Washington County, MN Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Chapter II, Section 2 of Parks Ordinance #218 lists four situations that require a Use Permit before using county park or conservation-area land: using all or part of a park or trail when it is otherwise closed to the public; hosting an event that is commercial, cultural, educational, political, or religious in nature, or that could have a detrimental effect on park property or other users; a private event, such as a birthday party, wedding reception or family reunion, expected to involve 50 or more people; and reserving campsites, pavilions, picnic areas, or other exclusive use of a park area or regional trail (§ 2(a)).

Permits for conservation areas are narrower: private events and group activities are barred there entirely except for nature observation, education, or research carried out under an approved permit, because conservation-area permits are limited to activities that do not disrupt natural features (§ 2(b)). The Parks Division, reachable at 1515 Keats Avenue North in Lake Elmo, (651) 430-4300, sets the specific issuance conditions for each permit through Director-established regulations (§ 2(c)). Once issued, a permit is not just paperwork: violating any of its provisions or conditions is itself unlawful under the ordinance (§ 2(d)), and the Director can revoke a Use Permit at any time for a rules violation or at the Director's discretion during an emergency (§ 2(e)).