Bringing in the top spot in the “Best Nature Center” category in the Family Favorites survey, Tamarack Nature Center is a 320 Acre park located in White Bear Township. Start your visit in the visitor center, where you can see live animals such as snakes, turtles, salamanders, and frogs, then pick up a free scavenger hunt and head outside!
Discovery Hollow Play Area
The fantastic outdoor play center sets this nature center apart, allowing children of all ages to discover nature through all five senses. Use wood to build a fort, climb the rocks for a birds-eye view, splash in the stream, and even crawl through a hobbit hole while visiting this play area. Another outstanding feature of Discovery Hollow is the garden. Children can water, pull weeds, and even pick and taste herbs and veggies growing in Tamarack’s backyard.
Trails
Tamarack has six trails ranging from paved to prairies, woods, and wetlands.
- Dragonfly loop: 2.5 Miles
- Acorn loop: 1.25 Miles
- Deer Pass Trail: .80 Miles
- Bluestem Trail Paved Loop: .5 Miles
- Turtle Pass Trail: .12 Miles
- Chickadee Trail Loop: .42 Miles
Preschool
Tamarack Nature Center features an Early Childhood Learning Center. The center offers early childhood and family education classes and half-day nature preschool classes for 3-5-year-olds.
Summer
Tamarack offers free and fee-based spring, summer, and summer day camp programs. Whether you want to go for a butterfly walk, participate in earth day clean-up, learn about spring birds, or become a junior assistant naturalist, Tamarack has activities for every family member. The day we visited, the children in the camp were helping the volunteers catch, band, and release the birds unharmed back into the park!
Winter
Check out Tamarack for sledding in the Discovery Hollow play area in the winter, or rent skis or snowshoes from the Tamarack Winter Recreation Rental Shack.
Tamarack Nature Center | White Bear Township
Phone: (651) 266-0360
For more information on Tamarack Nature Center, visit Tamarack Nature Center | Ramsey County
Nicole is the mom to two young children. Together they are embarking on adventures and discovering the wonders of Minnesota. You can follow along on Instagram @mnbucketlistmom
