The Greater Grand Forks Greenway is a huge greenway bordering the Red River and

Red Lake River The Red Lake River ( French: ''Rivière du Lac Rouge''; Ojibwe: ''Miskwaagamiiwi-zaaga'iganiiwi-ziibi'') is a river located in northwestern Minnesota. The river begins on the western side of the Lower Red Lake and flows westward. After passing thr ...

in the

twin cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

Grand Forks, North Dakota Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...

and

East Grand Forks, Minnesota East Grand Forks (also known as EGF) is a city in Polk County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,176 at the 2020 Census, making it the largest community in Polk County. It is located in the Red River Valley region along the easte ...

(commonly called

Greater Grand Forks "Greater Grand Forks" (officially the Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area) is the name used by some people to designate the twin cities of Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota, together with their surrounding a ...

). At 2,200 acres (9 km²), the Greenway is more than twice the size of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

. It has an extensive, system of bike paths, which are used by bikers, walkers, joggers, and rollerbladers. In 2007, the system was designated as a

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

. Several city parks and golf courses are also located within the Greenway on each side of the river. Other amenities include wildlife observation areas, a state campground, fishing areas, interpretive displays, wildflower gardens, and fields for various athletics including softball, basketball, and

disc golf Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which ...

. The Greenway was developed after the devastating

Red River Flood of 1997 The Red River flood of 1997 was a major flood that occurred in April and May 1997 along the Red River of the North in Minnesota, North Dakota, and southern Manitoba. It was the most severe flood of the river since 1826. The flood reached through ...

. The land encompasses large areas of the

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

along the rivers, which are subject to seasonal flooding, often severe. These areas had previously been developed for residential and business uses, much of which were damaged or destroyed in the 1997 flood, with major property losses. To protect the communities, a massive new

dike Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice * Dikes ...

system was built. It required removal of several residential areas on both sides of the river, most of which had been inundated and severely damaged. The Greenway includes the area of floodplain between these new dikes and the rivers. Today, the Greenway serves the dual purpose of providing recreational opportunities throughout the year for metropolitan area residents, and being part of the regional flood prevention program. Its trees and greenery can absorb some of floodwaters naturally. The dikes provide another level of protection to hold back river waters from the built-up city areas beyond.

Trail heads

A series of "trail heads" exist at various points along the Greenway. These trail heads offer breaks in the dikes or floodwalls so that pedestrians can access the Greenway. Most of these trail heads offer paved parking lots for access, and many also offer public restroom facilities. Other amenities at select trail heads include picnic areas and playgrounds.

Grand Forks trail heads

(listed from north to south) *Riverside Rapids *Riverside Park *8th Avenue North *2nd Avenue North *Community Green (

Downtown Grand Forks Downtown Grand Forks is the original commercial center of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Located on the western bank of the Red River of the North, the downtown neighborhood is situated near the fork of the Red River and the Red Lake River. While down ...

, adjacent to Town Square) *Kannowski Park (formerly Central Park) *Lincoln Drive Park *Lincoln Golf Course *Olson-Elmwood *Sunbeam Park *47th Avenue South

East Grand Forks trail heads

(listed from north to south) *River Heights *Sherlock Park *Sherlock Park Campground *Rotary Park (Downtown East Grand Forks) *Griggs Park *Eagle Point *Crestwood

Sites within the Greenway

Grand Forks

Parks

Several designated park spaces have been established in the Grand Forks portion of the Greenway. These parks are maintained by the

Grand Forks Park District The Grand Forks Park District is a government agency of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Park District was founded in 1905 and levies its own taxes separately from local government. The Park District was founded in 1905. Description The parks i ...

. At the far north side of the Greenway is Riverside Park. This is one of the oldest parks in the city of Grand Forks and is a focal point for the northern portion of the Greenway. The park features a playground, restrooms, several picnic sites and an outdoor pool. North of Riverside Park is the Riverside Dam. This dam has been reconfigured since the flood of 1997 and now includes a waterfall called Riverside Rapids. The Riverside Rapids area includes boat access to the Red River and a pedestrian walking bridge that connects the Grand Forks and East Grand Forks sides of the Greenway. Formerly called Central Park, Kannowski Park is located just south of Downtown Grand Forks. It is another park established early in city history. The small park features a playground, restrooms, and picnic areas. The park was recently renamed Kannowski Park in honor of Frances Kannowski, superintendent of the

from 1933 to 1953. Kannowski was the first female superintendent of a park district in the United States. Lincoln Drive Park is located further south, within the area of the former Lincoln Drive neighborhood. The residential neighborhood was inundated during the 1997 flood and had to be almost entirely demolished. Lincoln Drive Park features a warming house, which is rented out for private parties; large picnic facilities, playgrounds, a wildflower garden, historic displays about the former neighborhood, and a

course. Just south of Lincoln Drive Park is a steep stretch of the dike, which is known as "the sledding hill." This "hill" is a popular site for sledding in the winter.

