BEDERWOOD PARK

Bederwood Park at 55 Stubbs Bay Road in Orono, Minnesota has many unique features. The park contains a soccer field and baseball/softball field as well as a playground and parking lot. This park is a favorite of locals and visitors because of the open spaces and proximity to the Luce Line Trail. There is also a public access point just a quick walk down the Stubbs Bay Road to a small dock and Stubbs Bay Lake Minnetonka.

The 54 space parking lot is often full during soccer games or ball games with overflow onto the grass and Stubbs Bay Road. During the winter, the parking lot is full with cars and trucks pulling snowmobile trailers. Both mountain biking and snowmobiles now damage the turf areas in Bederwood Park creating a rutted muddy mess especially around the catch pond with is used for a jump. Apparently small signage does not deter continued degradation of the park.

After finding all the damage and continuing degradation to the natural areas and to Bederwood Park itself, local citizens jumped to save the habitat. Over 220 signatures were gathered in person and online to submit an Environmental Worksheet to the MN Environmental Quality Board in July 2022.

The City of Orono blocked the assessment by saying “all decisions have been made” even though the most basic of steps had not been planned or completed such as a survey for the property line, what affect riding through a freshwater stream will have to the water quality of Lake Minnetonka, and how this repeated activity will degrade the Big Woods environment.