Nature enthusiasts won’t have to wait any longer to experience the Ada Hayden Heritage Park.

The park, located north of Ames by U.S. Highway 69, will officially open to the public Thursday. There are many recreational opportunities at the park for people with different types of interests.

“It is a tremendous recreational resource for the community,” said Ames Parks and Recreation Director Nancy Carroll.

The park has three miles of hard surface trail around the circumference of the lake, and also another two miles of crushed stone paths. The park provides ample opportunity for bird watching and wildlife watching, Carroll said.

A large portion of the park has been restored into prairie and wetland areas. Carroll said the restored areas will be good places for wildlife to take refuge.

The area was used as a place for migrating birds to rest, and many rare species have been spotted in this area. They include loons, sand hill cranes and bald eagles, according to the city of Ames Web site, www.city.ames.ia.us.

Fishing will be allowed in the lake, and there is a boat ramp for canoes and small boats. The boats must be powered by electric motors only, according to the Web site. There is also a pedestrian bridge, a restroom facility and picnic areas.

“The park offers a type of recreation that we did not have with fishing and boating, and it offers an extension of the trail system,” said Paul Wiegand, Ames public works director. “It is a real quality amenity for the community.”

The park was named after Ada Hayden, who grew up just two miles north of Ames.

Hayden was a graduate of Iowa State College, and received her master’s from Washington University in St. Louis. She was also an instructor at Iowa State College in botany and helped get 26 prairie areas preserved by the State of Iowa.

The legacy of the Department of Natural Resources State Preserve System can be traced back to the contributions of Ada Hayden, according to the city of Ames Web site.