Cottage Grove, Minnesota

COTTAGE GROVE , MINNESOTA Cottage Grove prides itself on its 33 parks and both paved and natural trail system. With access to the Mississippi River, the community is a great place for kayaking, exploring water trails, and fishing. The city is also home to a golf course, ice rinks, sports fields and a splash pad. In November (2021), residents will vote on a proposed $39-million community center that would include a sports dome, gathering spaces with opportunities for art, theater, and music, an indoor playground, walking track, and an accessible outdoor waterpark for people of all ages and abilities. “We have been discussing this for many years and have had a lot of community input and I believe we have come up with an amazing plan,” Bailey says. “One of the big goals and objectives of this council is to get the center to become all- inclusive for everyone that wants to utilize this facility.”