Photos courtesy Minnesota DNR

William O’Brien’s popular Day Use Area and Riverside Trail will reopen on May 1, 2025. The Riverway Campground will reopen on Friday, May 2, ahead of the Minnesota Fishing Opener on May 10. The popular part of the park closed in March 2024 for significant renovations.

At the Marine City Council meeting on Thursday, April 10, William O’Brien Park Manger Wayne Boerner presented an update on the year-long construction project, highlighting key enhancements including accessibility, safety, and environmental protections.

Consistently ranking as one of the top-five most-visited state parks in Minnesota, William O’Brien received state bonding funds and an appropriation of funds from Get Out MORE (Modernize Outdoor Recreation Experiences) to update and and improve facilities in the lower part of the park. Get Out MORE was a one-time appropriation of $149.9 million by the legislature in 2023 to broaden access to outdoor experiences across the state.

Accessibility updates for disabled visitors include campsites and buildings that comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, an accessible canoe/kayak launch onto Lake Alice, six accessible campsites in the Riverway Campground, and newly resurfaced pavement on the Riverside Trail.

Construction on restrooms will continue throughout the month of May with anticipated completion in early June. Pit toilets will be open in the meantime.

Boerner also shared information about safety enhancements, specifically boat and visitor traffic and pedestrian crossings. The parking lot, which previously bisected the recreation areas in the lower part of the park, has been moved to the northeast, along the tree line. All of the recreating green spaces are now located along Lake Alice.

An additional benefit to moving the parking area is the use of filtration ponds to sift rainwater and runoff before it enters the St. Croix River and Lake Alice.

Marine City Council members thanked Boerner for the update. Mayor Kevin Nyenhuis urged meeting attendees to spread the news about the lower park’s reopening with their neighbors and the community.