The City of Howard Lake offers many parks in the area for recreational activities and community gatherings for residents to enjoy the great outdoors including the newly renovated Memorial Park on 10th Avenue, and the public water access and beach area at Lions Park on County Road 7.

Also newly built in the Lake Ridge Development north of town is Lake Ridge Park. Created in 2007, the park offers playground equipment with wood chips underneath, and benches.

Recently, the Howard Lake City Council appointed a parks commission to plan new parks and current park upgrades. A five-year plan was developed for the funding of park maintenance and developing undeveloped parks around Howard Lake.

Memorial Park is a regional park that sits on the shore of Howard Lake and is north on County Road 6. It is the home of the Orphans’ baseball field and the Legion’s traveling baseball league. The park houses a volleyball court, a park pavilion, a fishing pier, and public restrooms.

This park is fun for all ages, but the kids will surely enjoy the $22,000 upgrade of the play equipment.

Memorial Park is used by a number of groups and organization, and can be rented out for $50 per day by calling the city hall.

Lions Park is located on County Road 7 and offers a public water access to Howard Lake with a new boat launch and dock, as well as a beach area. There is also a pavilion area and newly purchased playground equipment.

For the athletic types, a tennis and basketball court is open to the public on Fifth Avenue and 10th Street and will soon be resurfaced.

For those who appreciate nature and the outdoors, there is currently a nature trail in the Dutch Lake subdivision to enjoy a wildlife and nature walk.

Future park plans in the Howard Lake area

There are several undeveloped parks that the newly appointed parks commission hopes to have completed within the next four years. The most recently completed project was Lake Ridge Park.

According to Dawn Horst, deputy clerk, the city is hoping to take on one park project per year.

Undeveloped land along Shoreline Drive will soon be the home for Shoreline Park, which would provide a nature park for residents to enjoy wildlife.

The parks commission is also planning on providing a nature center for the purpose of studying wildlife and the natural environment along Haywood Drive. This observatory would include bird houses, benches, a path, and information center.

Also, the parks commission has looked at adding a dog park, a 10-plus acre regional park for recreational use, a trail that goes around Howard Lake, and trails connecting to all the city parks.