At nearly 2,000 acres and more than half a million visits per year, Lebanon Hills Regional Park is the county’s largest and busiest park. Dakota County updated the Lebanon Hills Master Plan to guide and prioritize park management and improvements over the next decade.
Something for everyone
The revised Lebanon Hills Regional Park Master Plan provides for greater access and improves natural resources for all.
The plan does not pave over any existing hiking or cross country ski trails, but expands the amount of natural surface hiking trails in the park, resulting in a total of 43 miles of unpaved trails. It also adds a 6-mile paved connector trail and a 0.5-mile paved loop around McDonough Lake.
Residents wanted an increased emphasis on protecting the park’s natural resources, so the plan includes more efforts to remove invasive buckthorn.
Lebanon Hills Master Plan
Lebanon Hills Sustainable Trails Study
The Lebanon Hills Sustainable Trails Study is a technical study that addresses the natural surface trail systems within the park. The goals of the study are:
- Assess the current trail system
- Recommend modifications and improvements to current trail system based on assessments
- Identify maintenance practices and resources needed to maintain sustainable trails
- Develop a phasing plan and preliminary cost estimate to inform funding needs for trail improvements