Greater Grand Forks Greenway

The Greater Grand Forks Greenway is a huge greenway bordering the Red River and Red Lake River in the twin cities of Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota (commonly called Greater Grand Forks). At 2,200 acres (9 km2), the Greenway is more than twice the size of New York City's Central Park. It has an extensive, 20-mile (32 km) system of bike paths, which are used by bikers, walkers, joggers, and rollerbladers. In 2007, the system was designated as a National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service. Several city parks and golf courses are also located within the Greenway on each side of the river. Other amenities include wildlife observation areas, a state campground, fishing areas, interpretive displays, wildflower gardens, and fields for various athletics including softball, basketball, and disc golf. The Greenway was developed after the devastating Red River Flood of 1997. The land encompasses large areas of the floodplain along the rivers, which are subject to seasonal flooding, often severe. These areas had previously been developed for residential and business uses, much of which were damaged or destroyed in the 1997 flood, with major property losses. To protect the communities, a massive new dike system was built. It required removal of several residential areas on both sides of the river, most of which had been inundated and severely damaged. The Greenway includes the area of floodplain between these new dikes and the rivers.