The Plan
Developed in partnership with Prior Lake residents, the city’s Park and Trail System Plan would deliver critical updates and improvements to Lakefront Park, Spring Lake Park, neighborhood parks and Highway 13 trails.
The plan aims to ensure the city’s outdoor amenities will continue to enhance our community’s quality of life for years to come.
Proposed improvements include:
Lakefront Park
Because of its size and location near downtown, Lakefront Park is a community hub, hosting many events and recreational activities.
The city’s plan would update the park’s aging amenities and expand recreational opportunities to be enjoyed by all ages, including:
A new adventure playground and splash pad
Increased accessibility to Watzl’s Beach, including a fishing pier
Additional space for popular community events
A new entry/exit to the park to enhance circulation and safety
Year-round community restrooms
New and updated recreational space for activities, including:
Ice skating
Skateboarding
Picnicking
Tennis
Pickleball
Snowshoeing
Spring Lake Park
The city acquired Spring Lake Park in the early 2000s with plans to develop it as a community park to reduce demand at Lakefront Park. This would allow Lakefront Park to be redeveloped without disrupting recreational services for residents.
The city’s plan for improving this park includes developing:
Additional pickleball courts
High-quality soccer and football fields
Updated hockey/skating rinks and a warming house
A safe and inclusive playground
Year-round community restrooms
MN Highway 13 Trail Projects
The city plans to continue filling gaps in our trail system to allow for greater connectivity and safer pedestrian travel to primary destinations and regional areas. Under the city’s plan, the trail segments on the north side of Highway 13 would be connected between Egan Drive (County Rd 42) and extend all the way to Downtown Prior Lake.
Neighborhood Parks
The city plans to ensure each neighborhood in Prior Lake has one high-quality park within a half-mile radius to accommodate recreational programming and reflect the desires of that neighborhood. For many of our neighborhood parks, this will mean upgrading or replacing amenities such as aging playgrounds, fields, and park buildings.
