July 1, 2026
Greenwood Shores Park is Open for the 4th of July Weekend! The beach at Greenwood Shores is open and available for everyone to enjoy during the 4th of July weekend, including a great view of the fireworks! For your safety, please stay out of the fenced construction areas. These areas remain an active work zone and are closed to the public. Thank you for your cooperation and have a safe and happy Independence Day!
May 20, 2026
Construction on the next phase of the Lake Ann Park Preserve Trail is underway and will continue throughout the summer. This phase focuses on building the northern paved trail segment connecting Greenwood Shores to Lake Lucy, along with improvements to the Greenwood Shores parking lot.
Work will include grading, trail base installation, paving and parking lot construction, with major activity taking place from May through August and substantial completion expected by early September. During this time, the trail corridor and the Lake Ann Park Preserve will be an active construction zone with heavy equipment operating throughout the site. For everyone’s safety, the trail and the Lake Ann Park Preserve will be closed for the duration of construction.
To help maintain access for Greenwood Shores residents during portions of the project, the city will install a temporary fence parallel to the current access into Greenwood Shores Park. This will allow residents access to a temporary trail connection leading to the main Lake Ann Park area and, during part of the summer, continued access to the swimming beach. Please note that the fence location will need to shift at some point during construction, resulting in a temporary period when access to Greenwood Shores Park will not be available.
Residents are asked to stay out of the work area, as large equipment will be in use and operators may have limited visibility. While this temporary closure may be an inconvenience, it supports a long-term investment in the preserve, including a wider, accessible trail for walkers, runners and cyclists, improved parking access and continued habitat restoration to strengthen the natural environment. In the meantime, we encourage residents to explore other nearby parks and trails across Chanhassen while this work is underway, and we appreciate your patience as this important project moves forward.
March 11, 2026
(Click here or on the image above to download a high-rez copy of the map)
The next phase of the Lake Ann Trail and Greenwood Shores Parking lot project is about to begin.
The project will connect the boardwalk at the Greenwood Shores Parking lot with the boardwalk at the Bluffs at Lake Lucy. The tree removal limits have been staked and erosion control measures have been put in place. The contractor anticipates beginning tree removal work today, Wednesday, March 11. The stumps will not be removed until later in the spring. The contractor will be back on site in late May or early June to begin site grading.
February 12, 2026
The city recently received bids for the construction of the north trail segment and improvements to the Greenwood Shores parking lot. On January 27, the city received eight competitive bids from qualified contractors. The bids ranged from approximately $783,000 to $1.09 million and were determined to be good value given current market conditions. City staff reviewed the bids and verified contractor qualifications, references and subcontractors. Staff will recommend awarding the construction contract at the February 9 City Council meeting so work can move forward on the approved portions of the project.
What work is included?
-Construction of the northern trail segment (to Della Drive/Lucy Ridge Court)
-Construction of the parking lot at Greenwood Shores Park
The southern trail route to Boardwalk A (near Paisley Path) has not yet received approval from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Options for next steps will be presented to the Park and Recreation Commission in February, followed by a recommendation to the City Council. More information on the construction schedule will be shared in a future update.
Habitat Restoration Update:
Habitat restoration efforts are continuing across multiple project areas, with invasive species treatment work completed in fall 2025 and additional buckthorn removal scheduled for winter 2026 under frozen ground conditions in order to minimize soil disturbance. Follow-up management will include targeted growing-season cuts over the next two summers, along with additional seasonal treatments through 2028 to support long-term vegetation health and ecological restoration.
February 18, 2025
- Starting in February 2025, Great River Greening, in conjunction with the City of Chanhassen, will be conducting natural resource management activities in Lake Ann Park Preserve.
- Invasive species management is being utilized to maintain the health of the forest that has been established over the years on this property. This work is part of a larger ecosystem restoration effort to bring back open woodland dominated by native plant and animal species in the City of Chanhassen Park system. Mesic hardwood forest systems are some of the rarest plant communities in Minnesota. These plant communities were here historically, and restoring native habitat is important for maintaining our natural heritage. The main goal is to remove the non-native, invasive shrub buckthorn. This initial work will occur in the winter to reduce the impact on the ground, native plants, and animals. Most native species are unharmed by the work that will occur. Animals will either take shelter in a ground burrow, high up in a tree or simply leave the area ahead of work. Plants are not actively growing at this time and will regrow in the spring. We will be continuing our efforts in the following years to continue the removal of buckthorn and the establishment of native understory species. Overall, land management helps wildlife by creating better habitats in the long term.
