(Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by Wright County.)

Wright County Parks and Recreation Department is in the process of developing a comprehensive master plan for park facilities and recreation programs. The plan will evaluate current conditions of county parks, trails, and programs, and develop a plan for the long-term future of the park operations, enhancements, development, and recreational programming. The county is interested in learning what county residents and visitors think about the current system and what priorities they have for the future. The planning process is expected to be finished in December of 2021. 

The Wright County Parks and Recreation system has an approximate value of $32 million, an asset that the county has developed over the past 42 years. It includes 32 public recreation areas consisting of 4,717 acres, three corridor trails totaling 12 miles in length, an environmental education facility, three campgrounds, picnic shelters, 70 miles of interior park trails including 14.25 miles of mountain bike trails, and 20 miles of equine trails. In addition, we have fishing piers, comfort stations/restrooms, numerous volleyball courts, disc golf courses, horseshoe pits, parking areas, roads, and various other park amenities. 

The mission of Wright County Parks and Recreation is: 

“To enable citizens and guests to recognize, enjoy, and appreciate the inherited natural and cultural resources of Wright County through preservation, enhancement, and programming of varied outdoor recreational opportunities and activities.”

There are several ways to provide input now through mid-August, 2021:

• Provide answers to an online survey, which should take about 10 minutes: www.SurveyMonkey.com/r/wrightcountyphase1

• Provide comments on an interactive online map of the county: hkgi.MySocialPinpoint.com/wright-co-parks-plan#/

• Stop by the Wright County Parks and Recreation Department booth at the Wright County Fair on Saturday, July 24, to talk with Parks and Recreation staff.

• Future input opportunities to comment on draft recommendations and priorities will be available in October or November 2021. 

Stay up to date on the project’s process and future input opportunities by checking the county’s website www.co.Wright.mn.us/parks.