Attractions and Places To See around Farmington - Top 20

The story of the Juno Trailway-an "Awesome lit walking path" As Martha and I hiked the Juno Trail, I was struck by the fact that it crossed private land, with houses to our left and homeowners’ private docks to our right. I thought to myself, there has got to be an interesting story here, and indeed there was, even more than I suspected. Predictably, the expected property-rights tug-of-war emerged. The political tension centered on the transition of the trail from a private or semi-private access road to a regional public asset. Homeowners along the west shore raised significant concerns during public hearings. Many feared that a wider trail, more signage, or additional lighting would block lake views and bring the public too close to their private docks. The City’s plan for the greenway to be “always open” or operate with extended (24/7) hours conflicted with residents’ preference for the traditional 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. park hours. (I checked the Juno Trail Trailway Rules and Regulations; currently, there are no restrictions on hours of use.) But then came the big surprise I didn't expect: In recent years, local politics were shaken by a major fraud case called the “Nolosha Development Controversy,” which involved a proposed housing project next to the trail. A developer, Nolosha Development, claimed he would build a 160-home community on 40 acres near Lake Marion. However, the developer never actually owned the land and was collecting $25,000 deposits from families for a project that the City of Lakeville had never formally reviewed. The Minnesota Attorney General sued the developer in 2024. In July 2025, a court ordered the developer to pay $4.5 million in restitution to cover the $25,000 deposits paid by 160 families and the $500 "waitlist" fees paid by over 1,500 people. The judge observed that the defendants had demonstrated "outright defiance" toward the court and had no intention of complying with legal orders. Who would have thought there would be so much fascinating history on such a short walk? This is a perfect example of the joy of Komoot. It motivates you to explore a little more when you write a description for an activity or a tip for a highlight, and you end up learning a lot. Now, when I speed past Lake Marion at 65 mph on Interstate 35, these stories will always come to mind.

Sadly, for night time users, many of the overhead lights are missing.

This new version of the bridge is so nice, the old one was super warped.

First lake in the chain of lakes when paddling. Also a nice lake to walk around year round.

This is a great walk any time of year, and is lit at night, so even after the sun goes down it's a nice short walk.

Great new park in the Dakota Country park system. Lakes, paved trails, natural trails, and camper cabins. Plus it connects to the UMore land with miles and miles of trails.

Great park with paved accessible trails, natural surface trails, camper cabins, a great picnic area and neat looking natural playground.

Bike trails encircle the whole lake, so there is a nice pedal around the lake in addition to paddling. They have improved the park a lot on south east side called Antlers Park. They have a nice off shoot of Lakeville Brewing Company, which has ice cream, food, beer and drinks. And West Lake Marion park has mountain bike trails and a band shell with weekly free concerts.