Maplewood Park priority list

By Forrest Adams, Fergus Falls Daily Journal

Friends of Maplewood State Park Chairman Bob Kreiser has been involved with this volunteer group for the past four years and said he has seen its membership increase drastically during this time.

Part of the reason -- the one that drew Kreiser and his wife to get involved -- is the park's natural beauty.

"We live on the edge of Maplewood," he said, describing his home for the past 32 years. "We love the rolling, wooded hills and the lakes and the wildness."

Another draw to Maplewood is the park's horse trails and camping facilities for horses. These distinguish it from most of Minnesota's other 65 state parks and are what inspired volunteer Cris Kling to recruit many of her friends to join Friends of Maplewood.

Kling lives on the park's southern edge and said she rides horseback to Maplewood Lutheran Church in the park every Sunday morning during the summer. She said this is the only church she knows of where there is a "hitching rail out front."

"A lot of us who are interested in horse-back riding in the park are donating time and work and dollars, if need be," she said. "We want to show people that we are appreciative and respectful park users."

Maplewood Park Ranger Bob Hanson estimated that each year nearly 5,000 horses are ridden on Maplewood's 20 miles of horse trails.

"We want to upgrade the horse camp sometime. I would like to see an additional picnic shelter and additional shower building there, too," he said.

However, improvements to the horse camp are not even the park's most pressing issue, said Hanson.

"My first priority is to get the roads fixed up. The asphalt roads are breaking up and are in need of serious renovation. In four or five different locations, we have actually ripped up the asphalt and put in gravel. It's rough riding but also works to keep the speed down," he said.

Hanson said the park plans to do this repair work in 2006.

The Friends of Maplewood group, meanwhile, is currently renovating a building that was moved to Maplewood from Glacier State Park.

"The building actually given to us by the state," said Kreiser. "We paid for some of the moving and the state supplied some. We set up the foundation, and the electrical hookup was donated by Lake Region Electric. We are hoping to have it done by the fall. It will be a warming house for skiers and snowmobiles during the winter. In the summer, it will be used for nature study groups and things like that."

The Friends of Maplewood annual fundraiser, Leaf Days, will take place at the end of September and the first week in October. It is in the park, and Friends of Maplewood sell concessions and food. The last two years they have gotten their food from Elmer's Texas Barbecue.

According to Carmen Diestler, media relations coordinator for the DNR division of parks and recreation, 19 Minnesota state parks have horse trails, ranging in length from five to 75 miles, and 13 have horse camps.