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Spring blooms at Wirth Park
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Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary
Living in Minneapolis – the city that, according to the National Geographic Society’s Green Guide, has the most parkland per resident – I guess I’ve started to take all the grassy meadows and tree-lined playlots that dot our neighborhoods for granted.
So why, when I’ve got three parks within walking distance of my house, do I get excited about Theodore Wirth Park? For starters, it’s really big. At 759 acres (90 percent of Central Park) that stretch from Minneapolis into Golden Valley, it’s the largest park managed by the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board.
But it’s a got a lot more than size going for it. Where else can you play a round of golf, tromp through a bog, see hundreds of species of wildflowers, visit the 45th Parallel and still get home in time for dinner?
Established as Glenwood Park in 1889, the park was renamed in 1938 to honor Theodore Wirth, the Minneapolis Superintendent of Parks who is credited with laying the foundation for America’s local parks movement. Today the park encompasses two golf courses, a beach, a nature preserve, and miles of bicycling and cross-country ski trails. You could have a different experience at Wirth Park nearly every time you visit.
One of the park’s treasures is the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary – and spring is the best time to visit. Crossing the gated threshold will evoke a “Secret Garden” experience in even the least botanically-minded among you (trust me). Named for the botanist who petitioned the city to create the garden to protect its native flora, this three-acre woodland paradise reflects its history, feeling virtually untouched by the civilization that thrives outside its gates.
Though you’ll probably be happy just wandering the green-laced trails, naturalists are on-hand daily at the Martha Crone Visitor Shelter to answer questions and point out the seasonal flora (such as trillium and bluebells, which bloom in April and May). Free programs and events are held in the garden throughout the spring and summer, including full moon nature walks.
Spring is also a great time for a family trek through the Quaking Bog, which is just across the parkway from the Wildflower Garden. “Bogging,” as my kids call it, is a fun way to get some exercise while learning a bit about, well, bogs. Just make sure the kids in your group know to stay on the boardwalk – they call it wetland for reason.
If you’ve had your fill of greenery, head north to Wirth Lake, where a beach, a boat launch, a vintage 1950’s playground (read: really old and all metal) and picnic grounds (with grills) await. Just beyond the beach, you’ll find the J.D. Rivers’ Children’s Garden, where local youth plant and harvest produce – donating extras to the food shelf.
With such a variety of activities in a central location, Wirth Park is a virtual one-stop shop for those of us looking for an outdoor adventure that still ends with us sleeping comfortably in our own beds. And that is a luxury I definitely don’t take for granted.
For more information about Wirth Park, visit the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation website.
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