"I hope that it allows people to recognize all of the different species, the biodiversity that we have in this area."
Ted Pesch said that while he was finishing a nature mural inside the pedestrian tunnel near Trillium Woods in northwest Plymouth. Pesch used to work as a Plymouth tree inspector. He pitched the city on a mural and ended up with a bigger assignment than he expected. The work took two summers at 30 to 40 hours a week, eight months in all, and CCX Media covered the finishing touches on September 18, 2026. He said every species in the painting is local and matches its season. He also said he researched native wildflowers to decide which ones to include.
The mural is the first of several northwest Plymouth projects to wrap up this fall. A rebuilt lakeside park, a reconstructed road and a new boardwalk at City Center are all set to finish between now and November. Around Ferndale North, the fall season this year is mostly about construction coming to an end. The event calendar is short, and most of it takes place a few miles east at City Center.
Lake Camelot Park is close, but it isn't open yet
On the city's schedule, Lake Camelot Park on Cheshire Parkway reaches substantial completion on October 15, 2026. The latest progress notes on the city's project page are dated September 3. Here is where they left things:
- A crane set the three tallest pieces of the new castle playground. The city estimated four to six weeks for the full installation, including the poured-in-place surfacing.
- The east boardwalk was built, and its concrete approaches had been poured.
- The trail between the north and east boardwalks had been reclaimed and was scheduled for paving that week, weather permitting.
- Paving along the restroom building and the two docks was also planned for that week.
- The new restroom building on Cheshire Parkway needed a few finishing touches and a final inspection. It opens to the public once the city issues its certificate of occupancy.
As of early October, the city hasn't posted a reopening date or a ribbon cutting. The north parking lot closed in April and was listed as closed through the end of construction. If you're planning a first look in mid-October, check the city's Park & Trail Projects page before you go.
This rebuild has been in the works for a long time. Plymouth Parks & Recreation held two open houses in fall 2024, and the City Council approved the master plan on November 26, 2024. Plymouth also asked the DNR for a permit to replace the old south boardwalk. The DNR denied it in January 2025, and the project was rebid in January 2026 before construction started in the spring. Under the approved plan, the park keeps its existing shelter and fishing pier and adds two docks. It also gets 15 parking stalls, bike parking, a drop-off area, and separate play areas for ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12.
The park also has a trail connection. The city describes the Northwest Greenway as running east to Lake Camelot, with about 7.7 miles of paved trail linked to nearby parks and regional trails. Once the park reopens, the Greenway will end at a rebuilt park instead of a fenced construction site.
Chankahda Trail's reopening has moved to November
The reconstructed road next to the park is on a slower timeline. Plymouth is rebuilding Chankahda Trail from Cheshire Parkway to Northwest Boulevard in 2026. The work includes new curb and gutter, trails, watermain, storm sewer, and a roundabout at Teakwood Lane.
In its May/June newsletter, the city expected the Cheshire-to-Yucca stage to last through October. The September 30 update moved that out. Chankahda is closed from Cheshire Parkway to Yucca Lane, and the south leg of the Yucca Lane intersection is closed too. Both are expected to reopen in November 2026. For the week of October 5, crews are scheduled to keep installing storm sewer between Cheshire Parkway and Annapolis Lane. They're also building the retaining wall between Dallas Lane and Annapolis Lane and grading for the road and trails.
The two projects overlap on the ground. The park and the road closure both start at Cheshire Parkway, so for most of October the park's edge and the closed stretch of road are in the same place. Even after the park is substantially complete in mid-October, getting there from the north will still mean using the Stage 3B detour until the road reopens. The city keeps the detour map and an eNotify sign-up on the project page.
Plymouth Creek Trail and a round of neighborhood park paving
There's more trail work under way at City Center. The new Plymouth Creek Trail will connect the Plymouth Community Center to the Hilde Performance Center, the Plymouth Ice Center and City Hall. It adds a 500-foot boardwalk, about a tenth of a mile of new asphalt trail, lights, trail counters and wayfinding signs. In its September 3 update, the city said helical pile installation would wrap up the following week, and crews would then move on to the deck and the west boardwalk abutment.
The city also lists fall paving in six neighborhood parks: basketball court and trail work at Circle Park, and trail work at Gleanloch, Green Tree Island, Harbor Lane, Lions and Three Ponds. Short closures or access limits are possible while crews are working.
Where the October calendar lands
Northwest Plymouth's parks are mostly busy with construction this month, so the city's fall events are mostly at City Center and Parkers Lake. Here are the dates in order.
- Thursday, October 8 through Saturday, October 10. MnDOT closes the Wayzata Boulevard frontage road between Gleason Lake Road and Parkers Lake Road. The notice lists separate access routes for businesses along that stretch.
- Friday, October 9, 6 to 10 p.m. Hilde Nights brings the Kat Perkins Country Roads Band to the Hilde Performance Center at 3500 Plymouth Blvd. The concert is free. It was originally set for July and was canceled because of poor air quality, the Sun Sailor reported.
- Saturday, October 10, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Plymouth on Parade returns after a two-year break. The route runs from City Hall at 3400 Plymouth Blvd. to the Plymouth Community Center at 14800 34th Ave. N.
- Late October. MnDOT lists the eastbound Highway 12 ramps to and from Central Avenue, which is County Road 101, as closed from August 3 through late October.
- Friday, October 30, 5 to 8 p.m. Halloween at the Lake fills Parkers Lake Park at 15205 County Road 6 with free activities, games and inflatables.
The Hilde concert and the parade fall on back-to-back days, both at City Center, during the same weekend the frontage road is closed. MnDOT's schedules can change with the weather, so check 511 before you drive.
The orchard season is shorter this year
West of Plymouth, a frost changed this year's orchard season. Apple Jack Orchards is at 4875 37th St. SE in Delano. The orchard says April's cold damaged the blossoms. Its U-pick apples are already picked out. It still has washed, bagged apples, and it has partnered with orchards farther south in Minnesota to keep up with demand. The orchard says the frost doesn't affect its bakery. The Fun Farm opened September 5, and you don't need admission for the market, gift shop or bakery. Apple Jack is also adding The Grazing Goat, which it calls a "sports bar," for football season. It hasn't announced an opening date.
Fall Harvest Orchard, also in Delano at 9048 Ahern Ave. SE, has added Sunny's Pumpkin Nights. It's an evening trail lit by more than 3,000 jack-o'-lanterns, open Thursday through Sunday from 6 to 10 p.m. The orchard's site doesn't give a closing date for the season, so check before you go late in the month.
What's done, what's close, and what comes next
As of the first week of October, Ted Pesch's tunnel mural is the only project on this list that's finished. Lake Camelot Park has a target date of October 15, but the restroom still needs its certificate of occupancy and the city hasn't announced a reopening. The Plymouth Creek Trail boardwalk is still being built. Chankahda Trail is due to reopen in November, which is later than the city's spring estimate. Around Ferndale North, the park, the road and the trail are all set to finish within a few weeks of each other, after a year of fences and detours.
If you're wondering what a rebuilt park and a reopened road mean for your corner of northwest Plymouth, the team at Roost Real Estate follows these projects closely and is happy to talk through how they affect your home. Request a Private Consultation, and we'll go over what's changing near your street.
