Throughout quarantine I’ve found myself bored because I have been primarily staying inside and watching Netflix. One way I’ve found to combat my boredom is to take my dogs for walks in parks and trails that I’ve never been to. The following parks and trails are a great change from taking your dog to the dog park, and are some of the best places to walk your pet in the city. 

Bass Lake Park/George Haun Trail ★★★☆☆

Although this park can be great for many actvities I really like the actual George Haun trail which goes around the lak. The trail offers wonderful views during sunrise and sunset. Overall, I really liked the trail because it was partially paved and partially boardwalks. If you are looking for an outdoor space where you likely won’t see anyone, this is your place. The one thing that I really did not like about this trail was the constant mosquito problem. If you don’t mind the mosquitoes, this trail is a great place to get wonderful views while walking your dog.

Louisiana Oaks and Oak Hill Park ★★★★☆

These two parks have been my favorite ever since I was a little kid. The parks are located side by side and are separated by a grove of trees that greatly enhances the scenery while walking. Unfortunately, many of the amenities of the parks such as pavilions and indoor restrooms, are closed because of COVID-19. The parks still offer great paved walking trails and picnic tables where people can rest. I think my favorite thing about these two parks is the vast open space in Louisiana Oaks where I can run with my dogs on a leash. The large amount of walking trails between and around the two parks makes it a good place to walk my dogs for a long time and get some exercise. The one thing that makes these two parks less attractive is the large number of people at both parks. You will seldom be the only person in the park, and many times you will have to avoid people on the walking trails.  

Wolfe Park ★★★☆☆

Wolfe Park is one of the largest parks in the city and is full of cool features such as a small lake, a partial boardwalk, and a creek with a nice bridge. Like Louisiana Oak and Oak Hill, Wolfe Park has some facilities that are closed because of COVID-19. Otherwise, Wolfe Park offers an interesting blend of medium length walking trails and unique scenery. The beauty of the park is certainly enriched by a large hill which has an outdoor amphitheater and the bridge that lets you walk over the small creek that empties into the small lake at the end of the park. Wolfe Park has both a boardwalk trail and paved trail which both encircle the very picturesque pond. My only problem with Wolfe Park is the masses of people that are always walking there. During the pandemic, this can make it very nerve-racking and unenjoyable because you spend more time avoiding other people than enjoying a walk with your dog. 

In the end, St. Louis Park offers a plethora of parks and trails to go on walks by yourself or with your pet. Any one of these places can really help relieve the stress that COVID-19 has brought to our country.