ALEXANDRIA AREA outdoors
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long with winter comes a whole new season of outdoor fun. The Alexandria lakes area offers a variety of fun outdoor activities for people of all ages. Here are just some of the outdoor activities you can enjoy in Douglas County this winter:
ICE SKATING • Noonan Park in Alexandria is the site of the city’s outdoor public skating rink. The rink is regularly maintained, has a warming house and is lit for night skating. The park is generally open for skating around December 20, or whenever there is 8 inches of ice. Hours for the rink and warming house are Monday through Friday, 3 to 9:30 p.m. and weekends and vacation days, 1 to 9:30 p.m. The rink is closed daily from 5 to 6 p.m. There is no charge to skate. Located on the east side of Alexandria off of Nokomis Street and between Ninth and 10th avenues. • Indoor skating is offered at the Runestone Community Center in Alexandria. Hours for open skating are Monday through Friday, 9 to 11 a.m. Call for Saturday and Sunday open skating hours. Cost is $2 per session. Children age 6 and younger can skate free. Season passes are also available. For more information call (320) 763-4466. Located at 1002 Third Avenue West in Alexandria. • Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center has skating on Lake Darling, in front of the townhomes. There are skates available for rent. DOWNHILL SKIING, TUBING, SNOWBOARDING, SNOWSHOEING Andes Tower Hills, located about 15 miles west of Alexandria, has 15 downhill ski runs ranging from beginner to expert, as well as facilities for tubing,
14 Winter 2020 / 2021 • Vacationer
snowboarding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Ski and snowboard lessons, a racing program, an after-school ski program, lodging, equipment rentals and a pro shop are also available. The chalet features a large-screen TV, a gas fireplace, and the Whispering Pines Grill, which features burgers, chili, soups and gourmet pizza. Andes Tower Hills has also added some new rental equipment and a variable-speed motor for a smoother ride on the Hollywood High chair lift. There are 15 downhill runs for skiers at Andes: four easy hills that include the Bunny Hill, five intermediate and five difficult runs, as well as one expert run. Cross country skiing has 800 acres of scenic trails packed and groomed on a regular basis. Lighted trails and a 2.3K snowshoe only trail are also availble.
Tubing is available and is recommended for those 4 years of age or older and 42 inches tall. For more information, call (320) 965-2455 or visit the Andes website at www.andestowerhills.com. Take State Highway 27 west of Alexandria about nine miles, turn right onto County Road 7 and go about two miles, turn left on County Road 107 and go about two miles to the entrance. SNOWMOBILING There are 368 miles of snowmobile trails in Douglas County, which connect many of the communities in the area and connect to trails in surrounding counties as well. For more information about area snowmobile trails, visit www.douglasareatrails. com. CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING Local cross-country ski trails are located as follows: • Lake Carlos State Park* has six miles of groomed trails and a warming house. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Take State Highway 29 north of Alexandria 10 miles, turn left onto County Road 38 and go two miles to the park entrance. • Kensington Rune Stone Park* near Kensington has 10.5 miles of groomed and slotted trails and a warming house. The park is open from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., seven days a week. Take State Highway 27 west of Alexandria about 13 miles, turn left onto County Road 103 and go about one mile to the park entrance. • Spruce Hill Park* near Miltona has four miles of groomed and slotted trails. The park is open every day from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Take State Highway 29 north of Alexandria about nine miles, turn right onto County Road 5, travel
