Belle Prairie Park

The 145-Acre Belle Prairie Park is uniquely situated at the confluence of expansive prairie, oak savanna, and the remnants of Minnesota’s towering white pine forest along the mighty Mississippi River. Expanding upon the original master plan, this Schematic Design effort developed recreational and ecological improvements across the site to yield a robust planning document to guide future funding and implementation efforts. With a focus on accessibility and ecological sensitivity, site improvements detail accessible trails expansions, additional picnic shelters and restrooms, parking improvements, a disc golf course and pine forest restoration. A new fishing platform, nature based play, and a wayfinding and signage package offers opportunities for visitors to connect to the biodiverse landscape and celebrate the rich cultural history of the site’s Frist People’s stories, logging legacy, Red River Ox Cart Trails within the park. Working closely with the client, the resulting design delivers features that are sustainable, engaging, and create a Belle Prairie Park that is poised to support future generation of park users.