Work at William O’Brien State Park to enhance accessibility

An enchancment mission to extend accessibility for guests has begun at William O’Brien State Park. The decrease portion of the park surrounding Lake Alice, together with the Riverside Group Camp, Riverway Campground and all areas east of Minnesota Freeway 95 can be closed via early 2025.

The development will add accessible campsites, a canoe and kayak launch, path upgrades to higher accommodate wheelchairs and different mobility gadgets and new restrooms and bathe amenities.

The vast majority of the park will stay open throughout development, together with a lot of the park’s 17.4 miles of mountaineering trails, the primary workplace and a number of of the campsites. Along with the Riverway campground and group camp, different areas that can be closed embody the Mondale Day Use Space, which encompasses the St. Croix River public water entry and Lake Alice swimming seaside.

“The Minnesota DNR is continually working to make our state park system extra accessible, and this mission is a key development in our efforts to make sure Minnesotans of all skills can get pleasure from our state’s out of doors experiences,” stated Ann Pierce, director of the Minnesota Division of Pure Sources Parks and Trails Division, in a press release.

The mission, in growth for a number of years, is being funded primarily via state bonding funds, with further cash raised by the 2023  Get Out MORE (Modernize Outside Recreation Experiences) appropriation.

Building updates can be obtainable on the William O’Brien State Park webpage of the DNR web site.