I first wrote about this park in September of 2020. Over the past couple years I have returned multiple times to explore it further. October 19, 2022 was my most recent visit. It is a gem of Southern Minnesota between the towns of Victoria, Waconia, and St. Bonifacius. Driving 45 minutes southwest from my studio in Minneapolis will get me there (if traffic is running smoothly). I like to stop at the Dairy Queen in Victoria as I turn right off Highway 5. The entrance to Lowry Nature Center is on the right when driving north on Victoria Drive. The main building has a large parking lot and flush toilets. A pit toilet is also available. There are rolling hills, lakes, and a mix of prairie and deciduous forests.
The four mile hike was in August, 2022. Most of my walks here were between 3 and 7 miles. There is more to this park that I have not yet explored. I appreciate all the efforts that go into making it what it is! That is what occupied my mind as I walked: Someone mowed this grass, someone spread this mulch, someone cut back the branches from the path, someone wrote a grant to build the walkways over the marsh, someone built this bench, this overlook, this sign. Someone was the inspiration for others to create this garden. Now we all get to enjoy it.
Tammy Nara 