Washington County, MN Public Conduct: Skateboarding Rules (2026)

Washington County treats skateboarding as a form of 'skating' under its Parks Ordinance No. 218. Chapter I, Section 3(k) defines 'Skating' as 'riding or propelling oneself by human power or gravity on wheeled devices that are worn on a person's feet or stood upon by a person,' and specifically lists 'roller skates, in-line skates, roller skis, skateboards, and scooters' as covered devices. Chapter VI, Section 12 then sets the rules: skating is banned outright in conservation areas (subsection a); in parks and park facilities it is allowed only on trails the Director has designated for it (subsection b); skaters must move in a prudent and careful manner at a speed that is reasonable and safe for others nearby (subsection c); and skating on any roadway within a park is separately prohibited regardless of trail designation (subsection d).

Because the ordinance covers only county-owned parks, trails and conservation areas, it does not reach skateboarding on city sidewalks or in business districts in Woodbury, Stillwater, Oakdale, Cottage Grove or Forest Lake, each of which sets its own municipal skateboarding rules. Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies, licensed peace officers, and Washington County Parks and Sheriff's Office staff enforce Chapter VI, Section 12 under the general enforcement authority in Chapter VIII, Section 1.