Nine Mile Creek Corridor - Moving Bloomington Forward

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  Look up and down and all around. There is something to see everywhere.

  by trillium, almost 2 years ago

  I first walked in Moir and Central parks over 20 years ago simply for brisk walks. I kept my eyes on the footpath because I feared encountering a snake.
  When I slowed down my walk, I noticed the lovely creek and the tall trees and sometimes saw an owl or a fox. I still looked for snakes.
  After a while walking included listening to birdsong and looking up to see eagles, hawks and migratory birds. I was rarely looking down because there was so much to see above.
  Then I discovered... Continue reading

  I first walked in Moir and Central parks over 20 years ago simply for brisk walks. I kept my eyes on the footpath because I feared encountering a snake.
  When I slowed down my walk, I noticed the lovely creek and the tall trees and sometimes saw an owl or a fox. I still looked for snakes.
  After a while walking included listening to birdsong and looking up to see eagles, hawks and migratory birds. I was rarely looking down because there was so much to see above.
  Then I discovered the marsh area with its interesting plants and birds like duck potato, herons perched in trees, geese, ducks and Sandhill cranes. I saw a snake slither into the marsh once. A little scary but cool to see.
  A few years ago I met someone walking who pointed out the many wildflowers along the footpath and showed me the prairie garden. A new world was opened. I love looking for wildflowers.
  Now I look up and down and all around. There is something to see everywhere. There is much to see on each side of the footpath. I savor the quietness and restorative nature of Moir and Central parks.
  The last time I walked, I moved a dislodged piece of asphalt that was crowding a tiny oak tree. A small snake slithered away from under the asphalt. I wasn't afraid.
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  A sacred space to be and to breathe

  by Angie S, almost 2 years ago

  The park means family. My parents got engaged in Central Park - at the clearing by the bend in the creek. Moir park was there for my family on a tearful summer day in July 2020 for a socially distanced gathering following my grandma's funeral. We gathered under the big trees, at separate picnic tables, but together because of the park. The park is a safe haven. When I was barely able to get around after a car accident left me disabled for three years, the unpaved trail south of 106th offered a secluded and safe place for me to... Continue reading

  The park means family. My parents got engaged in Central Park - at the clearing by the bend in the creek. Moir park was there for my family on a tearful summer day in July 2020 for a socially distanced gathering following my grandma's funeral. We gathered under the big trees, at separate picnic tables, but together because of the park. The park is a safe haven. When I was barely able to get around after a car accident left me disabled for three years, the unpaved trail south of 106th offered a secluded and safe place for me to exist in nature. I could walk very slowly and soak in the forest air. I started to really see the birds and the tall oaks in all their majesty. I saw owls and eagles. I'd never seen an owl before. The park renewed my spirit during this difficult time. The park is everyday spirituality. It's trudging through the fresh snow on new year's day in the silence from a snow-covered world. It's the noise of the rushing creek after a spring rain. It's touching the new moss, safely hidden under the shade canopy of the forest, and it's placing my hand on the bark of the large oak and feeling the strength and steadfastness from the hundred years it has been standing tall. The park is sacred. It's a space to be and to breathe.

  
  

  Please respect the park by not expanding the construction footprint into the still natural or regularly flooded areas. Today I walked on the trail by two large oak trees that would become casualties of the required clear zone for a new trail. The level of devastation planned through this sacred area is unfathomable and heartbreaking.
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  Treasure in the City

  by Tegan, almost 2 years ago
  I am so fortunate to live within walking distance of Nine Mile Creek. It is such a gift to be able to walk along the creek with my dog. Between the trees, wildlife, and bubbling music of the creek, it is truly an oasis of quiet calm. I love the unpaved trail, so much easier on the knees and it contributes to feeling even closer to nature vs a typical city park. A visit to Nine Mile with my dog always leaves me feeling better than when I arrived. I hope that as much nature can be preserved as possible... Continue reading

