Central Park is my favorite park in the Twin Cities

I’d lived in Minneapolis for a long time when a friend suggested we look at a townhouse in Bloomington. We were instantly in love with the view from the deck into Central Park, and when we went down to the creek, we were enchanted by the quaint bridges, burbling stream, those towering cottonwoods at mile marker .4, and just how beautiful and wild the park felt. We decided right then to buy the place.

That was ten years ago.

Over the years I have explored every trail in the park. I have seen so much wildlife! Have you ever had the opportunity to watch a mink eat a fish? I have, just across from Moir. I once saw a family of three beavers, including a kit, gnawing on sticks. I still remember the walk where I saw a barred owl, a raccoon in a tree, and a coyote nosing among some logs—unaware of my presence—all in the same walk. Where else in the city can you find such abundant wildlife?

When I need to escape, I hike the unpaved upper trails. They are less frequently used than the lower trails and are very peaceful. I can totally forget I am in an urban area. Just being so close to nature calms me down. I also walk the lower trails.

The paved trail north of 106th Street feels shaped by nature rather than imposed on it. Its winding curves invite one to relax. I’m particularly fond of the narrow bits where I’m walking right between a hill and the creek. These are the areas that I’m most upset at the idea of losing, because widening the trail for bicycles, an option under consideration, would mean cutting into those steep hillsides and putting in retaining walls. I don’t want my walk in the park to be section after section of retaining walls, some as high or higher than the one at 106th St! In addition, a trail designed for bicycle traffic would need to be straighter, with no blind curves. The entire character of the park would be different. That natural feel would be lost. It would be more manicured, less wild, less intimate. The park’s wildness is the reason I moved here.

Overall, I feel very safe in Central park and on the trail. It’s a friendly place. Those of use who frequently walk the trails recognize each other and say “hi.” Because the traffic is pedestrian-only, I don’t have to worry about what is going on around me. I can meander, stop to look at a bird (or beaver), or just zone out without being startled by someone yelling “on your left!,” or having to worry about a fast-moving bike (or ebike!) zooming up behind me.

One last thing: I love how clean the park is. Yes, there is a lot of trash in the creek, much probably washed into it from the street drainage system. But along the trail, there is very little litter, which contributes to that amazing feeling that you are not in the middle of a city.