The Rochester Minnesota area offers an unlimited choice of recreational opportunities including golf, tennis, hiking, snow skiing, water skiing, cross country skiing, hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, bird watching, bowling, swimming, horse riding and billiards.

Rochester offers Silver Lake the Silver Lake Park, Soldier's Field Veterans Memorial Park, the Quarry Hill Nature Center and the Zumbro River and much more. Nearby is the Staples Equestrian Center.

In the surrounding areas you will find Chester Wood Park, the Whitewater State Park, The North, South, Middle and Main branches of the Whitewater River and the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area. The lower Whitewater River area features the Door Pools and a Wildlife Sanctuary. At Weaver, MN, the Whitewater River flows into the Mississippi River where the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge is a favorite of bird watchers. 

The smaller towns of Mantorville, Kasson, Byron, Simpson, Marion, Chester, Stewartville, Viola, Chatfield, Dover, St. Charles, Elgin, Eyota, Plainview, Altura, Elba, Beaver Lewiston, Weaver and Rolling Stone. Each town has it's own charm as well as restaurants, bars and festivals. Like all of Minnesota, Rochester and the surrounding area is a great place to explore in spring, summer, fall or winter.

Much of Southeastern Minnesota is covered with hardwood forests where the wildflowers bloom in the spring and summer while the trees form a brilliant display of color in the fall. Although it is hard to find, wild ginseng is native to the hardwood forests in SE Minnesota.