There is also the chance that you might see some people, and if you go at the wrong time, you might see a lot of them. All kinds of people descend on the river to engage in innocent pursuits. You can expect to encounter dog walkers, walkers sans dogs, bird watchers, photographers, and bicyclists some of the year and mountain bikers all year around. Open water brings out the anglers, kayakers, and boaters. The turnout underscores the fact that the river is not just a refuge for eagles and egrets, but it also serves as a retreat for the harried folks who scurry to make a living north and south of the river’s shores.
I don’t know if more people are visiting the river valley in the suburbs, but it sure seems that way. The perceived increase of visitors, I suspect, is due in part to the impressive amount of new infrastructure that makes it easier to explore the river valley. The Old Cedar Avenue Bridge that spans Long Meadow Lake is the pièce de résistance of the new works. In its original manifestation the bridge served as a thoroughfare for cars until it was closed to motorized vehicles in 1993, and eventually even pedestrians were forbidden to use the bridge because of its rickety condition. It has been reimagined and rebuilt as a pedestrian bridge that fulfills the age old dream of walking or biking from Eagan to Bloomington without getting hit by a truck. Other recent additions include bike trails, benches, observation decks, and a new boardwalk along Old Cedar Avenue. I’m ambivalent about these amenities. I like bike trails. I like bridges. But these things and the people they bring kind of ruin the dodgy feel of the river valley and make the place seem like a normal park, which is too bad because, well, normal is boring and dodgy is not.
The $15 million Old Cedar Avenue Bridge project is worth every penny, especially because the citizens of Bloomington picked up the local costs.
A Minneapolis man watches for birds from the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge.
This Eagan biker noted that the Minnesota River is often overlooked, but offers an amazing network of trails.
These folks are in town to see family, but took time to explore the wildlife refuge.
This man came down from Fridley to bike the river bottom.
Dogs are always rock stars on the trails, but puppies enjoy a whole different level of adoration.
