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Support Your Parks
Donation Options
Thank you for considering a tax deductible donation to the Washington County park system. Your generosity can help us enhance natural areas, improve trails and amenities, provide valuable education to youth, or support the preservation of the Historic Courthouse.
To donate, please fill out our tax-deductible donation form and mail it in, or call the park office at 651-430-8370.
Living Forest
The living forest program contributes to reforestation efforts of native trees throughout the parks. Your donation of $50 is used to purchase small trees with a tree protection shelter. This is a great way to recognize someone who is close to you. Parks staff will decide the species and location of the trees in the parks.
Milkweed for Monarchs
Help enhance monarch habitat in the parks. Milkweed is an essential food source for growing monarch caterpillars, and provides nectar resources for a wide array of pollinators. Your donation of $25 is used to purchase milkweed seed which is used in prairie restorations.
Programs, Volunteer, Nature Based
Your $25 donation would help assist with programming efforts in the parks which include providing nature based programs to children, or help in purchasing materials for Eagle Scouts and Silver Award Scout projects.
Trail Planning & Enhancement
Your $50 donation will help assist with enhancing the existing and future trail system. Funds will be used to purchase signs, provide lighting or be used to plan future trails such as single track mountain biking.
Benches
Your donation of $2,500 or $3,500 could be used to purchase a cedar or steel bench at one of the parks. A cedar bench would be used along our turf trails, or a steel bench near our facilities. A commemorative bronze plaque* may also be included on the bench. Washington County would order this and install it.
*Please call (651) 430-8200 or email us for plaque.
Eagle Scouts also help construct wooden benches in the parks. To donate to help with these efforts, please select Programs, Volunteer & Nature Based under the Parks & Trails Fund.
Building Preservation
The Historic Courthouse is an iconic building located on “Zion’s Hill” in Stillwater, MN. Built in 1870, in the aftermath of the Civil War, it is a marvel of the Italianate style of architecture. The grandiose building reflects the wealth of the St. Croix Valley at the time. In 1971, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, as the oldest standing courthouse in the state of Minnesota.
Your donation to the Historic Courthouse Restoration Fund goes toward the preservation and restoration of this historical landmark so its beauty can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.
Donate now by calling 651-275-7075 or print and mail in a donation form.
Volunteer
Washington County Parks offers numerous options to get involved in our Parks and help out. Take a look at the different opportunities by exploring the tabbed menu below.
- Campground Host
- Large Group Volunteering
- Park Surveys
- Restore Oak Savanna at LEPR
- Eagle Scout & Silver Awards
Washington County Parks welcomes campground hosts in the campgrounds at Lake Elmo Park Reserve and St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park. Campground hosts are volunteers who live in the campground, in their own camping unit, for a portion of the summer. In exchange for a free campsite, they are responsible for providing information to campers, registering campers in the spring and fall, cleaning restrooms as necessary (between staff cleanings), and other related tasks. These positions fill quickly and may not always be available. If you are interested in learning more about these positions, contact the Parks Division at 651-430-8370 or email.
Washington County can accommodate large volunteer groups. This is great for scout troops, company volunteer days, volunteer organizations and more.
If your company or organization is interested in a private group volunteer event for ~10+ people for seed collecting in September, October, please complete our group volunteer application and email it to our Natural Resources Coordinator.
Volunteer to help us collect information from park visitors at various places around the County. During specific 2-hour periods, volunteers count visitors and hand out visitor surveys. This data helps staff determine park use and visitor preferences. Volunteers are needed at nearly all parks, including the Hardwood Creek Trail in Hugo / Forest Lake. If you are interested in being a random survey volunteer, please contact the Parks Division at 651-430-8370 or email.
If you or anyone in your household want to recreate outdoors and help us with oak savanna restoration efforts in the park, please send us an email so we can connect and provide you or your household with a spot to adopt and restore in the park.
Washington County Parks regularly receives requests for Eagle Scout/Silver Award volunteer projects, where a scout has identified a project to solve a problem/need in the parks. Below is a list of current potential projects, we also encourage scouts to present their own ideas:
- Construct wooden benches in the parks
- Scouts must show existing bench locations on a map, and include locations for the proposed bench installation as part of the project submittal.
- Natural resource activities (growing high value prairie plants from seed, buckthorn removal).
Please spend time in a county park or facility and think about the project, discuss the project with troop leaders and parents prior to submitting the Eagle Scout project description form. Once you have submitted the form via email, a response will be given within 30 business days.
Contact Us
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Lake Elmo
651-430-8370
Historic Courthouse
651-275-7075
Big Marine
Pine Point
Square Lake
651-430-8200
Cottage Grove Ravine
651-430-8226
Point Douglas
St. Croix Bluffs
651-430-8240