Who we are

The Cedar Lake Park Association (CLPA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation started in 1988 by a small, well-organized and innovative group of community and philanthropic leaders who shared a vision for a piece of land. The rededication of this land as a wild space within a densely populated urban area is a triumph of civic partnership and citizen activism.

The CLPA, an all-volunteer organization, is the voice of the nature park and trail at Cedar Lake. Acting in partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, we maintain relationships with MPRB staff, neighborhoods, the city, the county, and the state, as well as with federal and corporate entities, individuals and social groups. Our purpose is to carry the vision forward, preserving a record of the past to guide and encourage similar efforts.

What we do

Our goal is to preserve and restore the lands and waters surrounding Cedar Lake Park, bringing people and nature together in harmonious community.

Thanks to many thousands of dollars and many thousands of hours donated by CLPA supporters, the prairie now blooms with native wildflowers, water flows from a new pump, and native trees and shrubs line the hiking and biking trails of Cedar Lake Park.

Each year we move forward on a variety of projects in the park that support our mission.

CLPA Projects in the Park

Since the park’s founding, we have achieved many of our original goals. Guided by our mission, volunteers continue to dedicate time, energy, and resources to a variety of park projects. Projects include:

• Cedar Memorial Grove
• Cedar Lake Regional Trail
• Kenilworth Trail
• Lakeshore Trails (STS crews) Big Woods I & II
• Bluebird Recovery
• Exotic Species Removal
• Native Plant Restoration (Waldorf School)
• Pump on the Trail
• Hedberg Memorial
• Prairie Restoration (Data Recognition, Breck School)
• Linda’s Spiral

CLPA also has supported or been involved in neighborhood projects such as:

• City/county/neighborhood Buckthorn Removal
• Cedar Lake Parkway Bridge replacement
• Trail Connections (Hutch Spur, Western Extension, CLRT to River)
• Southwest Corridor Study
• Milfoil Investigations

What we need

Please join us!

Come to the park, enjoy its beauty, become a steward. Other ways to help:

• Volunteer to work in the park. Enlist in the buckthorn removal brigades or help with plantings.
• Donate native plants.
• Take a leadership position.
• Coordinate a group or sponsor an event.
• Donate appreciated assets, such as stocks, property or bonds.
• Leave a legacy by including a bequest in your estate planning.
• Purchase a memorial or honorarium for a loved one.

Donate online or by mail

Click here to make a secure online donation to CLPA through GiveMN.org, a nonprofit online donation service. If you have questions or concerns about donating online, please contact us at info@cedarlakepark.org

To send a donation to CLPA by mail, click here and a form will appear on your screen. Print out the form, fill it in, and send it with your check to:

Cedar Lake Park Association
8116 38th Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 554427

All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.