Trail of Small Wonders 2023 - Limited Time Event at Westwood Hills Nature Center

Our family loves nature and loves free, so nature centers are a favorite for us. When planning a play date for my daughter and her friends at Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park, we got the added bonus of checking out the Trail of Small Wonders. This year's event ends on July 29, so hurry over to check it out!

Westwood Hills Nature Center is fun in itself. We first discovered it two summers ago, when we explored some of the 160 acres of trails, and saw a deer, turtles, and beekeepers working in the apiary. The nature center building is home to a few raptors outside and other small animals inside by the exhibits. The outdoor play area was being built at the time, so we were excited to return and see the final result. There is a small playground, a flowing water activity, and a nature play area where the kids built a fort with large branches.

Now for the highlight of the day - The Trail of Small Wonders! The St. Louis Park Friends of the Arts offered a workshop on building fairy/gnome houses at the nature center - something we want to keep an eye out for next year. Workshop participants and other entrants displayed their houses along the trail close to the nature center building. The opening day festival was on July 10, and had music, dancing, face painting, art stations, and more.

The trail is free and paved - easily accessible to anyone wanting to experience the wonders nestled between branches and tree stumps along the way. 47 houses line the trails, each one creative in its use of materials to create so many unique displays. Some of our favorites were the fishing hole, campfire (complete with marshmallow roasting), sailboat, chicken hut, and swinging "Bridge to Fairybithia."

If you don't have time to get there before the displays are taken down on July 29, be sure to check out the other programs Westwood Hills has to offer here.


Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center, 8300 W Franklin Ave, St Louis Park, MN 55426, USA

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