March 17, 2011: Woodview Open Space/Reservoir Woods Park Hike (Roseville)

Join the hiking group for a hike along a set of trails in the Woodview Open Space and the Reservoir Woods Park, jointly administered by the City of Roseville and Ramsey County. The site includes two former reservoirs operated by the St. Paul Water Works. It includes some of the best pine woods in the metropolitan area. The 120-acre Roseville park has little signs of development, with hilly terrain and lots of pine trees, wetlands, prairie grass, and savanna. Before it was a Roseville park, the land in Reservoir Woods was owned by the St. Paul Water Authority and by Roselawn Cemetery. The stone-gated entrance at the parking lot is all that remains of the 1900 caretakers’ house, which was torn down in 1998. The site, which includes some of the highest ground in Roseville, is home to a 30-million gallon underground water reservoir that for years had been operated by the City of St. Paul. Local lore has it that the dirt to cover the underground tank was brought in by a special railroad line. When the reservoir became outdated, St. Paul sold the land to the City of Roseville in 1997. That land was added to 34 acres of land that the City of Roseville leases from Roselawn Cemetery to create the park. Neighborhood task forces and recreation planners desired that this new park remain pristine and forest like. Outside of adding a pathway and restoring soft trails, there has been little development in the park.

If driving: Take I-94 to I-35E in St. Paul and proceed north on I-35E to the Larpenteur/Wheelock Parkway exit. Proceed west on Larpenteur, the second street connected to the intersection, about two miles, past Rice Street, to the trailhead parking lot, on the north side of Larpenteur, just across from (due north of) the intersection with Mackubin Street, about eight blocks west of Rice Street and two long blocks east of Dale Street. The trailhead parking lot is marked as the Woodview Open Space.

If coming by public transit: Take Metro Transit route(s): 12. The closest bus service point is the corner of Arlington and Dale. From that corner, walk north 0.5 mile to Larpenteur, then walk two long city blocks east to McKubin and Larpenteur. Applicable Metro Transit Map / Bus Schedule information

Reconvene at a nearby restaurant (Keys, Larpenteur Avenue at Lexington Parkway, Roseville) after the hike for dinner or dessert.

Map to hike starting point: Mackubin St At Larpenteur Ave W
St Paul, MN 55117

Reservoir Woods Park map

Map to Keys Restaurant

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This webpage was last modified on February 28, 2011.