News & Project Updates

On May 18, longtime trail champion, volunteer, and birder, Bob Bystrom, organized two birding outings along the Gateway and Brown's Creek Trails. The group saw an amazing number of birds, despite rainy conditions.

See below for the complete lists of birds observed that day.

25 species were counted at the Brown's Creek Preserve

• American crow

• American robin

• Baltimore oriole

• Black-capped chickadee

• Brown-headed cowbird

• Canada goose

• Common grackle

• Common yellowthroat

• Gray catbird

• House wren

• Mallard

• Marsh wren

• Mourning dove

• Northern cardinal

• Northern Flicker

• Orchard oriole

• Red-winged blackbird

• Ring-necked pheasant

• Sandhill crane

• Song sparrow

• Sora

• Tree swallow

• Turkey vulture

• White-breasted nuthatch

• Wild turkey

43 species of birds were observed on the Gateway Trail

• American crow
• American goldfinch
• American redstart
• American robin
• Baltimore oriole
• Barn swallow
• Black-capped chickadee
• Black & white warbler
• Blue jay
• Brown-headed cowbird
• Canada goose
• Chestnut-sided warbler
• Common loon
• Common yellowthroat
• Double-crested cormorant
• Downy woodpecker
• Eastern kingbird
• Eastern towhee
• Gray catbird
• Great blue heron
• Green heron
• Great crested flycatcher
• Hooded merganser
• House finch
• House wren
• Mallard
• Nashville warbler
• Northern cardinal
• Northern waterthrush
• Ovenbird
• Red-bellied woodpecker
• Red-eyed vireo
• Red-winged blackbird
• Sandhill crane
• Scarlet tanager
• Sng sparrow
• Song sparrow
• Song sparrow
• Swamp sparrow
• Tennessee warbler
• Turkey vulture
• White-breasted nuthatch
• White-throated sparrow
• Wood duck
• Yellow warbler

Volunteers joined the GBCTA this spring to plant thirty new trees around the recently reconstructed Westminster Bridge segment of the Gateway Trail. See photos from the day on our Gallery page.

National Trails Day is an annual event held the first Saturday of June each year. It is sponsored by the American Hiking Society and supported by The National Park Service. Last year more than 70,000 people participated in the National Trails Day across the country!

Each year the Gateway Brown’s Creek Trail Association supports the day with tabletop displays along the 26 miles of the trail, providing information about the trial system, expansion plans, snacks and beverages for the folks using the trail that day.

This year the weather did not start out cooperating with getting out early on the trials for activity. However, around noon the sun finally came out and many more bikers, skaters, walkers, and runners were out making great use of the path!

Many folks that stopped by to visit were training for Grandma’s Marathon or the MS 150 ride with many miles already done for the day with more to go! Thanks very much to everyone who stopped by to visit with us this year!

See photos from the day here.

Check out this recent article by the Gazette on habitat restoration work along Brown's Creek, plus a new access spur trail.

As the election season draws near, it's a good time to remember that election signage is not allowed on public lands. Adjacent private landowners are within their rights to post, but public lands are neutral.

If you see election signage on any Minnesota trail property, please feel free to remove it. Thank you.

This past year, thanks to contributions from GBCTA members, the Association made a significant investment in a new brush cutter for trail clearing. It was a long process to find a good brush-cutter at an appropriate price. But the DNR did! And it's doing it's job on the trails.

Check out this recent article by the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota to learn more about ebikes in Minnesota.

This year's Candlelight Hike not only includes the beautiful serenity of a 1 mile candlelit hike in the quiet of a winter woodland - there will also be food!

The Eggroll Queen and the Brick Oven Bus will be available for guests who would like to purchase some warm and tasty noshes while enjoying the evening.

Jan 26, 5-8 pm, 8698 75th St N Stillwater, MN 55082. Parking at Wildwood Elementary School.

Find details about the event here.

• The L’Orient re-connection was completed at the end of July
• New mile maker signs will be installed this fall
•  Slight delay on the Westminster construction, anticipate completion October 11^th
• Winter plowing from Cayuga to Jamaca will be done by the DNR, Manning to Laurel on the Brown’s Creek will be done by the City of Stillwater
• Yield to Horses signage will be installed for everyone's safety. Fast bikes in particular can startle horses along the trail.
  
• The Candlelight Snowshoe/Hike will be Friday, January 26^th. 
  
• Extension plans through William O’Brien continue to be discussed.

Washington County is working to secure additional funding for road construction and a trail access on County Highway 5, from Sycamore Street to Highway 96.

The County is:

• Resurfacing the road
• Resurfacing the exiting trails
• Replacing the bridge that spans across Brown’s Creek
• Adding turn lanes at the intersection of Johnson Court
• Adding a trail on the west side of Highway 5 from Sycamore Street to Johnson Court

This project is programmed for construction in 2025.

As part of this project, they also hope to provide a safe and accessible trail connection from Highway 5 to the Brown’s Creek Trail.

Project challenges include:

• A significate grade difference from Highway 5 to Brown’s Creek Trail
• Bedrock that will need to be removed to make this connection
• Retaining walls that will need to be built

Their initial appeal for funding through the state bonding fund was unfortunately unsuccessful.

Without additional funding, this connection likely will not be included with the upcoming 2025 project.  While this is unfortunate, the design does not preclude the addition of this connection in the future.