Dakota County Newsletter - Exciting changes are happening at Dakota County's largest park

Exciting changes are happening at Dakota County’s largest park.

We’re adding a yurt and two new outdoor classrooms this year to Lebanon Hills Regional Park. The new features will allow visitors to experience the park in new ways and locations.

Here’s what you can expect:

Yurt for learning

Construction is underway on a yurt that will stand on a deck near the Visitor Center.

Yurts are circular structures wrapped in a soft yet sturdy tent material. They serve as dwellings in some cultures, but the Lebanon Hills yurt will be a learning space for up to 30 people.

The yurt provides additional learning space for when programs at the popular Visitor Center are full. The yurt’s interior will have outlets, be lit with a skylight and interior lights, and have heating and cooling for more comfortable use all year.

The yurt’s addition will free up other warming spaces during winter months and provide indoor space for school nature programs.

The yurt will sit on a deck platform with stairs and a ramp to make it accessible for all visitors.

Outdoor classrooms

We’re wrapping construction on two more outdoor classrooms near Schulze and McDonough lakes for programs to gather as students arrive to explore the outdoors.

Similar to the outdoor classroom unveiled in 2018, these additions will have wooden bench seating for groups of 20, with ample space for students to rest and comfortably learn.

The new classrooms provide additional learning spaces for student groups — especially when schools arrive with up to five classes at a time.

Once complete, our outdoor classrooms will showcase three separate areas — the woods, the prairie and a lake.