MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Bunker Hills Regional Park Boardwalk Reopens After Major $2 Million Reconstruction Project

ANOKA COUNTY, MN (May 19, 2026) One of the Twin Cities north metro’s most recognizable recreational trail features has officially reopened to the public following a sweeping reconstruction effort aimed at improving public safety, accessibility, and long-term environmental sustainability.

The newly rebuilt boardwalk at Bunker Hills Regional Park officially opened Sunday, restoring a key segment of the park’s trail system after months of closure and construction. The reopening marks the completion of a major infrastructure project that Anoka County officials describe as one of the most significant upgrades to the park’s trail network in decades.

The new structure replaces the park’s previous floating boardwalk, which had deteriorated substantially after roughly 20 years of exposure to Minnesota’s harsh seasonal weather conditions. Park users had long voiced concerns about the former walkway’s excessive swaying, unstable footing, widening gaps between deck sections, and ongoing maintenance challenges.

County officials say the replacement was not merely a repair project, but a complete reimagining of how visitors move through one of the park’s most environmentally sensitive wetland corridors.

The reconstructed boardwalk now stretches approximately 1,200 feet across wetlands along the northern section of the park and has been widened to 12 feet to better accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, runners, families with strollers, and individuals using mobility devices. The upgraded structure also restores uninterrupted access to the park’s larger loop trail system, which had been partially closed since late 2025 during construction activity.

Unlike the previous floating pathway, the new boardwalk has been engineered as a permanently elevated bridge-style structure. Officials say the redesign dramatically improves stability while eliminating many of the motion and safety concerns associated with the original system.

Accessibility was a central component of the redesign. The smooth, level surface now provides full ADA-compliant access across the wetland crossing, significantly improving usability for visitors with disabilities and older residents seeking safer trail conditions.

The project also includes a new wildlife observation area with benches overlooking the surrounding marshlands and portions of Bunker Lake. Park officials say the area has become a regular viewing location for native wildlife including sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, waterfowl, and migratory bird species that utilize the wetlands throughout the year.

Engineering teams faced significant environmental constraints while designing the project due to the fragile ecological conditions surrounding the Anoka Sand Plain wetlands. Rather than using traditional concrete footings that could heavily disturb the marsh ecosystem, contractors utilized helical pier foundation technology, an increasingly common method for environmentally sensitive infrastructure projects.

The system involves hydraulically driving steel shafts with spiral-shaped blades deep into the ground, in some cases between 20 and 50 feet below the surface, allowing the elevated structure to remain stable while minimizing surface disruption to the surrounding habitat.

To further reduce ecological impact, the most intensive phases of construction were strategically scheduled during the winter months of 2025 and early 2026, when frozen ground conditions allowed heavy machinery to move through the area with less risk of soil compaction and vegetation damage.

County officials estimate the new boardwalk has a projected lifespan of approximately 30 to 50 years, substantially longer than the original floating design.

Funding for the estimated $2 million project came through Minnesota’s active transportation funding initiatives, which were expanded following transportation and infrastructure legislation approved by the Minnesota Legislature in 2023. The funding pool supports projects intended to improve pedestrian access, bicycle infrastructure, trail safety, and non-motorized transportation throughout the metropolitan region.

The reopening represents another major milestone in the broader redevelopment and modernization efforts underway across the more than 1,600-acre regional park system, which includes trail improvements, roadway upgrades, parking enhancements, and expanded recreational infrastructure.

Managed by Anoka County Parks, Bunker Hills Regional Park remains one of the most heavily visited outdoor recreation destinations in the north metro, drawing residents year-round for hiking, biking, golf, camping, cross-country skiing, swimming, and nature observation.

Park officials formally announced the reopening on May 18 through public notices and social media updates encouraging residents to return to the restored trail corridor and experience the upgraded structure firsthand.

The reopening arrives just ahead of the Memorial Day holiday period, traditionally one of the busiest outdoor recreation weekends of the year across Minnesota.

For many longtime visitors, the project represents more than just a new walkway. It restores a familiar connection point through one of the region’s most recognizable landscapes while modernizing the infrastructure for future generations of park users.

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