Lebanon Hills Regional Park Campground
Apple Valley, Minnesota
by
Norman W. Hildrum

Lebanon Hills Regional Park Campground is located in a suburban setting near the Minnesota Zoo. The campground is 3/4 miles south of Cliff Road on Johnny Cake Ridge Road or 2 1/2 miles north of County Road 42 on Johnny Cake Ridge Road in Apple Valley, Minnesota (Dakota County) With a current population of more than 340,000, it is Dakota County is one the third most populous county in Minnesota.

The campground has a variety of camping opportunities ranging from an RV section with complete hook-ups to a section for tents and small campers. We had a site with full hook-ups. Our cost was $132.00 per week (14 day maximum stay). The campground features diverse camping opportunities, on-site caretakers, modern handicap accessible showers, laundry, limited grocery/firewood sales, sanitary dump station, public telephone and a modem hookup at campground office. The area contains a nice stand of mixed hardwoods and excellent interior roads and camp spurs. The campground is open from April to October. Reservations are accepted through the campground office at (952) 454-9211. We highly recommend this campground for all SavvyCampers.

The campground offers an excellent base for participating in the many activities available to the tourist in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Lebanon Hill is just a short distance from the Minnesota Zoo, the Mall of America, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Walker Art Center, The Old Log Theater, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the Chanhassen Dinner Theater.

The Minnesota Zoo - Situated on 500 acres in Dakota County, there are more than 2,300 animals, with 105 animals representing 15 species on the United States Endangered Species Act list. Each year countless tourists enjoy the displays and animals of this high quality attraction.

The Mall of America - In 1986, the Ghermezian brothers signed a historic agreement with the Bloomington Port Authority to develop the nation's largest retail and entertainment complex (more than 2.5 million square feet of retail space). Today, the Mall employs more than 12 thousand people and is one of the most visited destinations in the United States, attracting more visitors annually than Disney World, Graceland and the Grand Canyon combined.

Science Museum of Minnesota - Located in St. Paul, visitors of all ages can discover our changing world. Through interactive exhibits, live theater presentations, science demonstrations, and films, you can enjoy a unique combination of natural history, environmental science, biology, physics, and high-tech fun.

Walker Art Center - This is one of the nation's primary resources for contemporary art. The Walker's permanent collection of more than 8,000 works represents important artistic accomplishments of the 20th century.

The Old Log Theater - As the nation's oldest continuously running professional theater, the Old Log opened in 1940 as a summer stock company. At that time, thirteen shows were presented in thirteen weeks. Today, the theater offers rustic charm and a 655-seat auditorium plus a 400-seat restaurant for before-show dining. The Old Log specializes in contemporary comedies from Broadway and London's West End

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts houses over 100,000 objects from diverse cultural traditions spanning 4,000 years of world history. The Institute is the only comprehensive fine arts museum serving the Twin Cities and the Upper Midwest. The museum is recognized internationally as one of the great museums in America.

Chanhassen Dinner Theater - Opened in October of 1968, this 90,000 square foot entertainment complex now has four separate theaters and is the largest professional dinner theater in the nation. Over the years, nearly six million guests have enjoyed quality productions.