  I am so fortunate to live within walking distance of Nine Mile Creek. It is such a gift to be able to walk along the creek with my dog. Between the trees, wildlife, and bubbling music of the creek, it is truly an oasis of quiet calm. I love the unpaved trail, so much easier on the knees and it contributes to feeling even closer to nature vs a typical city park. A visit to Nine Mile with my dog always leaves me feeling better than when I arrived. I hope that as much nature can be preserved as possible and hope the unpaved portions remain that way. I hope it remains a walk only trail to preserve the calm and tranquility of the trail. There are many city parks but Nine Mile is unique and beautiful, I hope our community can continue to enjoy it for many years to come.
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  Perfect location for Natural Surface Mountain Bike Trails - A destination for local riders

  by adam, almost 2 years ago

  As a Bloomington resident for 10+ years, and frequent mountain biker, I am constantly finding myself driving to other communities to ride high quality, singletrack mountain bike trails. Lone Lake in Minnetonka is the closest, which is still a 15 minute drive away. Murphy Hanrehan in Savage, and Lebanon Hills in Apple Valley are slightly further. The Natural Surface trails in the river bottoms are OK, but access to them is limited to Lyndale Avenue or Bloomington Ferry. The Nine Mile creek corridor is a beautiful area that would be an excellent location for destination-worthy singletrack trails, and would be... Continue reading

  As a Bloomington resident for 10+ years, and frequent mountain biker, I am constantly finding myself driving to other communities to ride high quality, singletrack mountain bike trails. Lone Lake in Minnetonka is the closest, which is still a 15 minute drive away. Murphy Hanrehan in Savage, and Lebanon Hills in Apple Valley are slightly further. The Natural Surface trails in the river bottoms are OK, but access to them is limited to Lyndale Avenue or Bloomington Ferry. The Nine Mile creek corridor is a beautiful area that would be an excellent location for destination-worthy singletrack trails, and would be a great connector to the many more miles of natural trails in the river bottoms. This would make this area of Bloomington a sought-out destination for riders, and would ensure the park is well utilized. Other parks in the metro have similar strategies that also ensure safety and cater to other uses such as walkers and hikers. I would love to see these incorporated into the plan!
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  One of the Few Safe Places Left for Pedestrians, Dogs, and Artists

  by Jim Fisher, almost 2 years ago

  The Nine Mile Creek Corridor has some of the steepest paved trails in the Metro Area. We should have learned that combining bicycles and pedestrians at the bottom of steep hills is deadly. The last time we paved a trail through the woods down a steep hill a woman was killed, who was a friend to many of us, as a cyclist rode down from Highwood Drive through the tunnel into Hyland.

  
  

  Right now, the Corridor is safe for pedestrians, safe for people with dogs on long leashes, safe for our friend to set up his easel and canvas at... Continue reading

  The Nine Mile Creek Corridor has some of the steepest paved trails in the Metro Area. We should have learned that combining bicycles and pedestrians at the bottom of steep hills is deadly. The last time we paved a trail through the woods down a steep hill a woman was killed, who was a friend to many of us, as a cyclist rode down from Highwood Drive through the tunnel into Hyland.

  
  

  Right now, the Corridor is safe for pedestrians, safe for people with dogs on long leashes, safe for our friend to set up his easel and canvas at the perfect spot in the middle of the trail without anyone yelling at him. And some want to change that? Why?

  
  

  I have been a homeowner in East Dwan for 5 decades. The creek bed is my playground. I have canoed the flood waters riding above the railings of the last downstream bridge and out through the trees into the lake. There is a single-track on the downstream end of the lake which was probably abandoned 50 years ago and needs a little work to clear some deadfall, but not much. The cut into the hill is already there. We could be smart and run that existing trail around the hill just below James Road and designate it as a bikes-only fun route to the MN river from high on the 106th street hill. Being an unpaved single-track we don't have to take down trees (except the dead ash trees) and we don't make the creek area any more dangerous. Everyone wins.

