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St. Croix County reviews 2025 parks upgrades, new pay stations and trail additions
Summary
Parks Administrator JR Ballard told the committee the parks division took in about $370,000 in 2025 revenue, sold roughly 9,000 passes, and completed projects including Peninsula campground entrance and restroom buildings, new access trail and bridge at Glen Hills, Pine Lake boat landing upgrades, and new trails at Eckert Blufflands; staff noted grant funding sources and pay-station/gate investments.
Parks Administrator JR Ballard presented the St. Croix County Community Development Committee with a year-end update on parks operations and capital improvements on Dec. 18.
Ballard said parks generated roughly $370,000 in total revenue for 2025, sold about 9,000 combined daily and annual passes and recorded about 3,900 camping nights at Glen Hills County Park. The division implemented a new reservation and point-of-sale system in 2025 and installed pay boxes (Ventec) and gate systems at select parks as part of an effort to reduce on-site staffing needs and better manage busy facilities.
Major capital work highlighted included a new entrance building and ADA-accessible restroom/shower facility at Peninsula (partly funded by a Knowles Nelson Stewardship Grant), a new access trail and bridge at Glen Hills to remove unsafe travel along Rustic Road 3, long-term camping upgrades at Whispering Oaks, Pine Lake Park boat landing improvements (new ADA dock and pavilion), Homestead Park restroom upgrades, and new mountain-bike and walking trails at the recently opened Eckert Blufflands. Ballard said the peninsula restroom project used Knowles Nelson Stewardship grant funding and that the county has used multiple grant sources for park improvements.
Committee members asked about pay-station cost and savings; Ballard indicated each pay station was about $20,000 and said the units can pay for themselves within a busy summer by reducing seasonal staffing needs. Gate installations were discussed as a tool for managing parking at key sites; staff estimated about $35,000 per gate setup but noted gates also allow extended seasonal hours and better traffic counts.
Ballard closed by thanking staff for a busy year of project delivery and by noting continued grant opportunities for future work.
