Business Member Highlight: Widseth

Below is a contribution from GMPT Business Member Widseth. For more information, please visit widseth.com.

Wannigan Regional Park is a 158-acre nature-based park along the Otter Tail River. Located just north of Frazee, MN, it is a converging point for three ecological provinces: Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, and Eastern Broadleaf Forest. Visitors will see biomes ranging from open grassland to forests to wetlands across Wannigan, as well as an oak savannah habitat. Three major trail systems feed into the park—the North Country National Scenic Trail, the Otter Tail River Trail, and the Heartland Regional Bike Trail. The park can be accessed by motorized vehicles, bicycles, kayaks/canoes, and walking paths. During the winter, the paths will be open for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and walking.

Wannigan Park is still being developed, but it will soon provide visitors with features such as short-term campground facilities, scenic and birdwatching viewpoints, and over two miles of paved trails throughout the site for biking and walking.

Currently, the park features a covered bridge over Otter Tail River, along with a troll statue by international artist Thomas Dambo, known for sculpting larger-than-life creatures—especially trolls—out of recycled goods. Wannigan’s troll, dubbed Jacob Everear, lies back and relaxes against a tree. His hand is held up to act as a chair where visitors can sit and tell him a story of a loved one. As the first structure built in Wannigan Park, he is already drawing great interest and a steady flow of visitors. Features yet to be added include picnic shelters, an amphitheater, and an interpretive facility/multi-use building.

Two sites on the park’s west side suggest prehistoric artifacts. An archeological study has been completed, and Native American history and cultural leaders are guiding the Frazee Community Development Corporation (FCDC) on how to handle these areas. 

District 3 of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC) has given Wannigan Park a “high designation” and categorized it as a “natural resource-based park,” making Wannigan eligible for state funding. Widseth’s landscape architecture team has been working side-by-side with our in-house funding department through the planning process and will be assisting the FCDC in applying for grants from multiple funding sources.

Wannigan is a part of The Frazee Comprehensive Plan 2035. The park’s master plan was finalized in 2022 and includes 25 acres to the east for potential expansion in the future, along with plans to enhance the preservation of native plants and habitat for wildlife; establish better connectivity between parks and trails locally and regionally; develop and maintain the Otter Tail River system as a primary recreation area.

The park is a developing must-see spot that, upon its completion, will offer something for every visitor. Already, the park provides a unique experience and a significant trailhead with beautiful sights, both natural and constructed. To learn more about the current park and its future plans, visit: Wannigan Park | A Regional Park near Frazee, MN.