SRF assisted Stearns County Parks in preparing a master plan for Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park. The park is a special facility for Stearns County Parks because it provides a variety of outdoor recreation and educational opportunities for visitors to the region that are not available elsewhere in the park system. Through an arrangement with the previous owner, Stearns County runs a maple syrup operation in the park during the spring months. Kraemer Lake-Wildwood County Park provides other unique recreation and interpretation opportunities including cross-country skiing, hiking, picnicking and swimming, amidst a high-quality forest landscape.
The SRF team prepared the master plan that included a natural resource inventory and management plan. The park contains many acres of uncut maple-basswood forest that is relatively untouched with little invasive species present. We also led a public process for the master plan that included open house meetings, an on-line questionnaire and meetings with interested stakeholder groups. The final master plan included a public swim beach, cross-country ski trails, a non-motorized boat launch, fishing pier, new park buildings, and a new access road and parking.
