Lake of Isles, Twin Cities Lakes

Twin Cities Lakes

The Twin Cities is a beautiful area. It’s also an area that has quite a bit of water around. Of course the cities are divided by the great Mississippi River, but there are a variety of different lakes that are in the area as well. There is a chain of lakes in the area, and there are five different lakes that are quite popular. Some of them include parks and recreational opportunities as well. The names of the five lakes include Lake Calhoun, Lake Nokomis, Lake of the Isles, Lake Harriet, and Lake Hiawatha. Here’s a closer look at these lakes and what they have to offer those in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul areas.

Lake Calhoun

You’ll find that Lake Calhoun is one of the lakes that makes up the Chain of Lakes in the area. It is a very popular place for a variety of different activities, including swimming, fishing, walking, roller skating, jogging, wind surfing, sailing, and even canoeing. It’s about 3.2 miles around the entire lake, great for people who want to run, walk, or cycle. There are also three beaches that are supervised on the lake as well. You can rent watercraft on the lake by going through the Wheel Fun Rentals company right there. There are also gondola services available as well. Right on the lake you’ll even find that there is a nice restaurant – the Tinfish Restaurant. Over the past 100 years, there have been quite a few great improvements to the area. Originally this lake was known as the Lake of the Loons, “Lake Medoza.” However, the name was changed to honor John Caldwell Calhoun, who was a United States Senator, then later Vice President serving with President Monroe.

Lake Nokomis

Another lake you’ll find in the Minneapolis park system is Lake Nokomis. This is a sailing lake, just like Lake Calhoun. The park along the lake offers a community center, ball diamonds for baseball, concessions, canoe racks, sailboat racks, paths to walk, and two different beaches that are well supervised as well. They now offer a special playground system that allows kids between the ages of five and twelve to play. This system is made to help kids become more agile, to help with coordination and balance, and to help with strength in the upper body as well. During the warm months, often there are sailboat races on the lake and people can rent watercraft as well.

Lake of the Isles

The Lake of the Isles is another lake that happens to be a part of the Chain of Lakes as well. Millions of people end up visiting these lakes every single year. People come to bike, picnic, enjoy the scenery, bike, canoe, and more. During the winter months, many people come to this lake to go ice skating. There is a dog park located by the lake as well where people can bring their dogs to enjoy some time out and about. This lake was engineered, and was made in the early 20th century. It was originally a very shallow lake but it was turned into a wonderful lake and a beautiful park as well. The area has been renovated and turned into a lovely park. Wetlands have been enhanced, the plants have been restored, and paths have been reconstructed. It is definitely a lovely place to enjoy if you love the water.

Lake Harriet

Lake Harried is part of the chain of lakes and is very picturesque. There are 344 acres that are all water, as well as 67 land acres in the park as well. This lake is known for the great walking and biking trails, and many different water based activities take place. In the band shell located by the lake, various summer concerts take place as well. This is the 5th music facility to be put in this area. The first one that was built back in 1888 ended up being totally destroyed in a terrible fire. The trailers for skaters, bikers, and runners are almost three miles long. There is a small totlot available as well for young children. You’ll also find a concession building available and a well available where you can get water.

Lake Hiawatha

Last of all is Lake Hiawatha. This lake is beautiful and the park around it has beautiful trees to enjoy. The entire park is 234 acres, although the lake is only 52 acres large. Over the years this has been taken from a swamp to be a beautiful park that people in the area can enjoy. Some of the improvements that have been done in the past few years include adding boulders, ornamental trees, perennials, shrubs, and a special flagstone path as well. There is a playground that takes up eight acres, there is a beach, athletic fields, and even tennis courts. On one side of the lake there is a special golf learning center and a golf side as well.

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