Experience Nature

Burnsville has an abundance of natural areas to visit where you can explore nature, go fishing, try out geocaching, watch wildlife and more.

Take a Walk

Multiple parks in Burnsville offer trails that will immerse you in nature. For a walk in the woods, explore one of the trails at Alimagnet Park, Terrace Oaks Park or Kelleher Park. For pond and lake views, try Sunset Pond Park, Kraemer Nature Preserve, Crystal Lake West Park or Day Park.

Check out the Natural Areas page to explore more natural habitats. For a self-guided nature walk, check out the Kraemer Nature Trail.

Remember to dress appropriately for the weather. It's also a good idea to bring water and wear sunscreen. During warm weather, insect repellent will help keep pesky mosquitoes away.

Go Fishing

Several fishing opportunities are available in Burnsville.

Crystal Lake is the largest lake in Burnsville with a public boat launch at Crystal Lake West Park and shoreline fishing access at multiple locations including Crystal Beach Park. A large fishing pier is located within Tyacke Park.

Wood Pond, located within Wood Park, is part of the MN DNR's Fishing in the Neighborhood(FiN) program with shore and pier fishing access. The pond is also regularly stocked by the MN DNR. Fish species in this 14-ft deep pond include Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Walleye and Bullhead. There is no public boat launch but visitors may carry in canoes, kayaks and similar watercraft (no motorboats).

Other fishable lakes with shoreline access include:

Lake Alimagnet - Alimagnet Park
Keller Lake - limited access from north side of Keller Lake Park in Burnsville and from southeast corner of Keller Park in Apple Valley
Earley Lake - Day Park
Lac Lavon - Lac Lavon Park
Sunset Pond - Sunset Pond Park

Learn more about Burnsville lake and pond boating rules.

More lake information and fish stocking reports may be found on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) LakeFinder webpage.

A map of public boat accesses and fishing piers in the metro area can be found on the MN DNR Twin Cities Water Recreation Map (PDF).

Geocaching

Geocaching ("gee-oh-cash-ing") is an outdoor recreational activity where you search for a cache using a GPS device or smartphone app. A typical cache is a small, hidden waterproof container with a logbook for people to sign when they find the cache. Once found, you should return the cache to its hidden location.

Learn more at https://www.geocaching.com/play.

Birdwatching

Whether you're an experienced birder or brand new, the City offers several natural areas that attract a variety of birds.

The eBird website is a great place to start if you're looking for birding hotspots.

Nature Play Area

Opened in spring 2018, the Nature Play Area at Terrace Oaks East Park features natural play materials such as climbing boulders, wood "cookies" for stacking, and sticks for building.