Hyland Lake Park Reserve, Bloomington

Went for my first wedding this past weekend. Had not been at Hyland Hills in 20 years. What a totally beautiful surprise. Even with a rain storm pushing the wedding indoors, the view to the hill from the 30 foot windows was idyllic. The bathrooms and changing rooms were clean, orderly and spacious. The ski chalet did not feel cold and impersonal, but instead warm and inviting. With nearly 200 guests, the space worked really well. Worth consideration for the next big event.

Not very dog-friendly. If you want to walk your dog, you’ll have to walk alongside the paved bike trails. But the bike trails don’t go all the way around the lake, and the unpaved trails are off limits to dogs, although it’s hard to tell from the poorly designed map. The playground is big and impressive, but there’s hardly any shade. On a warm day it’s like sending your kids to play in frying pan. Oh, and your dog can’t come with you into the observation area, either. If you leave your dog at home and bring plenty of sunscreen for the kids, you’ll have a great time. If you bring your dog, it honestly kinda sucks.