Baylor Regional Park
Gazing at a starry sky through a powerful telescope, playing a round of disk golf, or walking along a cattail marsh might be the perfect way to spice up your day.
At Baylor Regional Park, these are only a sampling of the wide array of available activities.
The park is located a few miles south of New Germany on Carver County Road 33, adjacent to Eagle Lake, and offers 200 acres of year-round outdoor fun.
Many people travel to Baylor Regional Park to walk or run on the nearly four miles of trails through forest and prairie. There is also a boardwalk through a cattail marsh that is almost a quarter mile long.
Wildlife photographers and birdwatchers enjoy a variety of scenic vistas overlooking Eagle Lake, and boaters often take advantage of the calm, peaceful waters.
For large gatherings up to 100 people, a community room is available throughout the year with advance reservations. The 1935 remodeled barn has a food preparation area, heat, air conditioning, and flush restrooms.
Park patrons can also play a round of 18-hole disk golf when they visit. The course, which opened in September 2007, has baskets with turf and natural tee boxes.
There is no additional charge to play disk golf, but a $5 daily or $22 annual Carver County parking permit is required for all vehicles in the park.
When cold weather hits, cross country skis can be rented on weekends at the park office.
For those who prefer to stay at the park for longer periods of time, there are opportunities to stay at one of 50 camping sites. Thirty-five have water and electrical hookups, and there is also a group campsite. While you’re there, catch a few fish, eat a picnic lunch, or relax on the swimming beach.
For sports enthusiasts, the park offers a ballfield, tennis courts, and sand volleyball courts.
For reservations or information about any park activity, contact the Carver County Park Office at (952) 466-5250 or parks@co.carver.mn.us.
Parking passes, maps, and other information can also be obtained online, at www.co.carver.mn.us.
Onan Observatory
No visit to Baylor Regional Park is complete without at least a glance at Onan Observatory, a state-of-the-art facility operated by the Minnesota Astronomical Society (MAS).
The site has been gaining popularity in recent years, and had a new attendance record of 3,690 visitors in 2009.
The observatory attendance at public viewings and special events beat the previous record in 2008 of 2,675.
Public viewings take place on certain nights, typically from about 7 to 10 p.m., in both clear or cloudy weather. When conditions do not allow for direct viewing, presentations and recorded views of previously observed solar system and deep sky objects are substituted.
To contact someone from the Onan Observatory, e-mail onaninfo@mnastro.org, or leave a message in the Minnesota Astronomical Society’s voice mail box at 952-467-2426.
More information is also available at www.mnastro.org.
