Twin Cities Parks & Lakes
Parks, lakes, and rivers are synonymous with the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area. The regional park and trail system in the area is one of the best in the country. Three rivers and almost 1,000 lakes put water activities at the top of the list as soon as the "ice out" occurs; this typically happens in early spring around mid-April.
When you arrive in the Twin Cities, you'll want to hit the ground running - or biking or skating or skiing. Twin Citians are active and love to be outdoors. Men's Fitness recently named Minneapolis the "Most Athletic City" because of the high participation in sports and low number of obese residents. And Saint Paul's Division of Parks and Recreation was awarded the 2005 National Gold Medal for excellence in recreation management.
Some area parks even offer an interesting variety of activities to keep you attracted to outdoor life including archery, horseback riding, kayaking, camping, and mountain biking. Countless opportunities to join sports and activities leagues for kids and adults exist throughout the cities and suburbs.
Cold winters don't slow down residents in the Twin Cities. Parks, iced-over lakes, and golf courses become a whole new setting for recreation. Locals bundle up in layers and take to sledding, cross-country skiing, ice skating, and ice fishing. Hiking boots are replaced with snow shoes and bicycles are replaced with snowmobiles.
When it comes to outdoor fun and water activities, you could never run out of places to play in the Twin Cities.