Have Your Say On Quarry Park’s Future This Wednesday

WAITE PARK (WJON News) -- Stearns County is working on a vision for the future of Quarry Park and Nature Preserve. The county Parks Department is hosting a public open house on Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Stearns County Service Center in Waite Park to give you a review and allow you to provide input on recommendations for future development.

Get our free mobile app

Parks Director Ben Anderson says over 700 people recently took a survey about the park. He says there are a few favorite features.

The trails, natural beauty, swimming quarries, and the quiet atmosphere.  Some of the least liked aspects that we've heard include the overcrowding, especially around the swimming quarries on hot summer days.

Anderson says other dislikes include the parking fees and the limited ADA access.

The last master plan was written in 1995, and Anderson says 18 of the 21 items identified back then have been completed. He says there are a few top requests for improvements to the park.

Hiking, skiing, and mountain bike trails, better signage, upgraded restrooms, improved picnic areas, and expanded natural resources.  There are a lot of people interested in additional events within the park.

Anderson says a nature center or a visitor center is one of the original items that has not gotten done yet. He says public feedback on that has had mixed opinions.

The Master Plan for the park addresses the high volume of visitors and aims to add more amenities. Anderson says it's a tough balancing act.

Do we do smaller areas? Do we open another swimming quarry? Do we add a different amenity in a different location, or do we do a better job communicating when the park is super busy?  That's what we're trying to figure out as a whole.

Quarry Park and Nature Preserve is 757 acres in size. It gets well over 100,000 visitors every year.