- The paved trails continue to be on hold pending archaeological assessment review and permitting. The city obtained a permit from the Office of State Archaeology to conduct Phase 2 testing. The permit was received too late in the year to allow for further field testing due to winter condition. Phase 2 field survey work will be performed in the Spring of 2025 when the ground is free of frost. Review will occur regarding the field results collected and recommendations will be given to determine next steps of advancing the Lake Ann Preserve project.
- Click here to view the project map.
December 30, 2024
- The boardwalks for the Lake Ann Park Preserve trails are complete! The park preserve is open and available for winter walking, snowshoeing, biking and more.
- However, the paved trails continue to be on hold pending archaeological assessment review and permitting. The city obtained a permit from the Office of State Archaeology to conduct Phase 2 testing. The permit was received too late in the year to allow for further field testing due to winter conditions. The city evaluated and considered conducting winter fieldwork but found it impractical. Winter fieldwork is estimated to take 3-5 times longer and cost up to 5 times more than spring excavation due to extended field time and labor, costs for heat blankets, shelters and safety measures. That, coupled with required updates to the research design and state agency review, means that fieldwork will be delayed until spring in order to ensure adherence to standards, reduce costs and improve efficiency. The city is still optimistic that trail construction will occur in the late summer and early fall of 2025.
August 14, 2024
- All three boardwalks are substantially complete and are usable by the public.
- The contractor is fabricating overlook benches for Boardwalk A and city emblems for the railings on Boardwalks A, B, and C.
- The contractor will clean up around each boardwalk site and do hydroseeding.
Week of June 24 , 2024
- Contractor will finish major work on Boardwalk C. Work was completed previously on Boardwalk B.
- Materials for Boardwalk A will be staged near the trail entrance.
- Work on Boardwalk A will begin this week. This is the longest boardwalk and will take several weeks to complete.
- Trails near the Boardwalks A and C remain closed for safety.
June 10, 2024
- Boardwalk B will be completed and available for use by the end of the week.
- Contractor will begin work on Boardwalk C, which is anticipated to take a couple of weeks.
- Materials will be staged near the trail entrances at Boardwalks A and C.
- Trails near the Boardwalks A and C remain closed for safety.
May 20, 2024
- Materials for the boardwalks have been delivered to the site.
- Work will begin constructing Boardwalk B and is anticipated to take 1-2 weeks.
- Materials will be staged in Greenwood Shores Park and near the trail entrances at Boardwalks A and C.
- Trails near the boardwalks remain closed for safety.
April 1, 2024
- Contractor is scheduled to complete boardwalk piers before March 30, 2024.
- Boardwalk piers will begin to be installed at Boardwalk B.
- Additional site clean up, grading, and some final tree clearing will occur.
- Following this week, the contractor is waiting material delivery and the sites may be quiet. Please avoid areas where piers have been installed. These areas have snow fence to block access.
March 2024
- Contractor has mobilized to the site and will complete tree and brush removal.
- Boardwalk piers will begin to be installed at Boardwalks A and C.
January 2023
- The City of Chanhassen kick-off the Lake Ann Park Preserve Implementation Project.
October/November 2022
- The wetland delineation was completed.
Summer/Fall 2020
- Residents begin moving into Lennar's new development.
2020
- The city approved the plan for Lennar's north neighborhood construction.
Fall/Winter 2019
- A feasibility stud was conducted in order to get public input on the level of development on the site, determine alignments, vet features, assess buildability, and develop budget-level estimates.
May 2018 - Summer 2019
- Lennar entered an option agreement to purchase 188 acres for housing development, including park preserve land. The city works with Lennar to acquire and protect park preserve property through dedication, purchase, and density transfer.
Winter 2017/2018
- The City of Chanhassen developed a general plan for the park and a trail loop in the northwest quadrant of Lake Ann.
Summer 2016
- A nearby Galpin Boulevard property was identified as "for sale."
2017
- The city completed the Park and Recreation System Plan, preserving parkland at Lake Ann and continuing the Lake Ann trail loop listed as high priorities. The trails were identified as the park's most useful feature.
