At Bunker Hills, a Boardwalk Rebuilt for the Long Arc of Public Access

COON RAPIDS, MN

In the quiet depths of winter, when Minnesota’s wetlands are locked in ice and silence, a critical piece of public infrastructure is taking shape at Bunker Hills Regional Park.

Anoka County Parks has begun phase two of the Bunker Hills boardwalk replacement, a project that goes beyond routine trail maintenance. It is an investment in durability, environmental stewardship, and equitable access to one of the Twin Cities’ most ecologically complex public landscapes.

The work, announced through updates from Anoka County Parks and shared locally by the City of Coon Rapids, focuses on rebuilding a key wetland crossing that has reached the end of its service life. When complete, the new structure is expected to reopen for public use in spring.

Rebuilding Without Wounding the Wetland

The defining feature of phase two is the installation of helical piers, a foundation technology increasingly used in sensitive environments where traditional construction would cause lasting harm.

Unlike timber pilings or concrete footings, helical piers are steel shafts with helical blades that are hydraulically screwed into the ground. This method allows crews to bypass unstable peat and organic muck and anchor the structure into deeper, load-bearing soils.

For wetlands like those at Bunker Hills, the advantages are decisive:

• Minimal ecological disturbance
  The piers require no excavation and generate little vibration, reducing damage to root systems and fragile soil layers.
• Resistance to freeze-thaw cycles
  By reaching stable strata below the wetland surface, the piers limit seasonal heaving that shortens the lifespan of traditional boardwalks in Minnesota’s climate.
• Long-term sustainability
  The galvanized steel system avoids poured concrete and, if future trail realignments ever occur, can be removed with far less environmental impact.

The result is a structure engineered not just to stand, but to endure.

Why Winter Is the Window

Constructing a boardwalk through wetlands is counterintuitive work best done when the ground is frozen solid.

By building during winter months, crews can move heavy equipment across marshy terrain without compacting soil, crushing vegetation, or altering natural water flow. This approach has become standard practice for park systems balancing public access with ecological preservation.

Anoka County’s phased timeline reflects that logic:

• Phase one removed the aging boardwalk and prepared new abutments.
• Phase two, now underway, installs the foundation and reconstructs the elevated wooden walkway.
• Reopening is anticipated in spring, once conditions allow finishing work and safety inspections.

Access as Infrastructure, Not Amenity

The boardwalk is more than a scenic feature. It is a functional corridor through a protected wetland system within Bunker Hills’ more than 1,600 acres of parkland.

Its replacement is designed to meet modern accessibility standards, with a smoother, more level surface capable of safely accommodating:

• Wheelchairs and mobility devices
• Strollers and family traffic
• Older adults and visitors with balance limitations

In a regional park that serves both local residents and metro-wide visitors, accessibility is not an add-on. It is a core measure of whether public land truly belongs to everyone.

The Living Landscape Beneath the Planks

The rebuilt boardwalk passes through a wetland system shaped by the Anoka Sand Plain, a distinctive geological region marked by sandy soils and high groundwater.

From the finished structure, visitors can expect intimate views of a landscape that rarely tolerates foot traffic:

• Flora such as tamarack, sedges, and wetland-adapted plant species that thrive in acidic, waterlogged soils
• Fauna including sandhill cranes, waterfowl, and songbirds that nest in cattails and shallow marsh zones

The boardwalk functions as a controlled threshold, allowing people into the ecosystem without allowing erosion, trampling, or habitat loss to follow.

What to Know for Now

• Portions of the trail connected to the boardwalk remain closed during construction
• Visitors are asked to respect barriers and posted detours for safety
• Full reopening is projected for spring, aligning with seasonal trail use

In an era when public infrastructure is often judged by speed or spectacle, the Bunker Hills boardwalk rebuild is a quieter kind of civic work. It is deliberate. It is patient. And it is rooted in the understanding that access, when done correctly, can coexist with preservation.

When the ice recedes and the trail opens again, the most important measure of success will not be how new the boardwalk looks, but how lightly it rests on the land beneath it.

MinneapoliMedia