Living in Owatonna you will find a vast variety of year-round recreation. The Owatonna Parks & Recreation Department maintains over 700 acres of parkland and walkways in the Owatonna area, within 24 parks. One of the most popular outdoor recreation areas is Kaplan's Woods Parkway, which offers 225 acres for hiking, biking, jogging, inline skating, and cross-country skiing. Within this scenic parkway, Lake Kohlmier offers a beach facility for swimming, canoeing and docks for fishing.

You will find that other parks throughout the city not only preserve the small-town appeal of nature with prairie grass, trees and wildflowers within city limits, but offer volleyball, basketball, horseshoe and tennis courts, ball diamonds, inline and ice skating rinks, and exciting playgrounds. Owatonna Bike & Skate Park is a must for biking and inline skating enthusiasts.

Winter is no time to slow down in Minnesota. The Steele County Trail System includes 175 miles of groomed snowmobile trails, connecting with five adjoining counties. Outdoor skating and hockey rinks can be enjoyed at Morehouse Park and over 11 miles of cross country skiing trails can be found at Brooktree Golf Course, Kaplan's Woods Parkway, Morehouse Park and Prairie Park.

Owatonna boasts amenities few others its size can claim including three 18-hole championship golf courses, some staffed by full-time golf instructors.