Lowry Nature Center
Located in the heart of the Carver Park Reserve, Lowry Nature Center provides a wide variety of nature-oriented programming for school children, adults and families. Topics include bird banding, maple syrup-making, pond studies, winter survival, star gazing and more. A 1,700-foot boardwalk winds through marsh and tamarack swamps, while wood-chipped trails through woods allow visitors to observe deer, raptors, beaver, otters, butterflies, trumpeter swans and osprey.

HABITATS education play area
Lowry also is home to this unique educational play area that features larger-than-life flowers to climb on, dragonfly eyes to peer through, and a beaver lodge to sit in. Open seasonally.

Public and group picnic areas
In addition to the general picnic area, the Springview reservation picnic site has electricity and can accommodate groups of up to 400 people. Reserve a site.

Public campground with swimming beach and play area Lake Auburn is a rustic public campground that offers an unguarded beach, play equipment. Campers are welcome to enjoy all the other park amenities as well. Reserve a site.

Group campsites
Carver Park offers four rustic group campsites with capacities of 35 to 200 people. Reserve a site

Historic Grimm Farm Site
The historical significance of Grimm Farm dates back to 1857. At that time, Wendelin Grimm immigrated to this area from Germany and eventually developed a winter-hardy strain of alfalfa. This allowed for the development of the dairy industry in this part of the country. The farmhouse and site are maintained as an historical/interpretive feature of the park.

Fishing piers and boat launches - Carver Park Reserve hosts four lakes. Stieger and Auburn offer boat launches and accessible fishing piers. Zumbra offers a boat launch, as does Parley Lake, although the Parley boat launch is outside the park. Mark Raveling of Spring Park, caught the biggest largemouth bass on state record (8 lbs, 15 oz) on Lake Auburn.

Paved bike/hike trail (8.5 miles) - This 10-foot wide-trail consists of loops in both the eastern and western parts of the park, with a connecting link in the central part of the park.

Turf hiking trails (21.6 miles) - Carver is home to deer, foxes, owls, hawks and many other animals which can be seen from the trails within the park. Wetland animals can be seen from over 1,700 feet of floating boardwalk that take you through marsh and tamarack swamps. 6.5 miles of trails are designated for hiking only, the remaining trails are multi-use.

Horse trails (15.1 miles) - Limited trailer parking is available for those who decide to ride through the scenic trails of Carver Park Reserve. Use of horseback trails requires an annual or daily pass.

Dog trails -Walk your dog on miles of trails that wind through the park. See more information

Dog off-leash Area - 27 acres provide dogs (and their owners!) ample room to run. The perimeter is completely fenced and features a separate section for small and/or frail dogs. The off-leash area is located east of Victoria and can be accessed from the intersection of Highway 5 and Park Drive. Disposable bags and garbage receptacles are provided to pick up after your dog. An daily or annual pass is required. Daily permits are available at the parking lot pay box.

Cross-country ski trails (21.6K, 13.4 mi.) - An extensive network of groomed cross-country ski trails wind through the western portion of the park reserve. Trails are for beginning to intermediate skiers cover a wide variety of terrain, from hardwood forests to marsh lands. Ski equipment rental is available on weekends in the Springview picnic area. Skiers ages 12 and older must have a Three Rivers Park District annual or daily ski pass.

Snowmobile trail (4.75 miles) - This trail is a link connecting trails outside the park. It runs along the southern and western periphery of the park.

Sledding, snowshoeing and kicksledding
Just a short jaunt outside the entrance to Lowry Nature Center you'll find an exciting sliding hill. If snowshoeing interests you, you can rent a pair at the nature center and explore a winter wonderland along the nature and bike/hike trails. You also can try kicksledding across the frozen lake. Stop by Lowry Nature Center to rent a kicksled and discover this fun winter activity.

Access to SW Hennepin Regional LRT trail
At the southeast corner of Carver Park Reserve, you will find access to the 10-foot wide Southwest Hennepin LRT Regional Trail, which currently leads to the town of Hopkins, 15 miles to the east.

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