St. Cloud’s Lake George Park Does Not Disappoint

When my wife and I moved to St. Cloud last fall, we caught the tail-end of some warm days, and we enjoyed the few times amongst all the unpacking we took to get outside.  

We didn’t know a lot of places to go because we were new and had to figure out where the best places to spend time outside would be. (And honestly, we’re still figuring that out). 

We learned shortly after getting settled that Lake George Park in St. Cloud was a place we wanted to check out. Fast forward to Saturday, my wife is in North Carolina, helping a close family friend who’s been sick and attending some of the end of school year functions for our granddaughter. The weather was so nice on Saturday, I decided to take our dog and check out the park. 

I put our dog in her stroller (this is a way for us to get her acclimated to people, dogs, and surroundings without her jerking and pulling on hear leash- plus I get a better walk this way).  

I was blown away at how pretty the entire area was. There were so many people at the park, fishing, sitting in the grass, or walking around the lake like me.  

The park is so well laid out for those who are looking to walk, run or bike. There’s an inner brick paver path or an asphalt path that runs the outer perimeter of the park. This park is likely conducive for citizens who have challenges with mobility to find ways to enjoy it.  

There were several areas for people to throw a line in the water and try their luck at fishing.  

A big playground area and splash pad area that was full of kids laughing and enjoying the beautiful weather. (I took these pics Sunday morning when there were no kids to be photographed) 

I was impressed by the number of benches there were for people to sit and relax on. (I only took the one picture of benches, I figured you'd get the idea).

There is a beach area for kids to play on, people to relax on or you could even put a kayak in the water there.  

There were two areas that had bathrooms, one near the playgrounds and the other near the beach.  

And of course, the lake itself was beautiful. Complete with ducks who were basking in the sun like everyone else.  

A popular section at Lake George Park was the area for the Swans, a smaller section of water with a structure for the swans at one end.  

There’s a water feature in one corner of the park that is peaceful and impressive. Obviously, a focal point for that section of the park.  

I also saw firsthand why a sign telling people to keep themselves and their pets out of the water was necessary. It was the same lady that was throwing rocks into the lake while standing beside the sign that said, “Do Not Throw Rocks”.  

Maybe she had an exception from both of those rules? 

The park also features wide open grassy areas where people can play with their kids or dogs, or they could choose to sit in the grass and read a book or just catch up with friends or family.  

A really special feature was the Vietnam War Memorial and the area around the monument.  

Saturday may have been my first visit to Lake George Park, but it certainly won’t be my last. Kudos to all those involved in making this park a reality for folks to enjoy. If you’ve never been, or haven’t been in a while, take it from me, check it out. You’ll not be disappointed.