Regional parks boast new facilities

Big Marine celebrates grand opening

Three decades in the making, Big Marine Park Reserve celebrated its grand opening on June 7. The sunny day brought hundreds of visitors to the park for special activities including a beach treasure hunt, arts and crafts, exhibits and wildlife walks.

Children dig in the sand for flying discs at the new swimming beach at Big Marine Park Reserve. In preparation for the park’s grand opening, park staff buried 100 of the discs in the sand. Three were marked for prizes to the finders.

“Big Marine is an outstanding addition to the regional park system,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell. “The lake is a tremendous natural and recreational resource, the park’s landscape is unique and worthy of protection, and its location adds geographic balance to the entire regional park system. I’m very pleased this park has come to fruition.”

The park’s new facilities include:

Swimming beach
Boat launch
Picnic area with restrooms
Large play area
Park office
Roads, parking and some paved trails

The park entrance is located at 17495 Manning Trail N. (Cty. Hwy. 15), one-half mile north of 170th St. (Cty Rd. 4) in May Township, northern Washington County. More details about Big Marine Park Reserve.

Other regional parks also are debuting new facilities this summer, as well as upgrades and expansions of existing facilities, new trails and trail extensions. Highlights follow.

In Dakota County, Schaar’s Bluff Gathering Center and ‘8,000 Year Walk’

The new Schaar’s Bluff Gathering Center at Spring Lake Park Reserve in Dakota County is ready for reservations. Celebrating the history of the Mississippi River Valley, the center will bring memorable interpretative and educational experiences to park visitors. The gathering center is built on a 395-acre portion of Spring Lake Park Reserve near Hastings, an area that has long been referred to as one of Minnesota’s “hidden gems” along the Great River Road.

Along the 8,000 Year Walk in Spring Lake Park Reserve will be this limestone alcove, which is being constructed by four Dakota County Parks employees. The wall will allow park visitors to get safely to the edge of the bluff and peer across the Mississippi River, or they can sit back in a seating area around a firepit to enjoy the beauty of the views and relish in the history of this place.

The Center includes a new 3,500 square-foot building that features a rentable indoor gathering room to accommodate groups of up to 70 people, interpretive displays and a caterer’s kitchen. The center will be the county’s first “net zero energy building” that includes the ability to harness enough wind energy – via an on-site wind turbine – to support the building’s energy needs.

The 8,000 Year Walk is a three-quarter mile “museum without walls” that celebrates 8,000 years of history that unfolded in Spring Lake Park Reserve. Visitors can learn about Native American history, the importance of the Mississippi River from a cross-cultural perspective, the birth and death of the American boomtown, and more. See a list of Dakota County Park's upcoming events.

In Minneapolis, Wabun Picnic Area reopens June 14 at Minnehaha Falls

Four new picnic shelters at Wabun Picnic Area in Minnehaha Regional Park are available for reservation beginning June 14. Other improvements include a new wading pool, disc golf course, volleyball court, a new bike/pedestrian trail, reconstructed parking lots and a new restroom building. The picnic shelters are equipped with grills, lights and electricity. The two large shelters each seat 164 adults and 88 children and the two smaller ones each seat 62 adults and 40 children.

A second phase of improvements will be underway in the west section of Wabun this fall, as will restoration work along the creek in Minnehaha Regional Park. Total funding for the two phases of improvements at Wabun is $3.725 million, provided by two grants from the Metropolitan Council and a grant from the state legislature through the Metropolitan Council. More about Wabun Picnic Area.

In Ramsey County, Rice Creek Grand Opening is June 16

Canoeists may now paddle a two-mile stretch of Rice Creek North in Arden Hills.

Ramsey County will host a grand opening at 7 p.m. on June 16 of the Rice Creek North Regional Trail section through the former Twin Cities Army Ammunitions Plant. With trail construction now complete, visitors can hike or bike on a two-mile trail or paddle the creek through an area that has been off-limits since the site was established in the early 1940's to meet the nation's military needs for World War II.

The 113-acre property was transferred at no cost to Ramsey County from the National Park Service's Federal Lands to Parks Program. Funding for trail construction was provided in the 2006 and 2008 State Bonding Program for regional parks, matched on a 60/40 basis by the Metropolitan Council. More about Ramsey County parks and trails.

In Minnetrista, a new Education Center and Folk School at Gale Woods Farm

The new Farm Education Center at Gale Woods Farm Special Recreation Feature is open for its first full summer in Minnetrista. The center provides a comfortable setting for hands-on lessons about sustainable farming, including a teaching kitchen, a wool workroom and classroom space. The center also houses the Gale Woods Folk School, which offers opportunities to learn skills such as gardening, farming, fiber arts and cooking in a casual, group setting. More about the Gale Woods Folk School.

Even more fun in the regional parks

New 18-hole disc golf at Baylor Regional Park in Carver County
One tough hole is across a water hazard and onto a small island.
New beach and picnic area at Lilydale Regional Park
And a new trail segment linking Lilydale / Harriet Island to the Big Rivers Regional Trail was completed late last year.
New disc-golf course at Bryant Lake Regional Park in Eden Prairie
The disc golf course at Bryant Lake Regional Park is being expanded to 18 holes, which will establish it as one of the top spots for disc golf in the Twin Cities area.
New Trails at Como Regional Park
Two miles of new shared-use trails (1.6 miles), pedestrian trails (.4 miles), an historic bridge restoration and a new 63-stall parking lot will be completed this month.
Off-leash dog area in Lake Minnewashta Regional Park, Carver County
The area encompasses 17 acres with nearly a mile of walking trails through woodlands. It has open play spaces and areas for large and small dogs, and even a pond for dogs.
New bandstand on Raspberry Island at Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul
Site work and restroom addition to Raspberry Island will be completed in July. Park improvements include a permeable paver parking lot, extensive native landscaping, fountain/art installation, open lawn in front of the Schubert Bandstand, lighting and stairs accessing the Mississippi River.
New off-leash dog area at Bryant Lake Regional Park in Eden Prairie
Construction of a nine-acre, fenced off-leash dog area was completed last fall. The facility includes a one-acre area designated for small dogs, a paved parking lot and latrines.