Dakota County, MN

Have an extra excuse to enjoy the outdoors – become a Dakota County Parks Trail Ambassador! Our park ambassador teams provide a vital service to our trail programs by providing trained assistance with directions, FAQs, rule compliance and first aid care. Qualified candidates are enthusiastic and frequent users of our parks and that want to serve as friendly ambassadors to other park visitors.

Volunteer on your own time (no set schedule - you go out when you want), while personally enjoying the trails, it doesn’t get better than that. A variety of recreation can be performed within our ambassador program. See below for open team recruitment (you can join more than one team depending on what activity you do while in the parks). 

Help maintain your dog's mental and physicals health by getting them outside to roam. Dakota Woods Dog Park is a 16-acre, fenced-in, wooded park that is a great place to let your dog run and exercise on and off-leash. The park is centrally located in Dakota County, just east of Rosemount and north of Farmington.  

What better way to enjoy a summer afternoon in Minnesota than fishing? No boat? No worries. Take A Kid Fishing gives folks a chance to enjoy a popular Minnesota pastime comfortably from our fishing dock on beautiful Thompson Lake at Thompson County Park in West St. Paul. Learn about fishing and related topics through hands-on exhibits and vendors. There will also be door prizes, giveaways, fun games, art activities and food trucks to help fill up your afternoon with fun. 

A variety of volunteer opportunities are available to support this community event. Whether sharing your fishing knowledge and experience with our younger fishing enthusiasts or just with general event support, there is something for everyone. To ensure a high-quality experience, pre-registration is required to volunteer. Help us make this event a success and get hooked on volunteering!