City: Cottage Grove, MN

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (651) 430-8240

Address: 9940 Point Douglas Rd.

Description: This handsome 506-acre park stays pretty quiet except when the high school teams are practicing. The park name refers to the nearby town (organized in May 1858) and the wooded ravine that was formed in glacial times and may once have been a channel of the St. Croix River. The park is home to native Minnesota wildlife, including the pileated woodpecker. These spectacular birds have a flaming red crest and can reach 16 inches in height. If a loud jackhammering sound breaks the silence, you’ll know they are close by.In winter this is a great park for the experienced cross-country skier, with almost 150 feet in elevation change and some great downhill runs through heavily wooded, dramatic ravines. It is also a popular spot for ski skaters.A fishing pier on the eastern side of Ravine Lake, which is stocked with walleye and bluegill, beckons the angler.