Parks & Recreation
The Parks & Recreation department oversees Ramsey County’s parkland and recreational facilities, manages natural resources and facilitates recreational programming.
The Ramsey County parks system encompasses more than 6,500 acres and consists of:
- Six regional parks.
- Nine county parks.
- Six regional trail corridors.
- Nine protected open space sites.
- 11 indoor ice arenas (13 ice sheets).
- One indoor fieldhouse & turf facility.
- Four golf courses.
- Tamarack Nature Center.
- Battle Creek Waterworks, a family water park.
The parks and recreation services provided by Ramsey County complement services provided by municipalities to meet the needs of an urbanized population. The parks and open space areas held by Ramsey County represent the largest undeveloped land areas in the county.
As of June 1, 2018, the duties and authorities of the Ramsey Conservation District transferred to Ramsey County and are managed by the Soil & Water Conservation division of the Parks & Recreation department.
Department leadership and contacts
Mark McCabe, Department Director
Arenas and golf: Liz Flinn, Director
Park operations: Kristopher Lencowski, Director
Planning and development: Scott Yonke, Director
Soil and water conservation: Ann WhiteEagle, Director
Parks and Recreation Commission
The Parks and Recreation Commission serves as an advisory commission to the Parks & Recreation department and Ramsey County Board of Commissioners on matters relating to planning, development and operation of parks, trails, open space and recreation areas.
Learn more about the commission and view meeting agendas and minutes.
Donation policy
Ramsey County Parks & Recreation strives to play an active, supportive role in keeping Ramsey County "a county of excellence working with you to enhance our quality of life." However, due to the high volume of requests we receive, we are unable to fulfill all requests for donations.
To be considered, please submit your requests with a Donation Request Form (PDF) and a Letter of Introduction describing your organization and event.
Please submit your request at least 60 days prior to the event to allow for review by the department. We will review and answer all requests within 14 days of your event. All decisions are final.
Guidelines
As a publicly-funded entity, we are limited in the amount and value of donations we can make. In order to uphold the Ramsey County mission, donations are granted to selected causes or events that:
- Benefit a not-for-profit group or organization (no individuals).
- Promote a healthy, active lifestyle.
- Have strong ties to Ramsey County facilities, programs or events.
Submit completed materials to parks@ramseycounty.us