County and Regional Parks

The Anoka County Parks and Recreation Department develops, operates, and maintains seven regional parks, six county parks, and one regional park reserve.  Parks are open year-round from 6:00am to 1/2 hour after sunset.  Vehicle entry permits are necessary for entry to the system's regional parks.

Use the Park Links below to view detailed information on each park.  The city in which the regional or county park is located is also listed for your reference.

Park Links
Bunker Hills Regional Park (City of Coon Rapids)	Martin-Island-Linwood Lakes Regional Park (Linwood Township)
Coon Lake County Park (City of Columbus)	Mississippi West Regional Park (City of Ramsey)
Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park (City of Coon Rapids)	Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park Reserve (City of Lino Lakes)
Kordiak County Park (City of Columbia Heights)	Riverfront Regional Park / Islands of Peace (City of Fridley)
Lake George Regional Park (City of Oak Grove)	Rum River Central Regional Park (City of Andover)
Locke County Park (City of Fridley)	Rum River North County Park (City of St. Francis)
Manomin County Park (City of Fridley)	Rum River South County Park (City of Anoka)

Vehicle Entry Permits for the System's Regional Parks
Annual vehicle permits are available for purchase year-round at the Bunker Hills Activity Center, Coon Rapids Dam Visitor Center, and Wargo Nature Center.  From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the permits are also available at the Lake George Regional Park gatehouse, Bunker Hills Regional Park gatehouse, Rum River Central Regional Park gatehouse, Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park gatehouse, and Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve gatehouse.  The cost for the annual permit, good for 12 months from the date of purchase, is $25.00.  Not only is the permit valid for Anoka County regional parks but also Washington County and Carver County regional parks!  Annual permit holders receive discounts on programs.  Daily use vehicle permits can be purchased for $5.00.

Park System Lookup Grid
Click on the lookup matrix image to the right to open the quick-reference matrix in a separate browser window.  Each park, forest, trail, and special-use facility is listed with the amenities associated with it.

Regional Parks
Regional parks typically range from 100 to over 1,000 acres.  They provide a wide-array of outdoor recreation opportunities similar to state parks.  Regional parks are typically located on rivers or lakes offering resources for boating, fishing, and swimming.  Acquisition and development funding is supported by the State of Minnesota and the Metropolitan Council.  Anoka County is responsible for the operations and maintenance funding.

Park Reserves
Like regional parks, park reserves are expected to provide for a diversity of outdoor recreation activities.  The major factor that distinguishes these types of areas is that park reserves are intended to provide, protect and preserve representative landscapes of the Metropolitan Area.  Park reserves are usually 1,000 to over 2,000 acres large and are to remain 80% undeveloped.  The funding strategy is the same as for regional parks.

The Anoka County Parks System includes one regional park reserve, Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve.  This park exceeds 2,500 acres and contains unique prairie lakes and wetlands that are being protected from degradation.  The park also offers a variety of recreation opportunities that include: nature interpretation, tent and recreational vehicle camping, fishing, trails, swimming and golf.

County Parks
County parks provide substantial benefits to local communities and neighborhoods.  The parks are usually less than 200 acres in size and provide a range of natural resource-based outdoor recreation.  Significant improvements have been made in recent years at Manomin, and Rum River North, and Rum River South county parks.