Wood Lake Nature Center
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE FOR PROGRAMS & EVENTS |
Building Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm, Sunday, Noon-5:00 pm
Nature Center building closed on all major holidays - trails remain open
Park Hours: Daily, Sunrise to 11:00 pm
Walking Trail Conditions: Walking trails are in good condition.
The ski trails are closed for the season, see the Ski and Snowshoe page.
Park Guidelines: Please keep our park healthy and welcoming to all wildlife and people by observing these guidelines...
- Dogs are not allowed at Wood Lake (note: service dogs are welcomed. Non-service dogs are allowed on a leash at any other Richfield park. The Richfield Off-Leash Dog Area is located at Roosevelt Park, 77th Street and Portland Avenue)
- No bikes inside the park
- Stay on the trails
- Observe park signs
- Dispose of trash and recycling properly
- No picking of plants
En Español
Aquí se puede encontrar información en español acerca de programas y eventos para niños y familias. O también se puede bajar un folleto más corto mostrando algunos programas y eventos de destaco en español.
Other Activities at Wood Lake
Geocaching at Wood Lake
Did you know there are geocaches hidden inside of Wood Lake's 150 acres, waiting to be discovered? If you love being outdoors, exploring new places, or going on a nature hunt, this is the perfect activity for you!
Geocaching is a great outdoor recreation activity for all ages and experience levels (beginners welcome!). Geocaching uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) where points are located on a GPS receiver or mobile device to find hide-and-seek containers called "geocaches" or "caches” hidden at specific locations and marked by coordinates. A typical cache is a small, waterproof container with a logbook in which notes can be added by the finder.
Want to try geocaching at Wood Lake? Download the geocaching.com app on your mobile device and create an account for free. Don't own a mobile phone? Reserve one of our GPS receivers for free by calling Wood Lake at 612-861-9365.
Plan Your VisitWood Lake has over two miles of crushed limestone walking trails, floating boardwalk, and groomed cross-country ski trails (weather-permitting). See Wood Lake's trail map for distances and more information. Check out our Things To Do page to find out all the fun things there is to do during your visit at Wood Lake!
Environmental Education
Since 1971, the K-6 Richfield Public School students have visited Wood Lake three times a year as part of their regular science curriculum This partnership is made possible by the annual Urban Wildland Half Marathon & 5K. To plan a guided field trip with a naturalist, visit our Field Trips and Education page for more information or call 612-861-9365 to book a field trip.
All-Terrain Wheelchairs
![]() Wood Lake Nature Center has two Grit Freedom Chairs available for use on the trails. These manual, all-terrain wheelchairs designed by MIT engineers were funded by round-up donations at Richfield Liquor stores. They have a chain drive system that the visitor can operate themselves, or a caregiver can assist with the handlebars. Adult and youth-sized chairs are available. They are easy to operate and will allow our visitors to navigate our trails with ease. A recent teacher exclaimed how excited her student was to be able to enjoy a trail that was previously inaccessible to them. Visitors can check out the wheel chairs at the front desk for use on site or call Wood Lake at 612-861-9365. |
Wood Lake Building Project
Wood Lake staff is proposing the construction of a new building to replace the existing one. Staff is working on securing funding from a variety of sources. View the Wood Lake Building Concept.
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