  
  

  I bike the NMC Regional Trail four times a week and I always feel bad when dog owners have to restrain their pets every time I pass by. I also feel nervous when I coast down the hill from 70th and Cahill around that race-track-shaped turn into the tunnel at 22 miles an hour. It should have been shaped like a rectangle with two sharp 90 degree turns. But, then, nobody asked me or anyone else about safe path design.

  So let's keep it safe down there for eveyone. Please.
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  A Natural Escape from the City

  by RB, almost 2 years ago
  I love the Nine Mile Creek nature trails as a place right close to home where I can escape to nature. It’s usually not crowded and there are plenty of peaceful side paths to get you away from the main trail. My dog loves to explore the scents along the way. I am opposed to allowing bikes as they move much faster than walkers and come up from behind (many unannounced) and startle me and my dog. I like the peace and calm there.

  I love the Nine Mile Creek nature trails as a place right close to home where I can escape to nature. It’s usually not crowded and there are plenty of peaceful side paths to get you away from the main trail. My dog loves to explore the scents along the way. I am opposed to allowing bikes as they move much faster than walkers and come up from behind (many unannounced) and startle me and my dog. I like the peace and calm there.
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  A place of solitude inspired by nature

  by Kellie, almost 2 years ago
  

  
  

  
  

  In the fall of 2021, when I was 52 years of age, I was on a solo walk through Moir Park down to the Minnesota River and back and for the first time in my life, I had the pleasure of seeing an owl in the wild. It was a moment I will never forget. Just me and the owl alone in the woods of this unique and treasured gem of a park right in the city of Bloomington. I couldn't even believe what I was seeing. I thought to myself how incredilbly lucky it is that I live near... Continue reading

  
  

  
  

  In the fall of 2021, when I was 52 years of age, I was on a solo walk through Moir Park down to the Minnesota River and back and for the first time in my life, I had the pleasure of seeing an owl in the wild. It was a moment I will never forget. Just me and the owl alone in the woods of this unique and treasured gem of a park right in the city of Bloomington. I couldn't even believe what I was seeing. I thought to myself how incredilbly lucky it is that I live near such a beautiful and natural place where I can go and have experiences like this.

  I've lived in Bloomington, just a 1/2 mile from the park for the past 24 years. Trips into the natural beauty of this park are a regular experience in all seasons for me, my husband and my two daughters who have been enjoying all that nature and the woods and the creek have to offer since they were babies!!

  We enjoy the fall colors, quiet strolls to talk and bond as a family and treks to make first tracks in freshly fallen snow on early morning winter adventures. My girls have dipped their toes in the water of the creek too many times to remember and leap frogged on the rocks and thrown sticks to see how fast they float away.

  Our entire neighborhood of moms have taken adventure trips into the park to hike and explore and just let the kids be kids! The blissful solitude of the park which is not interrupted with bikers has been a constant draw for us parents who want to share the natural world with our kids so they can learn to appreciate "screen-free" experiences and develop appreciation for the earth that we all share.

  I believe that the park was created for walkers only for a reason and that the essential beauty and quiet atmosphere is to be valued just the same today as it was back then. Bloomington would be preserving something special for future generations. There are plenty of bike trails available for those who want to experience recreation on two wheels. I myself love to bike! But, when I want to get up close to nature and be quiet and breathe in the essence of the woods my first "go to" is Moir Park. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall - the season doesn't matter. The park is great in different ways in each season. Let's keep in that way and be proud that we've preserved a smaill area where folks can be immersed in the natural world.

  It literally breaks my heart to think that the City of Bloomington would intentionally alter the park and add pavement that would forever affect the ecosystem. Please keep Moir Park preserved for walkers only.

