exact address: 9740, 201st Street West, Lakeville, MN 55044. Now, in order to access the park from Interstate 35 coming from the south, go into Kenrick Avenue after using the interchange to go outside the Interstate, after that, go right at the first intersection you see, this will let you enter 205th Street West, keep going down that road and you’ll see Antlers Park near the road’s end.
If coming from the north on I-35, simply use the interchange to go to Kenwood Trail, ignore all other intersections until Ipava Avenue, there, go south, you then will see the park. However, if you come from Cedar Avenue from the north, take Dodd Avenue, then take go into 185th Street West, after that, go south into Ipava Avenue, stay on that road, at the end, Antlers Park will come into view. If you come from the south on Cedar Avenue, take Dakota County 50, then go into 202nd Street West via intersection, this route alongside with south I-35 are the quickest.
Accessing another park, Aronson/Quigley-Sime Park, simply takes a few modifications on where to enter when using the same routes as the ones used in order to go to Antlers Park. The park itself is just a few blocks east of Antlers Parks.
There are many parks located in the vicinity of Dodd Boulevard, such as East Lake Community Park and Brandtjen Farm Park in the northeast. There’s also Fairfield Park, Cedar Highlands Park, and Cherryview Park in the middle sections of the boulevard. Near the end of the street, one can go to these parks: Water Treatment Facility Wetland Conservation Area, King Park, Ipava Greenway, Greenway Park, Dodd Marsh Park, and Lakeville Ames Arena. There are also multiple shops at the roads end, as well as Lakeville Municipal Liquors. There also is a McDonalds there.