"This essential bridge or boardwalk will not move," Jeff Perry of Anoka County Parks told MinneapoliMedia in March. "If you're on a bike or pushing a baby stroller, it's literally like crossing a bridge."
One year ago this month, crews started removing the old floating boardwalk at the north end of Bunker Lake. That cut the park's loop trail for the rest of last fall and all of last winter. Anoka County Parks now says the boardwalk is open. So this is the first late October in two years when you can walk the whole loop around Bunker Hills Regional Park. It's also the first shoulder season on rebuilt southern roads. The weeks between the campground closing and the first groomed ski trail used to be the park's quiet stretch. This year they have a full loop and a short calendar of their own.
A Year Ago, the Loop Had a Gap in It
The old structure had been in place for more than two decades. By the end, MinneapoliMedia reported, it had become uneven and hard to use, especially for bikes and other wheeled traffic. According to ABC Newspapers, it crossed the north end of the lake and connected the trails at each end.
The Anoka County Board approved the replacement on August 12, 2025. Work started in October 2025 with removing the old boardwalk and pouring new concrete abutments. The foundation and elevated walkway went in over the winter, while the ground was frozen. In March the county was aiming to open by Memorial Day 2026, and the trails leading to it from the east and west were set to reopen at the same time.
What You're Actually Standing On Now
The new boardwalk is slightly shorter than the old one and much sturdier. ABC Newspapers put the original at 1,100 feet. According to the MinneapoliMedia report, the replacement:
- Runs 1,000 feet and is 12 feet wide, enough room for walkers, cyclists and strollers to share it
- Is rated to hold up to 8,000 pounds
- Sits on steel helical piers screwed 20 to 50 feet down through the wetland, so it no longer floats
- Has structural timber decking under a composite rail cap
- Has an observation bump-out with benches at the center, out over open wetland
- Cost about $2 million, paid for by MnDOT's active transportation fund, which comes from a metro-area sales tax the Minnesota Legislature approved in 2023
The bump-out is the part to plan a walk around. Perry told the outlet that this marsh is "frequented by sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, and various bird species." The wetland sits on the Anoka Sand Plain, a stretch of sandy soil and high groundwater. The new surface is smoother and more level than the old one and built to modern accessibility standards. Perry expects it to last 30 to 50 years.
The Drive In Changed Too
The boardwalk was one piece of a larger, multi-year rebuild of the park's roads, parking lots and trails. The county says the first phase was finished in 2026. County project documents and ABC Newspapers coverage list what it covered:
- Southern Parkway A, from the south entrance to Bunker Beach
- Parkway B, out to the campground
- Campground parking and the parking at the auxiliary maintenance building
- A trail running southeast toward Blaine High School
Final restoration was scheduled for spring 2026. If you come in from the south, you get new pavement from the entrance to the boardwalk trailheads.
There's a timing reason to enjoy this now. Anoka County Parks expects a second phase to start in late summer 2028, rebuilding the northern park roads and parking lots plus various trails. That leaves two more fall seasons, this one and next, with the south side finished and the north side not yet torn up.
The Weeks Between the Campground and the Ski Trails
Bunker Hills Campground's 2026 season ran May 8 to October 18, so by the time you read this, it will have closed for the year. On the other end, cross-country skiing depends on the weather. The park has 20 kilometers of ski trails and more than 5 kilometers of skijoring trails. Grooming needs at least 4 to 6 inches of snow, and the county says grooming the full system usually takes four days.
A good part of the park keeps running in between.
The archery range. The outdoor range is open March through November, from 6 a.m. until 30 minutes after sunset, at $5 per person per visit. It closes during ski season, which the county says generally runs December through February. With sunset getting earlier every week, November evening sessions get short fast.
Bunker Park Stable. The stable has switched to fall office hours. It doesn't offer trail rides on Mondays or Tuesdays, every activity needs a reservation at least 24 hours ahead, and hay and sleigh rides are among its offerings.
Bunker Hills Activities Center. The center at 550 Bunker Lake Boulevard NW in Andover rents indoor rooms and keeps weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you're planning a holiday gathering there, the 2026 reservation calendar shows it closed November 11, November 26 and 27, and December 24 and 25.
The loop itself. In late fall it costs nothing beyond parking and needs no reservation, and this year, for the first time since 2024, it closes into a full circle.
What Getting In Costs
You need a vehicle permit to drive into Bunker Hills. Anoka County lists it at $7 a day or $30 a year. Vehicle entry is free on the second Tuesday of every month. The next two are November 10 and December 8. If a free day lines up with an open afternoon, that's an easy way to see the new boardwalk without paying for a day pass.
A Late-Fall Calendar That Starts at the Lake
Andover's own fall dates fall on top of the park's slow season, and a few of them pair well with a loop walk.
- Thursday, October 29: Harvest Fest, listed among the City of Andover's Community Center events.
- Tuesday, November 10: Free vehicle entry day at Bunker Hills.
- Saturday, November 14: The city's Book and Board Game Swap. It's the same day as Andover's monthly recycling event, which takes appliances, electronics, mattresses and box springs and offers free paper shredding.
- November 12 to 15: The Andover Girls Fall Classic hockey tournament, hosted with the Andover Hockey Youth Hockey Association.
- End of November: Last month for the archery range before ski season.
- Friday, December 4: The city's 2026 tree lighting, with more details promised by the city.
- Monday, December 28: Learn to Cross-Country Ski at Bunker Hills Campground, 1 to 3 p.m. Instruction and equipment are included, and the fee is $18 for ages 12 and up.
In 2024, Bunker Hills was the most visited of Anoka County's eight regional parks and 11 regional trails. It drew 846,762 of the system's 4.3 million visits. From now until there's enough snow to groom the ski trails, the new boardwalk's observation bump-out is open for a walk any day you want to get out to the marsh.
At Paulette Carroll, we love seeing a long-planned project like this boardwalk finally open for our Andover neighbors. If walks around Bunker Lake have you thinking about where your family wants to be in the years ahead, we'd be glad to sit down with you. Get your free home valuation or schedule a consultation today.
