Elm Creek Park Reserve
About
Elm Creek Park Reserve is a park managed by Three Rivers Park District in Minnesota, about 2 miles from the town of Dayton. It sits close to several cross-country ski routes, which makes it a natural base for winter outings as well as warmer-season visits. For comfortable weather, late spring through early fall works best. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show highs around 70°F in May and 73°F in September. Winters are cold, with January highs averaging about 24°F, which suits the ski trails in the area. The closest of those is the Monarch Trail, less than a mile away, with the Northern Lights Trail and Valley Trail each just under 2 miles off. Coon Creek, a canoeing route about 8 miles away, adds a paddling option nearby.
Park size
5,211 acres
Inside this park
Trails
Campgrounds
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 70–83°F and lows of 47–62°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Mpls Crystal Ap, MN weather station, 8.5 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan24° high7° low
- Feb29° high11° low
- Mar42° high23° low
- Apr57° high35° low
- May70° high47° low
- Jun79° high58° low
- Jul83° high62° low
- Aug81° high60° low
- Sep73° high52° low
- Oct58° high38° low
- Nov42° high26° low
- Dec29° high13° low
Where it is
- Elm Creek Park Reserve · Public land
- Nearest town
- Dayton, Minnesota · 2.1 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- Monarch TrailCross-country skiing0.9 mi
- Northern Lights TrailCross-country skiing1.7 mi
- Valley TrailCross-country skiing1.9 mi
- Walking and biking pathMountain biking4.8 mi
- Coon CreekCanoeing7.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Elm Creek Park Reserve
Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
24° / 7°
Feb
29° / 11°
Mar
42° / 23°
Apr
57° / 35°
May
70° / 47°
Jun
79° / 58°
Jul
83° / 62°
Aug
81° / 60°
Sep
73° / 52°
Oct
58° / 38°
Nov
42° / 26°
Dec
29° / 13°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mpls Crystal Ap, MN, 8.5 mi away at 861 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.