  Kellie Gunderman

  
  

  
  
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  A rare gem in the city

  by cr, almost 2 years ago

  My story with Central Park does not go back as far as some people's, but it is deeply meaningful to me. When I discovered this park, I knew I wanted to live nearby. Two years ago, I purchased my home specifically to be close to this wonderful place. The natural beauty of the park provides a serene escape that feels like being in the countryside, despite being in the heart of the city. The quiet, bike-free trails offer a perfect place for me to walk my dog. Through these peaceful walks, I have met many wonderful people and made new... Continue reading

  My story with Central Park does not go back as far as some people's, but it is deeply meaningful to me. When I discovered this park, I knew I wanted to live nearby. Two years ago, I purchased my home specifically to be close to this wonderful place. The natural beauty of the park provides a serene escape that feels like being in the countryside, despite being in the heart of the city. The quiet, bike-free trails offer a perfect place for me to walk my dog. Through these peaceful walks, I have met many wonderful people and made new friends, fostering a strong sense of community that I cherish. Central Park is truly a treasure, and I hope it remains a haven for those of us who find joy and connection in its natural tranquility.
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  Missing Natural Bike Trails

  by Blake, almost 2 years ago
  I love the natural beauty of nine mile creek. We walk on the weekends in the morning with our dog. What’s missing is mountain bike trails throughout the park. These would be natural (non paved) sustainable trails. If your looking for examples that this can be done look at Lone Lake Park in Eden prairie, which biking community supports the park through volunteer work and managing invasive species.

  I love the natural beauty of nine mile creek. We walk on the weekends in the morning with our dog. What’s missing is mountain bike trails throughout the park. These would be natural (non paved) sustainable trails. If your looking for examples that this can be done look at Lone Lake Park in Eden prairie, which biking community supports the park through volunteer work and managing invasive species.
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  Once we alter we can’t go back

  by GT, almost 2 years ago

  40+ year resident of Bloomington. Have seen a lot of change - some good, some not so much.

  Grew up one block from the 9 mile natural trail system that is being considered to be covered in asphalt. I currently live approx 200 - 300 yds from same trail.

  Growing up - all the kids in the neighborhood spent countless hours (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) playing and connecting with this unspoiled paradise.I now walk this trail at least once a week with my dog - it is as close to real nature experience as any of us can get residing... Continue reading

  40+ year resident of Bloomington. Have seen a lot of change - some good, some not so much.

  Grew up one block from the 9 mile natural trail system that is being considered to be covered in asphalt. I currently live approx 200 - 300 yds from same trail.

  Growing up - all the kids in the neighborhood spent countless hours (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) playing and connecting with this unspoiled paradise.I now walk this trail at least once a week with my dog - it is as close to real nature experience as any of us can get residing in the metro.

  I have lived in 3 other states - they have nothing like this available in their major metros - Nothing! This is truly a unique and vanishing nature experience that needs to be preserved/protected for future generations at all costs.The city of Bloomington should be marketing this experience exclusive to Bloomington.

  Folks have plenty of options to ride their bikes on designated trails and streets in this city. The city has gone out of its way to accommodate the bike community. On the other hand citizens of Blooming have very few options to walk in nature without the fear of “on your left or right” being yelled at them while enjoying a walk in nature. The needs of both tax paying green space users need to be addressed and preserved.

  This whole 9 mile position/proposal caught me completely off guard - was not aware until weeks before election - I will take blame - that is fine. There is so much online, in the mail and on social platforms - it is virtually impossible to sort through what is and what isn’t relevant anymore.

  Before any action is taken on the one last section of unmolested nature and it gets paved over - the city needs to go back out and get input on what exactly it is considering and potentially proposed for this area .Want to be clear - most folks are all in on maintenance, clean up, removal of invasive, etc throughout entire creek system as well as update and adds to Moir Park facilities. But there is a clear disconnect on changing this area south of 106th street from its native state and adding asphalt and bikes.

  Once we alter — we can’t go back. Many more generations to follow and many more memories to be made.