Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, MN
Lake of the Isles, located in the southwest area of Minneapolis and on the edge of the Uptown neighborhood, is closely linked to the rest of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes: Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet, Cedar Lake, and Brownie Lake. Lake of the Isles covers 109 acres, has a maximum depth of 31 feet, and contains two preserved wildlife refuge islands that are home to virgin woodlands. Check out this article from a Minneapolis Chiropractor.
Lake of the Isles
Lake of the Isles is known for its amazing path system for relaxing strolls around the lake, affordable kayak and canoe rentals, ice skating rink in the winter (with hot chocolate), and an outstanding New Year’s Eve celebration out on the ice during the turn of the year.
Bde Maka Ska
Bde Maka Ska, another lake in the chain, is well known for its three swimming beaches, kayak rentals, and windsurfing. Bde Maka Ska covers 401 acres with a maximum depth of 87 feet. Bde Maka Ska has a 3.2 mile trail that is available to pedestrians and is extremely popular in the warmer months. The lake is surrounded by the Bde Maka Ska Park which features parking for patrons, picnic tables, volleyball courts, and large grassy areas to enjoy the peaceful scenery. Bde Maka Ska is also well known as the Minneapolis home of sailing with the Minneapolis Sailing Center located there.
Lake Harriet
Lake Harriet of Minneapolis is another sizable body of water located on the southwest side of busy Minnesapolis and it is connected with Bde Maka Ska through William Berry Parkway. Lake Harriet has an area of 335 acres and a maximum depth of 85 feet. Around the lake, there are bike and pedestrian trails, 2.99 miles and 2.75 miles respectively. The lake contains two beaches, North Beach and Southeast Beach. Lake Harriet is also home to the Bandshell, a public pavilion located on the North Beach. The Bandshell features a ton of free concerts and movies during the summer.
Cedar Lake
Cedar Lake, located north of Bde Maka Ska, covers about 169 acres and has a maximum depth of 51 feet. Cedar Lake is known for its 1.68 mile shared-use path that contains three separate lanes for non motorized traffic and its three beaches. The three official swimming beaches are Cedar Lake East Bach, Cedar Lake Point Beach, and Cedar Lake South Beach. The trails around Cedar Lake are an important byway for nonmotorized commuters to reach Downtown Minneapolis.
Brownie Lake
Brownie Lake is the northernmost lake in the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes and is within the limits of Brownie Lake Park. Brownie Lake is also the smallest lake of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes as it covers 18 acres with a max depth of 49.9 feet. Brownie Lake Park contains a 1.4 mile single track mountain biking loop, which connects to other well known mountain biking routes. This trail was the first “Black Diamond” trail in Minneapolis. All of these lakes together surround the Lake of the Isles and create the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, a community of lakes filled with nature and recreation that can be found in the city of Minneapolis, MN.