Plenty of parks in Delano area
The City of Delano has a variety of park and recreation facilities suited to serve the ever-expanding and evolving needs of the community. Delano’s parks offer green space, sports facilities, trails, and many other outlets to enjoy Minnesota’s great outdoors. With the intent of stimulating activity in a safe and controlled environment, the City of Delano hopes everyone uses and enjoys the parks.
Community park:
Community parks are larger parks within the city limits that are geared toward large group activities and sports. Generally, these parks have significant open green space and facilities for organized recreation.
Neighborhood parks
Neighborhood parks are smaller facilities that are located in various locations around the community. The parks typically have creative play structures and offer a place for families and children to play. These parks are great places to enjoy year-round:
County Line Addition, Krinke Park, Maple Knoll, Stalhke Addition, Westridge Hills Park, Woodland Meadows, and Woods Creek.
Specialty parks:
Specialty parks are those geared with a specific purpose in mind. The City of Delano has two parks that are categorized as specialty parks, and they foster activities that are not otherwise available.
Passive parks:
Passive parks were created with beautifying the city in mind. Delano has established such parks in high traffic areas to allow community members to enjoy all that Delano has to offer, including the scenic river that runs through town.
School campus:
The Delano School District has done much work to create creative play areas for local youth. These parks are located on school grounds and include sports fields and playgrounds:
Elementary park I and II, high school ball fields, high school hockey rink, and Delano ice rink.
Regional park
Located in the cities of Independence and Greenfield, the 2,200-acre Lake Rebecca Park Reserve offers outdoor activities and opportunities for glimpses of wildlife.
Lake Rebecca Park Reserve’s gently rolling Big Woods landscape, with numerous wetland areas provides a haven for wildlife. This park reserve is one of the sites for the trumpeter swan restoration program. Several overlooks along hiking trails provide glimpses of these swans, the world’s largest waterfowl.
Except for ice-fishing and snowmobile access, the park is closed Nov. 1-March 30.
Facilities and Amenities
Swimming beach - On the north shore of Lake Rebecca, there is an unguarded swimming beach available for use from Memorial Day through mid-August. A beach curtain is in the water surrounding the beach in order to maintain a higher level of water quality in the swimming area.
Mountain bike trail (3.5 miles) - This trail (opened in 1998) begins at the Lake Rebecca rental building. The rolling hills of Lake Rebecca Park Reserve are part of the Des Moines ground moraine. Most of the trail winds through rapidly succeeding old fields and remnant maple-basswood forest. The trail passes an overlook of the swan refuge pond where birds can regularly be seen.
Boat launch - Located on the northwest end of the lake, there are 27 car/trailer spaces in the boat launch parking lot. Lake Rebecca is a non-motorized lake. Electric trolling motors are allowed.
Public and group picnic areas - There are four reservation picnic areas with three shelters. The areas with shelters have capacities of 300 - 1,000 people. In the general picnic area, many tables and grills are available for use on a first-come, first-serve basis. These areas overlook the beach area and are also located up on a hilltop, close to the rental building.
Creative Play Area - The main feature of this play area is a slide tower containing both a 12-foot and a 20-foot high spiral slide. This structure is near the parking lot and beach area.
Group Camps - There are two group camp locations within the park reserve. Sarah Creek is in the northeast part of the park reserve. Located in close proximity to the bike/hike trail, campers can bike easily over to the recreation area and view the trumpeter swan refuge on the way. The other group camp, South Group is in the south central part of the park reserve. This group camp is in close proximity to the horse trail, mountain bike/hiking trail, and bike/hike trail.
Paved bike/hike trails (7 miles) - A paved trail consists of a single loop through the park reserve and serves as a connection to the north edge of the park reserve.
Horse trails (9.2 miles) - A horse trail loop surrounds the periphery of the park reserve. There is a horse parking lot located near the recreation area which may be accessed through the main park entrance. Use of the horse trails requires an annual or daily permit for each rider age 16 or older.
Dog trails (5.4 miles) - Lake Rebecca has .8 miles of paved trails and a 4.6 miles of turf trail that includes parts of the turf horseback trail and East Lake Rebecca Road, with access from the main parking lot. Dog-walkers are required to keep their dogs on leashes no longer than 6 feet and must clean up after the pets. Dogs must not be allowed to interfere with other trail users. Violators will be fined.
Boat rental and rental building - Boats may be rented from the rental building on Lake Rebecca. The building is in the main recreation area and boats include canoes, rowboats and paddleboats. A photo I.D. is required for rental. At least one person age 16 or older must be in the watercraft. For rental building hours, call (763) 694-7662.
Fishing pier - Fishing for tiger muskies, largemouth bass, walleyes and pan fish are available in Lake Rebecca. There are two accessible fishing piers along the shores, with one located in the bay and the other near the swimming beach by the main lake.
For more information, visit www.threeriversparkdistrict.org.
