Clifton E. French Regional Park is a lovely and important piece of the Three Rivers Park District system. The park is located on the north shore of Medicine Lake, by far the largest recreational lake in Plymouth, Minnesota. The biggest draw to French Regional Park is arguably its large, award-winning playground. You also might be interested in visiting for the tidy swimming beach, good fishing and boating opportunities, lighted walking trails, disc golf course and interesting wildlife.
Pictures of French Regional Park - a photo & video tour
French Regional Park playground
The park’s new creative playground area was completed in the fall of 2018. The new design was imagined with help and input from a “Kids Task Force” at Park Brook Elementary School in Brooklyn Park. To the great relief of some of our Facebook community members, the new playground has continued its 30-year tradition of a cargo net play area with 47 cargo nets to climb and Three Rivers tells us feedback from kids and adults alike has been overwhelmingly positive. In addition to the beloved nets, the playground now has a 29-foot tower, six slides, and a splash pad with spraying misters. The playground also has features for the smaller kids and ADA accessible decking throughout the second level. – Joy Peters, FFTC
Weather permitting, the play area is open daily from 9 a.m. to sunset from spring through the end of October. Avoid disappointment by checking the Three Rivers Playground page for closures.
French Regional Park Beach
The sandy, clean swimming beach is free and is open between Memorial Day and Labor Day from 9am to 8pm. It has historically been without lifeguards. The swimming beach is located on the park’s main walking trail but is not within sight of the playground or visitor center.
Find more beaches to explore this summer: SPLASH HAPPY: TWIN CITIES GUIDE TO THE BEST BEACHES, POOLS, WATERPARKS & SPLASH PADS.
Watercraft rentals at French Regional Park
Beyond swimming, there are other leisurely ways to get out on the waterways of French Regional Park. Canoes, kayaks (single and double) and rowboats are available to rent in advance on the Three River’s watercraft rentals page. Rentals are relatively inexpensive, about $12-$17 per hour.
More outdoor recreation at French Regional Park
There is more to explore beyond the fun you’ll have at the French Regional Park playground. Older kids and families can enjoy the disc golf course, sand volleyball and pop-up archery programs that occasionally travel to the park. You can register for these programs on the Three Rivers Parks District page. For bike enthusiasts like us, you’ll want to know that the paved park’s main paved trail connects to the Basset Creek and Medicine Lake Regional Trails.
French Regional Park Wildlife
The park has trails around Medicine Lake, through woodsy areas and near marshlands. Besides the expected Minnesota wildlife, look for:
Wood Ducks
The park is part of the Three Rivers Park District’s Wood Duck Management Program. The park maintains and monitors wood duck boxes through volunteer efforts and has seen its efforts pay off in the last 50 years. According to Three Rivers, the best time to watch wood ducks, swans and other water fowl is in the spring and fall.
Purple Martins
Purple Martins, which used to be common in our area had disappeared from parks by 1980. In 2006, Three Rivers set up martin condos near the beach at this park and now has a thriving colony at this location, as well as a couple other parks in the district. See these birds in the summer, because they migrate to Brazil for the colder months.
Turtles
Medicine Lake is home to soft shell, snapper and painted turtles. In 2016, Three Rivers began tracking and monitoring turtles through the Urban Turtle Project, from which they have learned quite a bit. Look for turtles especially in May and June, when they are nesting.
Beavers
Three Rivers recommends waiting patiently on a dock or trail that runs alongside a lake or larger stream during the early mornings or late evening hours for a chance to see these elusive nocturnal rodents. Learn more here. – Joy Peters, FFTC
French Regional Park in winter
For your winter recreational needs, French Regional Park offers three lighted trails to make walking during the short days of winter a little easier. The Lagoon, Lakeview and Skyline Trails are all lit after dusk. There is a decently steep sledding hill located directly off the main parking lot.
Sensory Friendly Sundays
Three Rivers and the Autism Society of Minnesota have partnered to offer “Sensory-Friendly Sundays,” on the fourth Sunday of each month from 9am – noon, at French Regional Park. Three Rivers recognizes that new experiences can be stressful for people with sensory sensitivities. In response, they have created this program that includes support from trained staff and volunteers and a comfortable, welcoming environment for everyone. Noise-reducing headphones, ear plugs, nose plugs, sunglasses, variety of fidgets, weighted blankets, and other sensory supports will be available to borrow on these days as will a space to take a break.
The park also plans to add sensory signage, online social narratives, and virtual tours. This program is free and open to all ages. Find the next Sensory-Friendly Sunday on our special needs calendar. – Joy Peters, FFTC
Awards of Excellence for the French Regional Park Play Area
In 2019, the new play area was selected for national recognition by the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials (NACPRO) with an award of excellence from the Park and Recreation Facility – Class II category. By an overwhelming margin, people said they wanted the new play area to incorporate the same signature feature as the previous play area: cargo nets for climbing between levels. The new play area features a custom play area that with nets as its centerpiece and a greater level of accessibility — the level approximately seven feet off the ground is fully accessible by wheelchair.
The NACPRO Award was followed by the Tommy Johnson Award from the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association (MRPA). Each year, MRPA’s Awards Committee selects one Award of Excellence award winner to receive the Tommy Johnson Award, which is the highest honor the organization gives to projects or initiatives. The committee selects the project or initiative it believes best exemplifies the characteristics and values that Tommy Johnson was known for: innovation and creativity in shaping future trends, philosophical change, sharing of resources, and new concepts. – Joy Peters, FFTC
We fondly remember the original French Regional Park playground as we introduced our youngsters in the earliest days of the Family Fun Twin Cities Team.
Park information:
French Regional Park, 12605 Rockford Rd, Plymouth, MN 55441
Hours: 5am-10pm daily
Love this park!! We like to bring a picnic lunch and our bikes/scooters to ride the trails. And the beach is awesome!
Thank you, Reece. We love it, too.