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Regional parks boast new facilities in 2007

Headed for the outdoors? Choose from a multitude of activities — from contemplative to riotously active — offered by the regional park system. This year, several parks across the metro area have new facilities to accommodate the millions of visitors who enjoy the variety of landscapes and recreation the parks have to offer.

Here are some highlights:

Bunker Hills Regional Park in Anoka County opened a new large-group picnic pavilion in August 2006. The pavilion features a prairie style of architecture and includes seating for 300 guests, making it the largest picnic pavilion in the Anoka County parks system. Within a short distance of the pavilion are bike trails, camping, golf, archery, horseback riding and water park facilities.

Rain or shine, you can step into the Tropical Encounters exhibit at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul. The new $2.1 million exhibit, which opened in November 2006, is a total immersion experience that allows visitors to see an authentic neo-tropical rainforest and explore the relationships between plants and animals.

Visitors will encounter such animals as freshwater stingrays, giant river turtles, frogs, toads, fish, free-roaming birds, an anaconda and Chloe the sloth. They will also view rainforest trees and plants including strangler fig, kapok, cecropia, annatto, mahogany, peach palm, balsa, ice cream bean and more.

Elm Creek Park Reserve in Maple Grove has a new Winter Recreation Area Chalet that in summer is used as a trailhead building and a rental hall. The 10,700-square-foot chalet has a 200-person large-group area, a 2,000-square-foot commercial-style kitchen, an emergency medical area, staff offices and restrooms.

Unique design features of the chalet include a geothermal heat-pump system, a custom gas fireplace and custom architectural canopies. The interior of the chalet is decorated with an antique ski theme, including antique and reproduction long-board and cross-country skis, and a custom ski chandelier.

A section of Lake Minnewashta Regional Park in Carver County is being reforested. Park staff planted 16,000 trees and shrubs over 12 acres.

You’ll have to wait until winter before you can enjoy the rollercoaster feel of the ride, but Lake Waconia Regional Park has a new sledding hill. The hill, which opened in January 2007, features two runs that are 80 feet tall.

The easterly run has several rolling undulations that provide a bit of a rollercoaster ride to the bottom. The western sledding run is a straight-run plunge to the bottom. The top of the hill also offers spectacular views of Lake Waconia, Coney Island and the surrounding landscape.

The last segment of the Lilydale Regional Trail in St. Paul was completed this spring. The 3.5-mile trail starts at Harriet Island Regional Park and heads upstream along the Mississippi, connecting with the Big Rivers Trail in Mendota Heights. Bikers can also cross the river along the 35E bridge and connect with the Sam Morgan Regional Trail or continue into the West Seventh neighborhood, eventually heading northeast towards the St. Paul Cathedral. See a map of the Lilydale Regional Trail (pdf).  

A new single-track mountain bike trail opened over Memorial Day weekend at Murphy Hanrehan Park Reserve in Savage. A 7-mile advanced loop, 2½-mile intermediate loop and .8-mile easy loop are offered. The course includes several technical features and varying levels of difficulty to allow a wide range of users to enjoy and expand their skills.

The trail’s design incorporates three key sustainable design principles: gentle grade, grade reversals and an out-sloped tread. These elements work together to allow water runoff to flow across rather than down the trail, significantly reducing the potential for erosion.

Today the regional park system includes:

• 53,000 acres in 49 regional parks and park reserves
• Six special recreation features, such as the Como Zoo and Conservatory
• 28 regional trails, with 172 miles currently open to the public
• More than 33 million annual visits.

Parks are operated by 10 partnering cities and counties. They work with the Metropolitan Council to acquire and develop parks and trails to protect natural resources and to provide outdoor recreation for public enjoyment.