Minnetonka’s parks, open spaces and trails are more than just amenities. They give the community its unique character.

The city has nearly 300 acres of parkland with a diverse mix of active recreational features and more than 1,000 acres of natural open spaces.

“Each year, we make more progress restoring native landscapes, modernizing our recreational facilities, inspecting and replacing aging play equipment and planning for the future,” said Matt Kumka, Minnetonka’s parks and trails project manager.

The city’s Parks, Open Space and Trails Plan approved by the city council in 2022, guides the work to preserve Minnetonka’s parks and open spaces. This year that includes completing a master plan for Big Willow Community Park; developing a park plan, including a skate park, at Glen Lake Park; and planning for the creation of a new park, Cullen Nature Preserve. All this alongside the seasonal maintenance and restoration work underway across the system.

“We are fortunate to have an engaged network of sports organizations and nonprofits that use our parks, and a strong volunteer community to assist with restoration work and help create spaces that make these special places for everyone," Kumka said.

Tying it all together is Minnetonka’s multimodal trail network. It’s something Kumka describes as connected tissue, linking parks to neighborhoods, schools and business districts.

“We work to make sure the parks and trails are used by as many people as possible while protecting what makes our parks so valuable to the community,” he said.

Learn more and provide park planning feedback at MinnetonkaMatters.com.