On Saturday, June 14, Glendalough State Park will celebrate the completion of its new trail center and the trail extension past Sunset Lake. Visitors can enjoy an open house at the new building from 10 a.m. until noon with cake and lemonade served by the Glendalough Park Partners. A program begins at 11 a.m. with appearances from State Senator Jordan Rasmusson, Battle Lake Mayor Richard Bullard, and senior DNR officials.
June 14 is a Free Park Day at all Minnesota state parks and recreation areas, and no vehicle permit is required to visit Glendalough State Park for this event. Parking may be limited at the trail center, so visitors are encouraged to hike or bike there on the new paved trail section from parking lots at the Prairie Hill, ranger station, Sunset Lake, or Glendalough Lodge parking areas. A park map is at mndnr.gov/glendalough.
For those arriving early, a history tour by bicycle is offered on the new trail at 8:30 a.m. Meet at the lodge parking lot to learn about park history at a few stops along the loop. Participants will be back in time for the main event at 10 a.m.
The new trail center features bike rentals, restrooms, a meeting and education space that accommodates up to 40, and convenient parking with accessible stalls. The meeting room can be reserved year-round for meetings and events, and is the site of interpretive programs in the park.
The Sunset Trail extension provides a paved trail to the park’s entrance at Highway 16 and connects to the 12-mile Glendalough Trail that links the park with the city of Battle Lake. This trail extension makes it easier for park visitors to access the city, and for Battle Lake residents to bike to the park.
The trail center and trail extension projects are a collaboration between the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Glendalough Park Partners, the park’s non-profit friends’ group. Contributions from state park friends groups are important contributions to Glendalough and other state parks across Minnesota. The total cost of the projects was $3.8 million which includes funding from state bonding, the Parks and Trails Legacy Fund, a Federal Recreational Trail Program grant and private contributions through the Glendalough Park Partners.
For more information, visit the park pages on the DNR website or call the park at 218-261-6900.