The City of Shakopee, in partnership with Jackson Township, is creating a nature-centered park with both active and passive areas to enjoy the outdoors and take in the natural landscape.

The City, along with its consultant, has developed a concept that seeks to balance the conservation of the site by utilizing a reestablished oak savanna prairie landscape in much of the park area.

Other areas will be typical grass lawn to facilitate playable open space for informal ball, catch, sledding, or other activities. There will be an asphalt path that runs around the park, encircling the wetland. This will be connected to the greater path system and the Township facilities.

As seen below in the photos and renderings, the City plans to include picnic shelters, a BIFF enclosure bathroom, a bike skills course with three difficulty levels, hammock posts, benches, and a playground.

As part of the connected trail system, there will be a tunnel for pedestrian use that goes under 130^th Street West, just west of Zumbro Avenue.

The land where the park will be built has been in crop production since the early 1900s, with the township ball field built in the 1970s.

With the residential expansion of Shakopee, city ordinances called for more parkland. The rolling topography and wetlands in this area lend themselves to a natural park setting, where community members can escape to connect with nature or enjoy an afternoon with their friends and family.