Lilydale Park trail where landslide killed 2 students will reopen

St. Paul Parks and Recreation will reopen the Brickyard Trail at Lilydale Regional Park this summer. The 50-acre section of the 400-acre park had been closed since a 2013 landslide killed two children exploring the fossil grounds on a school field trip.

The city will also reopen one of the park's four fossil beds and restore permitting access to the fossil area by next school year. The area where landslide victims Haysem Sani and Mohamed Fofana were exploring is still considered high-risk and will remain closed.

The Brickyard area, which runs from Cherokee Heights to Water Street, is the most popular park of Lilydale Park.

Some re-grading and stabilizing is still needed along this area, and that must happen before the trail reopens. Signage and barriers will be added and city crews will perform periodic safety inspections.

The city also wants to start using a national grid system to help first responders locate visitors in the park.