With warmer weather here and the sun shining, people are getting out to enjoy outdoor recreation.
Minden has plenty to offer in the way of recreation, Winky Newer, recreation director, said. Victory Park is now open, he said, although the spray parks
at Ewell and Babbs parks need repair. Those will be opened as soon as repairs are complete.
“It won’t be opened over the weekend, but Victory (spray park) will be opened this weekend,” he said.
The parks offer playgrounds for the young ones and ball fields for everyone to enjoy. Baseball and softball games begin April 10, he said, and people are already hearing the crack of the bat at the Minden Rec. Complex as baseball and softball practice is underway.
Newer said the complex offers a variety of activities for everyone, a gymnasium for multiple activities, a spray park and outdoor swimming pool. Seniors enjoy water aerobics in the indoor swimming pool, he said.
“The pool won’t open until school is out,” he said.
The rec center, as well as several of the neighborhood parks, offer tennis courts, Newer said. Neighborhood parks include Academy Park, Hinton Park, High Street Park, Walnut Street Park, Roosevelt Street Park and Constable Street Park.
Icyphene Conwright, with the Caney Ranger District, said Caney Lakes offer an abundance of activities for people to enjoy. Boaters can enjoy the lake out in the open water skiing and fishing, while those who might enjoy fishing off the pier can do so as well. The best fishing, she said, is the bass and white perch.
“Our recreation area is not open right now, but it will be next month,” she said. “We have a trail that you can walk that’s a little more than seven miles long. We have picnic areas, and we have a covered pavilion where people can hold family reunions or other activities. It also has water and electricity.”
Caney Lakes offer swimming areas, boat launches and spacious parking, she said.
Conwright said the two campgrounds at Caney offers enthusiasts plenty of space to camp and both come with water and electrical hookup as well as a shower house.
To get into the Caney Lakes area, entrance is $3. To camp, it costs $15 per night.
At the recreation complex, entrance is free; however, a rec center-issued identification card will be needed and presented to use the complex.