motorman

Minneapolis’ park system has it roots in the City Beautiful and Garden City movements of the late 1800s. At that time and in retaliation to the industrial revolution, city planning emerged as a profession to address how to separate land uses and to create a more natural and desirable urban environment. It was at this time when men such as Frederick Olmsted and Daniel Burnham were designing cities of the future that would grow from green tree-lined boulevards with parks and greenways sheltering new single-family neighborhoods from undesirable industrial uses.

In the 1880s, Minneapolis’ newly formed and independent Board of Park Commissioner (now Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board) hired Olmsted-protégé Horace W.S. Cleveland to design a system of interconnected parks and greenways for areas of passive recreation. Cleveland’s Grand Rounds system is the jewel of the city connecting its rich natural resources of lake, rivers and creeks with its parks and parkways. This National Scenic Byway has almost 44 miles of paved off-street bicycle and pedestrian paths. As bicycling moved from a form of transportation (1880s) to a recreational pass-time (1950s) back to a form of transportation (late 1970s), Minneapolis was well positioned to expand into an extensive bicycle system building off the foresight of the City’s fathers and mothers.

The Minneapolis Grand Rounds is rich with both passive and active recreation opportunities. From the city’s Northside, the system begins at the confluence of Mississippi River and Shingle Creek. Moving west the system travels along one of only a few lengths that are not adjacent to water, Victory Memorial Drive. This four-mile reach of symmetrically lined trees that form the northwest corner of the Rounds, is a living memorial to the lives lost in World War I from Hennepin County. Each trees is alongside a marker of a soldier lost in that bloody conflict. The Drive, as locals refer to it, features a 50-foot flagpole at the turn, with memorials to others lost is more recent conflicts. Abraham Lincoln keeps watch on the flag from a small grove nearby. The Park Board resurfaced the Drive’s trails last year for a very smooth ride.

From the southern border of Victory Drive, the Grand Rounds seamlessly flow into Theodore Wirth Park. If Minneapolis was not blessed with its many lakes, creeks, and rivers the real estate surrounding this magnificent park would be the highest priced and most desirable in the City. With our high standards and lush amenities, great reasonably priced neighborhoods circle this 500-acre park. Wirth Park is the namesake of the most influential and longest serving of Minneapolis’ Park Superintendents. This park is 60 percent the size of New York’s Central Park. Riding on the recently resurfaced paths will take you past the Bassett’s Creek, a Swiss Chalet, two golf courses, a lake, a couple ponds, a quaking bog, a flower garden, and across the 45th parallel. Theodore Wirth Park is home to the City’s only sanctioned off-road bikeways for interested trail users.

Riding along Victory Memorial Drive and through Theodore Wirth Park is simply a quarter of the system. The Minneapolis Park system is more that 6,000 acres of land and water with over 150 individual parks.
At the south end of Wirth Park, a pass over an interstate bridge brings riders into the Chain of Lake, the system’s crown jewel (we are the City of Lakes for a reason). Moving into this area also bring riders to the intersection of the elaborate rail-trail system that complements the Grand Rounds. In the third and fourth parts of this series, I will explore this nationally recognized trail system, hit the lakes, the Minnehaha Creek and some simple steps to begin to ride.

Until then, take advantage of National Bike Month and ride. For those who have not, this is your year to bike to work or school. That day is May 19th, email motorman if you need some travel pointers or advice on routes (regardless of your hometown). It is a great vehicle to bring you forward and keep you healthy.

Happy riding!