Tamarack Nature Center

5287 Otter Lake Rd, White Bear Township, MN 55110, USA

Address:	5287 Otter Lake Rd, White Bear Township, MN 55110, USA
Phone:	+1 651-407-5350
Site:	parks.co.ramsey.mn.us
Rating:	4.6
Working:	8AM–4:30PM 8AM–4:30PM 8AM–4:30PM 8AM–4:30PM 8AM–4:30PM 9AM–5PM 12–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 18

Booboo M

Love he gorgeous nature over here. There is some really cool trails to check out. While on the trails you will see lots of dragon flies, birds, frogs, flowers, and even turtles. They have a really cool area for kids to play in the water and sand. They also have a garden which was closed when we got there but looks very beautiful from the fence/gate. There also a building to go into which was also closed when we were there so havent gotten to look inside the building. I have to say though, a very awesome place to be if you enjoy bird watching. We seen a few birds that were so unique and have no idea how to identify them but it was so cool. I am a huge fan of blue birds and there were quite a few of them over around the garden area. Got to see the bright yellow finches and even lots of chipmunks running around. Only spent about an hour and half there but definitely am planning on returning. Just a very nice place to be and next time I really plan to bird watch. So peaceful and very entertaining!!!

Nikole Mitchell

This is one place my children can literally spend an entire day without getting bored. Just last week my two girls (6 and 3) were playing with their friends, and my six year old ran up to me and said, "This is the best day ever!" Made my heart happy! I love that there are rocks to climb, sticks to build and play with, and water to splash in. The water is my favorite part because its just a stream but it opens the doors to a childs imagination (creating dams, seeing what can float down the stream and what cant, etc), and the cool water is such sweet relief on hot summer days. So be sure to bring swimsuits or an extra outfit and towels! And lots of snacks because you just might surprise yourself with how long youll stay there!

Michelle Anderson

Awesome outdoor play area for kids! Theres sand and water, fake cliffs to climb, log and stick construction area as well as a great sledding hill for little kids in the winter. They also have a nice nature center with fun and informative drop in times to see some of their resident animals. The only thing I was not impressed with was their preschool. I went for a tour during a class and the naturalist seemed completely unfriendly, a hungry child who wanted another snack was told no somewhat strictly and there seemed to be a lot of pressure put on kids to do the optional activity (cleaning and dyeing wool) and get correct answers when learning letters.

Jou-i Chen

因為行程突然改變，臨時來到這裡，是一個當地人的點，裡面有寓教於樂的菜園、小動物標本、小爬蟲類可以看！有步道可以走走看風景，裡面有三個湖，不過我們沒有停留很久，在這裡看了很多美麗的樹，秋天的樹有紅有黃，在這裡玩空拍機，拍到許多美景！如果有時間真想走到湖邊看看。

Andrew Ervin

Tamarack Nature Center is a beautiful place in the North Metro - an opportunity to hike or ski and commune with the woods and birds. A place for quiet reflection. Many miles of trails. Families with young children will enjoy the wonderful nature play area near the entrance, as well as the programs in the nature center. Important to note that pets are not allowed. The far reaches of the trails border upon I-35E, which presents some noise issues, but dont let that deter you, as some of the most beautiful parts of the trails are in that section.

Danielle Jensen

A great little nature area...the kids play/garden area is wonderful. My 3 yr old could have stayed and played all day. Seeing as I had my stroller I did not get to see most of the trails, but even on the paved trail we saw some lizards and birds. For someone that lives in central rural Minnesota, this is a great little place. Think about another outfit and towels for little ones as they do have a "mud" area(part of the sandbox has a waterway running through it).

mkinneymn

We stopped by on our way to Itasca and boy, are we glad we did. We stopped by the visitor center and got some very good advice from a volunteer named Joy. She gave us the lowdown on where we would most likely find some wildlife and she nailed it. We saw swans with their cygnets, loons, warblers, gulls diving for fish and a pair of ospreys on their nest. It is a great place for a visit. We may return in the winter for some snowshoeing.

Jake Kelley

I used to love love love this place. Wow some great memories here. However this new phase of construction they are doing this year makes me nervous. The parking lot is completely redone making the entrance elsewhere. Im seeing what looks like a bus turn around and its got me thinking that theyve sold out to attract schools for field trips and camps and whatnot. They had a good thing for a while but money has always got to get in the way.

Kimberly Valerius

We went here on a field trip last week. I learned a lot as an adult and the kids seemed to be very interested. They did a great job at keeping the kids engaged in all the learning activities. The also had a big play area for the kids at the end of the field trip to help burn off some energy. We will definitely be coming back as a family this summer.

Joy Notaro

Excellent place to let the kids explore and create! The sticks/logs area is wonderful, the rock formation for climbing is helpful at getting their energy out and my kids just adore the man made stream and pond with sand area. Bring a change of clothes for your little one in case they get into the water!!

Josie kroics

You cannot ride bikes in the trails and the park ranger lady told us we had to walk our bikes past people. I did not see any signs at the front. I guess I should have looked better. Will not recommend this park. I did see that said no dogs. So at least there was that. So remember NO BIKES OR DOGS

Catherine K

Our family loved this park. It was beautiful and there was something for everyone to enjoy. Kids loved the rock trails, wood forts, streams and rock formations. We loved the gardens and nature center. Bring a picnic. Indoor restrooms and drinking fountains available, as well as outhouses.

Mary S

Definitely a place to bring kids. Toddler age is appropriate. Nice gardens and fenced off areas for easy adult supervision of the kids. Natural play areas for climbing and jumping. It helps to have a hat because there are not a lot of shade areas.

Munir Kaderbhai

Awesome place to take your family. Younger kids can enjoy the outdoor play area with rock climbing, small man-made stream (bring extra set of clothes). Great for kids of all ages. I love that the entire play area theme is connected to nature.

Brett Benkovics

Hiked here a ton as a kid. Lots of fun. But its beyond unreasonable to prohibit dogs. Prohibiting dogs at a park is like prohibiting baseball gloves at a baseball game. Just dumb. Wont be coming back till this rule is lifted.

Peter Hyland

This is a fantastic place. We always stop here when driving from Kansas to upper Wisconsin. The button activated creek is a great place to cool off on a hot day. Tons of nature to explore and its free. Cant really beat it.

Kristen Evenson

Love this place! Great programs. Great place for younger kids especially, but also fun for families. Maple syrup making, owls, bee keeping and honey harvest, invasive species programs the list is too long to continue...

Cristian Arias

Its got some trails some short ones and long ones place where you can walk on rocks nice sceneries and a water stream where you can tap tap tap the button and water comes streaming very cool