2025 Natural Shoreline Award Winner

Irving & John Anderson County Park in Oxford Township (Isanti County)

If you stand at the edge of Horseleg Lake on an early morning in fall, the only sounds you’ll hear are geese flying overhead and the gentle rustling of wind through the trees.

Irving & John Anderson County Park encompasses 404 acres of undeveloped land in southeastern Isanti County in Oxford Township, including 1.75 miles of undeveloped shoreline along Horseleg and Hoseshoe Lakes. Both Lakes are classified as Natural Environment Lakes, boasting excellent water quality and rare aquatic plants. 

Located about one-hour north of the Twin Cities, Irving & John Anderson County Park lies in a richly diverse environment that supports white tailed deer, turkeys, pheasants, Blanding’s turtles, beaver, red-headed woodpeckers, sandhill cranes, and throngs of migratory birds. The park was established in 2012 and has undergone an intensive transformation to be restored from a farm into the thriving ecosystem it boasts today. According to the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota, “Park users now relish this natural place where it seems hard to imagine the landscape could have ever been anything other than natural.”

It is an excellent destination for canoeing and kayaking, birdwatching, hiking, cross country skiing, and horseback riding. There is a five-mile multi-use trail system, as well as a boardwalk that offers visitors an immersive lake experience. The Friends of Anderson Park offer a variety of interpretive programs and events throughout the year, including an annual fall festival in September that features live animals, music, wagon rides, and other activities.