Lake Brophy Park comes to fruition

By Thalen Zimmerman | Alexandria Echo Press

City and county parks can have their limitations in what kind of value they bring to a community, but the Alexandria area has certainly embraced the multiple outdoor opportunities that Lake Brophy County Park has provided.

The park has served as an all-season opportunity for people of many outdoor backgrounds. From mountain biking and hiking trails to a swimming beach with an EZ kayak launch, a playground for the kids and skiing and sledding in the winter. Anyone looking for fun outside should check out the park.

“Just looking at the number of people out here on a daily basis, I’ll say the park has definitely been a success,” said Park Superintendent Brad Bonk. “Even coming out in the winter, I have seen a packed parking lot.”

The park was purchased in 2015 after original plans had it set to be a housing development. But after the crash of the housing market following the recession of 2008, new plans were made — with money from various grants and an anonymous donation — Lake Brophy County Park now rests on 160 acres on the northwest edge of the lake just west of Alexandria.

The park has successfully attracted locals looking to stretch their legs outdoors as well as plenty of visitors from outside the community.

“It is a great health value to the community,” Bonk said. “It helps people get outside and become active.”

On the park’s beachside, visitors can utilize the swimming beach, a pier for fishing and a place to launch their kayaks or canoes. The park’s ADAapproved EZ launch kayak system allows beginners, the elderly, those with disabilities, or anyone who would rather stay dry to launch into the water. With an easy-to-use transfer bench and transfer slide boards, users can simply sit, slide over and drop down into a kayak or canoe and use durable side rails to pull off or back on.

“The beach is always clean, and the dock is great for fishing. The kids love it,” said Melissa Dallmann of Lowry.

Dallmann routinely brings her REM clients to the park to stretch their legs and get some fresh air.

“It is a great place to expose the kids to the outdoors,” she said. “There is lots of nature to explore.”

Dallman said she discovered the park after starting at REM. Since then, she has recommended the park to her friends.

REM is a support service that cares for individuals with developmental disabilities and helps to enhance their lives through activities within the community.

Diane Shearer, 61, from Fergus Falls, had a firsttime experience after her grandson, Jude Shearer, 10, and daughter-in-law, Michelle Shearer, convinced her to come with them, as they have been to the park a few times before.

“I was really impressed when we pulled in. It is beautiful,” Diane said. “I have really enjoyed watching the kids with the grins on their faces play at the playground and take turns on the zipline.”

The ADA-accessible playground has unique features from a zipline to a treehouse with a web of rope to climb to the top, educational games and puzzles with the standard slides and swings. According to Bonk, it is the largest playground in a 60-mile radius.

“The kids love the park. Every time we make it to Alexandria, we have to stop,” Michelle Shearer said. “Our dog even loves it.”

Michelle believes the park has been a great investment for the community as it draws plenty of tourists to the area. She mentioned that many moms she knows from Fergus Falls love to bring their kids to the park as well.

The hiking and mountain biking trails — which double as ski trails in the winter — cut through the hills standing 140 feet above Lake Brophy, providing beautiful views of the lake and the rest of the park.

According to Bonk, there are plans to add a skills park and a pump track in the near future. The skills park will allow novice and expert level bikers to develop and hone their skills on the hills by riding over various obstacles and features.

A pump track is a trail that, when used correctly, requires no pedaling, but instead, the rider uses a “pumping” action to maintain momentum.

“We mountain bike all over the state, and we are super impressed with the trails and the beautiful views,” said John Champa, 54, from Pine Island, who enjoyed his day at the park with his wife, Tammy, after their son — who lives in Alexandria — recommended it to them. “We have already biked the whole thing and are about to do it again.”

“We are absolutely coming back, next time we will bring the grandkids,” added Tammy.

To get the park another step closer to completing its master plan. The Douglas County parks department will also be adding a four-season restroom and covered picnic shelter on the lawn next to the playground. Construction for the shelter is expected to begin in the spring of 2022, with plans to be finished by autumn of next year.

“Usually, with a park’s master plan, it takes about 30 years just to get a third of the way complete. We have done it in seven years,” stated Bonk.

“There is so much that makes this park great and a nice place for kids to come,” said Jude. “It is very nature friendly, which I like.”

Park Superintendent Brad Bonk

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6 1. Michael Florin rides ahead of his dad, Maxwell, on one of the Mountain bike trails at Lake Brophy County Park near Alexandria on Saturday, September 4. 2. From a hill in Lake Brophy County Park, visitors get a view of some of the park’s amenities, which include a playground, fishing pier, Central Lakes Trail and Lake Brophy. The park also includes walking trails, a beach, restrooms and a kayak launch area. 3. Donna Gronau and Jeff Kaczmarczyk visit and enjoy the sun while their kids play on the playground equipment at Lake Brophy County Park on Saturday, September 4. 4. Mountain bike trails wind back and forth over a hillside at Lake Brophy County Park. The park includes several different mountain biking trails ranging from easy to very difficult. 5. Travis Lang banks through a corner on one of the mountain bike trails at Lake Brophy County Park near Alexandria on Saturday, September 4. 6. Aaron French runs on one of the mountain bike trails at Lake Brophy County Park on Saturday, September 4. He ran over nine miles on the trails that day. Photos by Lowell Anderson / Alexandria Echo Press

Email reporter Thalen Zimmerman at tzimmerman@echopress.com