This is a great area. It was named after Theodore Wirth who was the Superintendent of Parks, from 1906 until 1935. Today I’m going to highlight two spots in this area but there are many more things to see. One last piece of information is that this area is all part of the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway.
I’m recommending Quaking Bog and Eloise Butler Flower Garden. You can see both places in a morning, or afternoon. First of all, I recommend you park at Wirth Lake, which is at Glenwood and Wirth Parkway. From there, walk along the parkway for about a block and you will come to the entrance of Eloise Butler Flower Garden.
Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
This is a magical place for me. After a frustrating day at work this was my go to place on my way home. Entering it is like stepping into another dimension. A calm descends and that awful rat race disappears. The garden is open from April through October. It’s home to more than 500 plant species and 130 bird species. If you’re lucky you might hear the gentle hoot of an owl. The garden is named for Eloise Butler, who was a retired botany teacher. For many years she took her students to the garden for their Botany lessons. Her ashes were spread in the garden and the park board held a memorial service and planted a tree in her honor, noting that, “Every plant in her garden was her living child, upon whom she bestowed her devotion and care.”
Quaking Bog
So now you at peace after your gentle walk around the garden. Head another few blocks down the parkway and you will find Quaking Bog. The loop around the bog is just over a mile and should take about 30 minutes to complete. It’s a beautiful wooded area with the bog located in the center. Many times I’ve walked into this small wooded area and encountered deer walking up the ridge.
So, what is a quaking bog? Well, Quaking bogs develop over a lake, or a pond, with thick layers of vegetation forming on top. They bounce when you walk on them. However, you are not allowed to walk on Quaking Bog, as the park service is striving to protect it. They take thousands of years to form, so treat it kindly and stay on the walkway.
So now, I bet you’re thirsty! Walk back to your car and head a few blocks east down Glenwood and you will run into the entrance to Utepils Brewery.
Okay, so now you are refreshed, how about one last wee adventure before you head home? Make a left out of the Utepils Brewery, on to Glenwood. Take a right onto Wirth Parkway and drive on the parkway until you reach the intersection of Wirth and Golden Valley Road.
Take a look to the right and you will see an unassuming large rock. This is the 45th Parallel. It marks the midway point between the equator and the north pole. The distance each way is, 3,109 miles. Amazing, huh! In case you can’t read the inscription on this photo, it reads as follows: “This boulder is located on the forty-fifth parallel of latitude which is midway between the Equator and the North Pole. Elevation 888 feet above mean sea level.”
