Three Rivers Park District Says Snow Just in Time for ‘Winter Play Day’
When it comes to winter in Minnesota, there’s generally two schools of thought: avoid the outdoors as much as possible, or embrace all that Mother Nature has to offer.
“Both alpine and Nordic [skiing] are both a great way to enjoy winter and find some joy,” said Erica Meyers, an avid Nordic skier. “Even though a lot of people struggle in the winter with it being so cold out.”
Meyers made the trek to Elm Creek Park Reserve in Maple Grove from her home in St. Paul on Wednesday to get time in on the cross-country ski course.
“I wanted to get out on the trails,” she said. “We’ve got a big ski race coming up this weekend, so I gotta get one more day of training in. And even with the weather, it’s worth it with this snow. it’s exciting.”
‘Exciting’ isn’t the first word that comes to mind for a lot of people when they hear that more than a foot of snow is on the way, but it’s music to the ears of the Three Rivers Park District.
“This new snowfall has me more excited about winter than I have been all winter long,” said Dominic Ray, the ski school facilities supervisor at Elm Creek Park Reserve.
Embracing winter recreation at a discounted price
On Saturday, Feb. 25, all of the parks in the Three Rivers Park District will take part in “Winter Play Day.”
It’s a day when people can rent cross country skis, sleds or snowshoes, free of charge.
On Winter Play Day at Elm Creek Park, people can get free cross-country ski passes and rentals.
And if you’re into other activities like tubing, downhill skiing or snowboarding, you can do all of those things at a discounted rate.
“Don’t be intimidated by the number of people that might be interested in coming out to this event, because it’s spread throughout the park district,” Ray said. “So we have plenty of room. plenty of space.”
He says ‘plenty of space’ also applies to the parking lot at Elm Creek Park.
“Lots are going to be nice and cleared out and whatnot, and the snow is gonna be in prime condition,” Ray said.
Prime condition to enjoy some winter fun; whether you’re a beginner, or a seasoned pro.
“I mean it’s still bad driving weather, but I’m excited for the weekend,” Meyers said.
For a list of all of the various activities offered by the Three Rivers Park District on Winter Play Day, you can check out their website.
Related: Weekend Showcase: Experience Winter with Snowshoes at Three Rivers Parks
