A perfect place to stroll through nature offering plenty of trail options for the whole family. 

This 446-acre Regional Park is an easy to access park which makes it one of the most popular in Anoka County. The park offers paved and dirt trails so the whole family can enjoy the park! Biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking are all popular activities on the trails here making it a year-round use park.

We frequent the Coon Rapids side of the Dam because it tends to be less crowded but the Brooklyn Park side, known as Mississippi Gateway Regional Park offers access to wider trail opportunities. There is a visitor's center with information and scheduled family-friendly programs. There is a visitor's center on the Coon Rapids side as well but note that it's not as large. Make sure to cross the bridge that connects the east and west sides of the dam. In the summer you can watch the water flow through the dam, and spot all the ducks swimming above the dam to avoid the current. In the winter you can see the beauty of the frozen ice along the dam.

We love that you can wander the trail and feel as if you have escaped to a faraway forest. It's the perfect spot to spend a whole day. On the east side, you can take the paved trail all the way along the river into the historic town of Anoka. There is a recently built Caribou Coffee at the park entrance on the East side (Coon Rapids) side of the dam so grab your coffee and enjoy a hike along the Mississippi.

The east side of the park has a playground with a picnic shelter perfect to pack your lunch. In the summertime, the Dam is a popular place to go fishing or put your boat in. We frequent this park in all seasons but we enjoy it most in the winter for its peaceful beauty. Wandering the freshly fallen snow-covered trails is always one of our favorite activities to kick off a winter snowshoeing season!