Public-facing park facilities closed through April 10

Dakota County is closing public-facing park facilities, including the Lebanon Hills Visitor Center at Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan and Schaar's Bluff Gathering Center at Spring Lake Park Reserve in Hastings. The closure will last at least through Friday, April 10.

Restrooms, shelters and playgrounds closed

Park restrooms, picnic shelters and playgrounds are closed until further notice.

Parks and trails still open

While we are closing park facilities and canceling programs, parks and trails are still open. We encourage people to come out and enjoy nature; go for a hike, dog walk or bike ride, be outside, sit and enjoy the scenery while also practicing social distancing.

Rentals and programming canceled through April 19

Existing park facilities rentals — including Dakota Lodge, Schaar's Bluff Gathering Center, Camp Sacajawea, Camp Spring Lake Retreat Center, picnic shelters and special use permits — and camper cabins at Whitetail Woods Regional Park will be canceled through April 19. For now, future facility rentals will be accepted beginning May 15 and later with the understanding the situation is fluid and additional cancellations may be necessary.

As a reminder, the following safety measures  remain in place:

• ​All parks programs and events are canceled through Sunday, April 19.
• Until further notice, parks is waiving withdrawal, change or cancellation fees for programs, facility rentals, permits and passes.

While you may not see as many park staff out in the parks right now, please know we're here ready to serve you. The best way to reach us during this time is by email at parks@co.dakota.mn.us. Check us out on Facebook or sign up for the Parks listserv.

It is important to note that stigma will not fight COVID-19 — sharing accurate information will. Find information from reliable, trustworthy sources , including Dakota County Public Health, Minnesota Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.