Golf course

Lincoln Golf Course is located along Belmont Road within the Greenway. The course, established in 1909, is the oldest golf course in

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

. Lincoln has many large, established trees. Formerly an 18-hole course, it was redeveloped as a par 35, 9-hole course, due to requirements of area needed for dike construction. A small clubhouse features a snack bar, pro shop, and restrooms. To the east of Lincoln Golf Course is the

Pat Owens Patrica A. Owens (born 1941) was the mayor of Grand Forks, North Dakota during the flood that devastated the city in April 1997. She actively lobbied then-president Bill Clinton for funds to rebuild the city and construct a permanent flood prot ...

pedestrian bridge. Named after the mayor of Grand Forks during the 1997 flood, the bridge crosses the river to connect to the Greenway in

Downtown

The portion of the Greenway that runs through

is landscaped and carefully maintained (an irrigation system has recently been installed). A set of brick gateways and flags on both sides of DeMers Avenue celebrate the connection to the Greenway. The area south of the Sorlie Bridge (DeMers Avenue) features a monument overlooking the Red River. It shows the heights of past floods, surpassed by far by that of 1997. A wide set of stairs and terraced levels of ground lead down to the monument. This area also had a

labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...

designed and installed. North of the Sorlie Bridge is another set of stairs leading down to the river. Referred to as the "Community Green," this area features many trees and shrubs, a small gazebo, and parking. The Grand Forks Town Square is located directly adjacent to the Greenway, at the corner of DeMers Avenue and Third Street. Town Square features an amphitheater. It is the site of many community events throughout the year, including the Grand Cities Art Fest each June and the Farmers' Market during the summer months.

East Grand Forks

Parks

The East Grand Forks side of the Greenway has three distinct parks: Sherlock Park near downtown East Grand Forks, Griggs Park near the "Point" at the confluence of the Red River and

, and O'Leary Park on the banks of the Red Lake River in the southern part of the city. Sherlock Park includes the only city-owned pool in East Grand Forks, as well as picnic facilities and a large playground. The playground was largely destroyed by a fire in the spring of 2011. Griggs Park includes school athletic fields and a boat ramp for access to the rivers. O'Leary Park is a heavily wooded park that sometimes attracts wildlife. The park also includes athletic fields, picnic facilities, and a playground.

Golf course

On the extreme north side of the Greenway in Grand Forks is the 18-hole Valley Golf Course. The construction of the flood control system required a major reconfiguration of the golf course. The complex includes a club house with banquet facilities.

Downtown

In East Grand Forks, the downtown portion of the flood control system is not made of earthen dikes. A flood wall is installed piece-by-piece during floods. This allows people in downtown East Grand Forks to have a direct view of the Red River. The "dry side" of the flood wall is an area called The Boardwalk, a brick path lined with several restaurants and bars to take advantage of the river view. On the "wet side" of the flood wall (in the Greenway) is an area called Rotary Park, which includes a fountain.

Campground

Located just north of downtown East Grand Forks is a campground. Operated by the

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or Minnesota DNR, is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, recre ...

, it is in the Red River State Recreation Area. The campground features 48 camp sites with water, electric, and sewer hookups; and 36 camp sites without hookups. The campground is located directly west of Sherlock Park, in the former Sherlock Park residential neighborhood. Inundated during the Red River Flood of 1997, all homes and other structures in the neighborhood were severely damaged and were demolished. This area is now part of the Greenway.

Management

Both city and state agencies own and operate areas of the Greenway. On the Grand Forks side, the city of Grand Forks owns all land within the Greenway. The

is responsible for managing and maintaining four park areas of Lincoln Golf Course, Riverside Park, Kannowski Park (formerly Central Park), and Lincoln Drive Park. On the East Grand Forks side, the city of East Grand Forks owns a section of the Greenway in the downtown area. All other land on the East Grand Forks side is owned by the

. This section is called the Red River State Recreation Area.

Notes

External links

Greater Grand Forks Greenway website
*
Greenway "user guide"

- City of East Grand Forks

- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources {{coord, 47, 55, 34, N, 97, 01, 41, W, format=dms, display=title, type:city_region:US-ND Greater Grand Forks Geography of North Dakota Urban public parks National Recreation Trails in Minnesota National Recreation Trails in North Dakota Hiking trails in North Dakota Hiking trails in Minnesota Greenways Protected areas of Grand Forks County, North Dakota Protected areas of Polk County, Minnesota Regional parks in Minnesota Grand Forks, North Dakota Tourist attractions in Grand Forks, North Dakota 1997 Red River flood