Staring Lake Park and Playground
Staring Lake Park, Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie, MN, USA
Varies seasonally and during pandemic
$
outdoor-adventures, playground, hikes
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Staring Lake Park is a really excellent park and playground for the family!
As soon as we pulled up, I knew this park was something special. This place had just about the most awesome playground equipment we've come across, and we've been to lots and lots of playgrounds. Not only does it have many, many different pieces of equipment to play on, but they're all really new and of super high quality. I like this, because not only does it allow for more space for the kiddos to spread out (whether it's during the pandemic or not) but it also offers a greater variety of ways for the kids to get their sillies out. The playground was multi-level, with some play items atop the first hill, and some on the hill just below. Pretty much just about every type of equipment you can think of can be found here, from climbing walls and climbing trees to slides, swings, spinners, and even human gyroscopes. This place is seriously well-appointed. There's also a triple slide for racing each other, and you know the girls and I raced each other to the bottom (I totally did not win!).
I was also pleased to learn there's a sledding hill on-site, along with a warming house. And, there's a gorgeous hiking trail that circles the entire Staring Lake. The full loop is a full 2.3 miles and is somewhat popular, though this isn't urban, so there's plenty of room to not feel crowded along the trail. This trail is considered excellent for bird watching, as well as just general nature hiking. I would not consider this the most stroller-friendly trail, and would instead opt to carry littles in a Kelty or similar carrier. Also on-site is an observatory to study the night sky! How fun is that?! It isn't open to the public without first making reservations, but what a fun idea for a special time studying the night sky together with your family. The telescope here is one of the most powerful in Minnesota.
After enjoying all that beautiful Staring Lake has to offer, head over to Yum! Bakery in Minnetonka for some excellent eats!