New Feature! Check out this new audio tour of the Tamarack Nature Preserve. Created in 2022 as an Eagle Scout project by Domnic David, it is great for first-time visitors who have a smart phone. Starting at the main parking lot, the tour automatically advances as you walk the loop boardwalk trail. Just download the Izi app or the QR code to start.
The Preserve is open year-round, though the trail conditions vary, based on weather. Set hours of operation aren't posted, as it is a non-staffed Nature Preserve; however, since there is no trail lighting, visitors are encouraged to go during daylight hours. The Tamarack Nature Preserve has several trails that meander through its diverse biomes. For that reason, we strongly recommend visitors study the map above, as formal way-finding trail signage is not yet complete.
There is a long trail around the perimeter of the entire Preserve and two parallel north-south boardwalks. The perimeter trail is paved asphalt along its southern and western portions, and “rustic” along the northern and eastern half. The two north-south trails are newly renovated wood boardwalks that traverse the Preserve’s fen. Rustic woodland paths on the Preserve’s perimeter are relatively cleared of vegetation, either bare soil or covered with wood chips. Be prepared, as they may be wet and muddy in some places and are accessible by foot year-around or cross-country skis in the winter. The non-paved sections of trail are not suited to bicycles.
These trails are relatively easy to traverse, providing conditions are not too wet, muddy or icy. Small children will enjoy the simple playground near the parking lot, which also features a picnic table and portable toilets.
The most popular loop trail starts at the main parking lot near the water treatment facility, just off of Tower Drive. It takes about 20-30 minutes to cover at a relaxed pace, though the entire trail system is much larger. There are other access points to the trails from the Evergreen neighborhood to the north of the Preserve, as well as from Bielenberg Drive to the west, the Parkwood Knolls neighborhood to the south and the City Centre commercial development to the east (where local restaurants such as Caribou Coffee, Bruegger's and Punch Pizza are located).
Make sure to bring a camera to capture and share what you observe, particularly if using a community-based nature app such as iNaturalist or eBird. Please also visit our Facebook page and share your sightings.
For general questions about this and other area parks and trails, contact the City of Woodbury. To schedule a group event at the Tamarack Nature Preserve, please fill out our form on the Partners page of this web site.
This place of beauty needs our care
As visitors to the Preserve, we can experience great health and wellness benefits from immersing ourselves in nature. Please join us in keeping this unique ecosystem as pristine and safe as possible - both for humans and for the wild living things that call the Preserve home.
Visit The Preserve
The trailhead parking lot for the Tamarack Nature Preserve is located at
1825 Tower Drive (just north of Valley Creek Road), Woodbury, Minnesota 55125 USA