Animal Rescues in Burnsville, MN — Dog Park and Trails

Q: Where's a quieter walk than the dog park?

Rudy Kraemer Nature Preserve , open 5am to 10pm. Hard and soft surface trails, a boardwalk over a wetland with a viewing platform in the middle, and a self-guided nature trail with eight stops and a guide at the trailhead kiosk. Keep a lead on, and check the city's page for current rules.

Animal Rescues in Burnsville

Where dogs can and can't go in Burnsville

Alimagnet Dog Park is the headline here — the city describes it as an enclosed, seven-acre off-leash canine exercise area that Burnsville owns and operates, with benches, shelters, waste bags and a walking path around a stormwater pond. It sits within the larger Alimagnet Park, which also has picnic areas, shelters, multi-use trails and a canoe/kayak storage rack and launch onto Alimagnet Lake.

Seven fenced acres with no permit listed is a good deal in this part of the metro, where several of the nearby options are pass-only.

The winter rule people get wrong

Burnsville is unusually explicit about this, and it’s the thing worth taking away. On the groomed ski trails at Terrace Oaks, walkers, snowshoers, skijorers and dogs are all not permitted. You can use the ungroomed trails there.

At Alimagnet, the opposite: the city says all trails are multi-use and welcome cross-country skiers, walkers, snowshoers, skijorers and dogs on leashes.

So in winter, Alimagnet is the dog-friendly one and Terrace Oaks is not — at least not on the groomed track. Same city, opposite answers, half a mile apart.

A quieter alternative

Rudy Kraemer Nature Preserve, open daily 5am to 10pm. Hard and soft surface trails, a boardwalk crossing a wetland with a viewing platform in the middle, and a self-guided nature trail with eight stops — printed guides at the trailhead kiosk, or a QR code if you’d rather. Leash and clean up, and check the city’s page for current rules.

And the rescue side

Burnsville sits close to Savage, Apple Valley, Eagan, Lakeville and Bloomington, and metro rescues adopt across all of it. Browse the full directory or all Minnesota listings. We’re an independent directory and aren’t affiliated with any organization here. Trail rules change with the season, so check the city pages linked above before planning around one.

Frequently asked questions

Does Alimagnet Dog Park cost anything?

The city's page doesn't list a permit or fee for it — it describes seven enclosed off-leash acres owned and operated by Burnsville, with benches, shelters, waste bags and a walking path round a stormwater pond. That makes it one of the easier off-leash options in the south metro, since several nearby alternatives are pass-only.

Can I ski with my dog at Terrace Oaks?

No. Burnsville states that walkers, snowshoers, skijorers and dogs are all barred from the groomed ski trails at Terrace Oaks — you're welcome on the ungroomed ones there. If you want to skijor or walk in winter, Alimagnet is the place: the city says all Alimagnet trails are multi-use and welcome leashed dogs alongside skiers and snowshoers.

Where's a quieter walk than the dog park?

Rudy Kraemer Nature Preserve, open 5am to 10pm. Hard and soft surface trails, a boardwalk over a wetland with a viewing platform in the middle, and a self-guided nature trail with eight stops and a guide at the trailhead kiosk. Keep a lead on, and check the city's page for current rules.