Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park - Cottage Grove, Minnesota

Ryan &. J. W.

Beautiful place of exploration. Many trails and playground. Building with restrooms and porta potties too if needed. Paved trail along the lake area. Very kid and family friendly. Fishing areas too on the peir. Many animals too you might see.

Elijah L.

We stopped here to look for a location for our family reunion this summer. It will work great for it. It has a big meeting room inside where they can set up tables for you. There’s a kitchen area, free games and activities the kids can use and handicap bathrooms. It would also make for a great place to hang out with your kids, with a big playground and fishing pier outside.

A. L.

This versatile park is a beautiful place to get in some nature time! There's all sorts of paths (paved and unpaved). You could easily spend 4-6 hours to explore all of the trails. This is my go-to place for hikes, cross country running, and nature photography! The Ravine is teeming with wildlife, especially birds, turtles, and dragonflies. They recently decided to use live goats as eco-friendly lawn mowers; you can tell that this park is well-kept and ecologically-minded.

Tip: bring a pair of tweezers with you, especially if you're looking to traverse the many beautiful trails they have. Unfortunately the ticks this year have been especially aggressive!

Tip: This is a paid park- you will need a Washington County park permit or pay at the entrance to the park. I believe it's 7$ to park without a permit.

Tip: Watch your step! Some inclines are pretty steep and the dirt is loose from erosion. Consider if you can 1) climb the incline, AND, 2) descend safely.

Again, I love this park so much! A hidden gem in good ol' Cottage Grove.

Brian R.

Nice regional park with long paved and dirt trails (at least in the summer). The lake attracts land and kayak fishermen. There is a playground for families. You can buy day or annual passes. The annual pass for all the regional parks is totally worth it for locals.

Cheryl C.

We love it, both the trails and the paved paths. The goats are awesome, and this is my boy watching intently after the goats came running to stare at him. He also had his first encounter with a turtle, quite curious. Great experience.

Evie M.

This is a fantastic park. There are several trails that you can run or bike. If you start on the upper parking lot and round down hill, around the lake, through the woods and back you can easily put in 5 miles. You can fish in the little lake off of a pier or in a small non-motorized boat. There's a children's playground and the park is dog friendly.

Tara H.

Date of Visit: 03/10/25 - Great place to take a walk in the afternoons. Admission costs $7 as you drive in. In the early spring (as snow is melting), the paved trails are fairly flooded in areas but we still had a lovely time despite our soaked shoes.

Kimi K.

What a gorgeous park! I love the mix of paved walk ways and trails around the lake. Great playground and bathrooms. Highly recommend checking this park out. It’d be a perfect place for any birthdays and gatherings. We did notice a bbq grill by some picnic tables too.