A moonlight stroll through Lake Elmo Park Reserve feels a bit forbidden.

For many years, it was prohibited.

Lake Elmo, like most metro-area parks, used to close around sunset. That made it difficult for families to squeeze in a walk as the days waned each fall.

"People used to sneak in with headlamps," said Washington County Parks Manager Mike Polehna.

This autumn, County Parks staff opened 5½ miles of lighted trails at Lake Elmo for moonlight hiking. Visitors are allowed to explore until 9:30 every night through Oct. 30. (The county turns the lights back on in winter to accommodate nighttime cross-country skiing.)

"It seems more wild and you feel like you are alone in the woods," said night hiker Shelly Koithan. She and husband Tom recently took a hike to admire the harvest moon. They were also thrilled to catch a glimpse of owls flying overhead.

Some of the 220 LED lights that allow night hiking surround the Nordic Center at Lake Elmo Park Reserve.

"I don't know anywhere else you can walk in the park at night," Koithan said.

Washington County Parks first opened the trails for night hiking last October and decided to expand the program this autumn. The gently rolling trails, used for cross-country skiing in the winter, are grass covered in warm months. The loop trails wind through a canopy of trees. On a recent twilight trek, hikers caught a glimpse of a doe and her fawn. An egret cruised overhead.

The 220 low-impact LED lights are about five feet off the ground illuminating the trail, but hikers and skiers can still see the stars twinkling.

"You still feel like you are in the dark. You can see the night sky. It's beautiful," Polehna said. "We have a lot of people say it's like skiing through Wonderland."

The lights are a relatively new addition. In 2011, the county used a $1.3 million Park and Trail Fund grant, which is part of the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment, to build the lighted trails and a Nordic Center, including vending machines, seating areas and bathrooms.

"It's one of the longest lighted cross-county ski trail systems in the Upper Midwest," Polehna said.

The park is located at 515 Keats Av. N. Visitors are required to have a parking permit. Daily permits cost $5. Seasonal permits are $25. Washington County honors Anoka and Carver County parks permits, Polehna said.

Runner Angie Kub said it's great to have some additional outdoor activity options in the fall.

"You run out of daylight," she said.

Shannon Prather • 612-673-4804