Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park — Attraction in Coon Rapids

Very little park patrol. There very rarely is a guard at the front shack to check for park passes or make sure people are purchasing passes. This opens the door to a lot of juvenile activity. Young people cruising through with motorcycles and vehicles with loud exhaust. They just keep circling around and being a nuisance in the park. There’s also a lot of mixed cultures that fish here. Many of them aren’t familiar with the local laws the DNR has for fishing. People keeping fish out of season, using multiple lines. I even saw a guy using a jug trotline. DNR pays very little attention to the fishing that goes on down there. It’s like anything nowadays.. people can’t have nice things and there’s no money to make sure it stays nice. Get some active patrols down there, chase off the riff rad and make sure the money for parking goes back to the park by placing someone at the...

The C.R. dam is one of my favorite places in the Twin Cities to go when I need to recharge and reset. Standing on the walkway above the dam and watching the calm and peaceful river turn instantly into a fiercely fast rush of water before it violently crashes and churns below, is quite mesmerizing.

Like the rest of the park, the walkway above the dam really is amazing, but beware of the thick mess of cob and spiderwebs on the railings; they're not always easy to see (until after they're on your clothes). I also don't recommend walking across it at night without bug spray, since the bugs hover near the walkway lights and attack in droves.

One last tip: there is a $5 fee to park at the dam; however, there is free public parking along the roads about a block or so away if you don't...

It's a nice place for a walk along some cool scenery, and a great place to bring your family for events like reunions, BBQ cookouts, and many more.

Only downside is the fencing along the dam is absolutely COVERED with spiders, and spider webs. You can't even lean on the fence to look into the water below you, without getting close to the gigantic spiders.

I don't know why someone hasn't come and power-washed the spiders out, it's ridiculous. It's been this way for over a few years, and probably longer, and the spiders seem to multiply more and more each year.

Would give it a 5-star if they could keep up with the basic...