Building a Barefoot Park – one step at time

Various textures await the feet and toes for a European-inspired outdoor experience. Grindland hopes the park will inspire more throughout the Driftless Region. (Driftless Multimedia photos by Kate Klimesh)

By Kate Klimesh,

As spring slowly creeps north, the grass gets greener and the outdoors beckons the winter-weary Driftless Region resident, the town of Peterson, Minn., has been busy preparing a unique and tangible outdoor experience unlike any other.  

Peterson City Clerk Chris Grindland has utilized his spare time last fall and this spring to create a public park space that hearkens to a beloved family-friendly experience when he was stationed overseas. 

“I was in the Air Force for 20 years and lived in Germany for many years. The kids loved to go to these barefoot trails – you’d put your shoes in a locker when you arrived and you have this park and trails,” Grindland reported.

“There were several all across Germany and Europe and you’d have to pay – they were like an amusement park in the states. There’d be families and people of all ages waiting in line for certain features, and just enjoying being outside. And each one was a bit different, with different features, terrain or materials, but they were all a neat experience.”

So, when the City of Peterson bought back the old Rushford-Peterson Middle School football field, discussion began on how to develop that into a community feature. Grindland spoke up. “The council was talking about putting in more playground equipment – but that always costs so much to purchase, so I just suggested putting in a Barefoot Park like we [Grindlands] had been missing. Because I knew there was nothing like this around here. And, this area is a bit like Europe, with all the tiny little villages just so far from each other.”

Located just off the bike trail in Peterson, the Barefoot Park trail begins and runs adjacent to the bike trail before descending into the field, where various features have already been put into place, and following the perimeter of the ball field. Cubbies for shoe storage will be built off a nearby picnic shelter.

In the best possible sense of reduce, reuse and recycle, the Barefoot Park and trail does not need a lot of high cost equipment or specialty installation. 

“It’s a blast putting it together too,” noted Grindland, “We started simple with one part next to the bike trail. I’m doing most of this myself and do it as much as time permits and for free as much as possible.”

He was driving through town and saw discarded pavers he could use (now installed beside the bike trail with different animal tracks painted on each paver). In fall 2022, a large white oak tree was cut down nearby, so Grindland asked for the tree, cut it into stumps and lined them up in a fun multi-height pathway to tickle the barefoot trailers. There are even nine spots in the campground nearby to take time and make a weekend of the park and trail.

The old concrete culvert that was replaced in town will be a future obstacle and feature of the trail, along with old rocks from a foundation replaced on a nearby Peterson barn owned by council person Gail Barnard-Boyum. The options for various textures are almost limitless, and with Grindland’s keen eye for free materials and a passion for designing the trail, the project has a great start, but will continue to be a work in progress. “The majority of it is just my time, so there’s not a lot of funds needed. We’ve been grateful to donations from the Peterson Legion towards the project as well.”

Some things were contracted out for completion following council approval of the costs. The new concrete steps leading down to the field were installed last fall, and the alternating 40-foot compartments of pea gravel, alternated with compartments of dresser fine rock for a different feel, were also professionally installed. They did order a balance beam and playground mushrooms to sit on to compliment the trail’s features, which will be installed after the site is prepped for their installation. 

“This area was a bit overgrown with weeds, we cleaned it up last fall and ordered some trees, and hope to do some native planting and landscaping to add to the park and trail. There’s no master plan but having had the experience with so many in Europe definitely helps. We just make it out of natural materials and run with other materials as they are available. I’m a DIY type of person and got a good taste remodeling my childhood home I bought from my parents. Now, we’re raising our family there.”

Grindland moved back to his hometown of Peterson in 2016. He retired from the Air Force in 2014 and tried living in Denver, Colo., but it just wasn’t home. He took the Peterson City Clerk position in 2018. 

“I do hope it catches on and people use it, and I hope other towns look to putting their own Barefoot Parks and trails in and we can tour the various layouts and plans across the Driftless and enjoy being outside. I know I’m looking forward to the weather warming up so we can get more done here so there’s more to experience too.”

Plan several trips to Peterson to check out their progress this summer, and maybe plant the seed of a Barefoot Park and trail in a community near you.

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