What does an Eagan winter run on if the city stops counting on snow?
The City of Eagan answered that on Oct. 23. A short notice on its Trapp Farm Park Tubing Hill page says the hill will not be maintained for the 2026–2027 season and that winter reservations will not be accepted. The reasons given are usage, staffing needs, operating costs and "increasingly unpredictable winter weather."
The weather reason carries the most weight. Last winter, in its winter activities roundup, the city charged $5 a person for the tubing hill, set a Dec. 20 opening, and said it needed "a solid 6–8 inches of snow before the fun begins." In practice, the hill's season started only when the weather allowed it.
What remains this winter mostly runs on a calendar. Over the past two years, Eagan has spent its winter money on places with roofs, refrigeration and heat. This winter is the first in which all of those projects are finished, and it is also the first without the one amenity that relied most on snowfall.
Three rebuilds, one budget line
A December 2025 city budget presentation grouped three projects under major park-facility remodels, with $35 million for all three combined: the Eagan Art House, Goat Hill Park and the Eagan Community Center.
None of the three needs snow:
- The Eagan Art House replaced the 1960s rambler in Patrick Eagan Park that had housed the program since 1997. The city's park projects page lists the new building as open, after a spring soft opening and a September grand opening. Last winter, Superintendent of Recreation Tanya Mozingo said in a city release on winter activities that the larger space "allows us to have more teaching artists, so we are able to offer more classes than ever before."
- Goat Hill Park got its refrigerated rink in fall 2022 through a partnership with the Eagan Hockey Association. A new shelter and pavilion followed, and the city now lists the project as open.
- The Eagan Community Center is the last of the three, and its reopening is the next date on Eagan's winter calendar.
The rink that opens three weeks early
Goat Hill's refrigerated rink is expected to open to the public on Nov. 27 and stay open through March 7, 2027, according to the city's outdoor rinks page. Eagan's other outdoor rinks are targeting Dec. 18, weather permitting.
The two dates are three weeks apart, and refrigeration accounts for the gap. At Goat Hill Park, 4391 Lexington Ave., the south rink is covered and refrigerated, the north rink is uncovered and natural, and a staffed shelter looks out on both. On weekdays the warming house is staffed from 4 to 9 p.m.
Even refrigerated ice has limits. The city may close rinks, shorten hours or cancel programs at minus 10 degrees, at a wind chill of minus 15, when snow piles up faster than staff can clear it, or when warm weather causes significant melting.
Here is how much each Eagan-area winter option needs from the weather:
| Spot | What it needs to open | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trapp Farm Park tubing hill | 6–8 inches of snow; closed for 2026–27 | City of Eagan |
| Lebanon Hills sledding hill | 2–3 inches of snow and safe conditions | Dakota County |
| Eagan's other outdoor rinks | Targeting Dec. 18, weather permitting | City of Eagan |
| Goat Hill covered rink | Refrigerated; planned Nov. 27 through March 7 | City of Eagan |
| Eagan Community Center | A roof; grand reopening Dec. 1 | City of Eagan |
The Community Center finishes its rebuild on Dec. 1
The ECC Reinvestment Project began in fall 2024 and was planned to run through 2026 in phases, so the building could stay open throughout. Its scope includes:
- a new upper-level fitness center
- a larger group fitness studio and a dedicated personal training room
- more bathrooms and new meeting and event space
- a relocated and upgraded senior room and a new elevator
- a renovated indoor playground and an updated lobby and staircase
The new fitness center was part of the project's first phase of exterior additions. The old lower-level fitness space is planned as multipurpose room for activities, rentals and meetings. In its August fall-registration release, the city called the ECC Fitness Center "newly remodeled" and listed memberships from $40 a month. That price includes open pickleball, basketball and volleyball times plus year-round use of the indoor walking track. The Blast indoor playground has posted hours for Oct. 1, 2026, through May 30, 2027.
The city is marking the finish by pairing its tree lighting with the reopening. The free Eagan Community Tree Lighting and Grand Reopening runs Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at 1501 Central Parkway, with holiday activities, giveaways and a chance to tour the building.
A season set by the calendar
With the ECC and Goat Hill as anchors, Eagan's November and December now follow fixed dates. In order from publish day:
- Wednesday, Nov. 18: Eagan Indoor Market. Wednesday afternoon into evening in the Oaks Banquet Rooms at the ECC, with bread, baked goods, sauces, cheese, body products and artisan items, and no admission. Later dates are Dec. 2, 16 and 30, then monthly from January through April. The Market Fest page posts updates.
- Friday, Nov. 20: Winter SKOLstice opens at Viking Lakes. It runs through Jan. 2, 2027. According to the Viking Lakes announcement, admission is free and includes outdoor skating, live music, trivia, bingo and the heated Warming Haus. Magic of Lights presented by SCHEELS is a separate drive-through display, ticketed per vehicle, open 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Winter Art Sale. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the ECC, with work made by local artists who sell it themselves.
- Friday, Nov. 27: Goat Hill's covered rink opens to the public.
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: ECC Tree Lighting and Grand Reopening. 4 to 6:30 p.m., free.
- Sunday, Dec. 6: Old Fashioned Holiday at Historic Holz Farm. Noon to 3 p.m., with a self-guided tour, hayride, Santa and his reindeer, and s'mores at the bonfire. Santa photos run from noon to 2:45 p.m. on the porch.
- Friday, Dec. 18: Eagan's other outdoor rinks target their opening, weather permitting.
- Thursday, Dec. 31: Noon-Years Eve Dance Party at the ECC, 10 a.m. to noon, for families who want a countdown before lunch.
Only the Holz Farm event and the natural-ice rinks on this list are fully outdoors, and only the rinks are tied to the weather.
Where the hill time goes now
Sledding and tubing are still available near Eagan, but they are no longer at Trapp Farm.
The nearest replacement is at Lebanon Hills Regional Park, 860 Cliff Road, which is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. with free admission and parking. Dakota County describes its sledding hill as gentle-grade and beginner-friendly. It needs only 2 to 3 inches of snow to open, a third of what Trapp's tubing hill required, and sleds are not rented, so bring your own. Sledders walk up outside the snow fence, stay in designated areas, and may not use makeshift jumps, skis or snowboards.
The Lebanon Hills Visitor Center switched to winter hours on Nov. 1: Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed Mondays and county holidays. The county rents cross-country skis, snowshoes and kicksleds there.
For lift-served tubing, Three Rivers Parks has published its 2026–27 schedule for the Elm Creek Winter Recreation Area. Tubing runs Wednesday through Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. A two-hour session costs $22, and Wednesdays are half price at $11 except during winter break and holidays. Riders must be at least 36 inches tall or age four, and advance reservations are strongly encouraged.
Closer to home, Buck Hill at 15400 Buck Hill Road in Burnsville runs tubing Thursday and Friday evenings and all day on weekends. Its minimum rider height is 42 inches, which matters for families with small children.
For skating that doesn't depend on any forecast, the Eagan Civic Arena has two indoor regulation-size sheets with open skating, open hockey and lessons all year. The arena's November schedule includes Sunday open skates and weekday daytime and adult-only sessions.
The city also plans to restore nearly 40 acres at Caponi Art Park starting in December, removing buckthorn and honeysuckle through the winter while the park is closed.
When Steve Pemberton looks at a home's value in Eagan, a covered rink a few minutes away or a newly rebuilt community center down the road is part of the picture. If you'd like to know how your own location factors in this winter, Steve Pemberton is happy to walk through it with you. Start with What's My Home Worth?
