the total area of Minneapolis, one of the highest ratios in the country. The city's Chain of Lakes, consisting of seven lakes and Minnehaha Creek, is connected by bike, running, and walking paths and used for swimming, fishing, picnics, boating, and ice skating. A parkway for cars, a bikeway for riders, and a walkway for pedestrians runs parallel along the route of the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway. Parks are also connected through the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area regional parks and visitor centers. The country's oldest public wildflower garden, the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary, is located within Theodore Wirth Park. Wirth Park extends into Golden Valley and is almost 90% the size of Central Park in New York City. Site of the Minnehaha Falls, Minnehaha Park is one of the city's oldest and most popular parks, receiving over 850,000 visitors each year. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow named Hiawatha's wife Minnehaha for the Minneapolis waterfall in The Song of Hiawatha, a bestselling and often-parodied 19th century poem. The first natural swimming pool in the United States opened in Webber Park in 2015. The outdoor pool does not use any chemicals, rather it uses natural filters and plants in several container ponds to keep the water clean. Facilities The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board facilities include of land and water, 179 properties, of biking and walking paths, 49 recreation centers, 22 lakes, 12 formal gardens, and seven golf courses. Bohanon Park Bohemian Flats Cedar Lake Gold Medal Park Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway Kenilworth Trail Bde Maka Ska Lake Harriet Lake Hiawatha Lake of the Isles Lake Nokomis Lyndale Park Midtown Greenway Mill Ruins Park Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Minnehaha Park Mississippi Gorge Regional Park North Mississippi Regional Park Parade Stadium Theodore Wirth Park Tower Hill Park Victory Memorial Parkway Winchell Trail Governance The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is an independently elected, semi-autonomous park district responsible for governing, maintaining, and developing the Minneapolis park system. The jurisdiction of the park board is contiguous with the City of Minneapolis borders, although it owns and operates four golf courses outside the city limits. Minneapolis voters elect nine commissioners every four years: one from each of the six park districts, and three that serve at-large. The district and at-large members are elected using ranked choice voting. The Board of Commissioners appoints the superintendent and sets policy for the park board. Police