Minneapolis Lakes Offer a Retreat in the City

Minneapolis, Minnesota has three fantastic lakes right in the heart of the city. Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, and Lake of the Isles offer trails, non motor boat rentals, and summer concerts.

Lake Calhoun is perhaps the most famous of the three lakes. Located in uptown, West Lake Calhoun Parkway and East Lake Calhoun Parkway surround the lake on both sides. Lake Calhoun is approximately 3 miles to walk around. You will find trails for walking, biking, and roller blading. It is a fantastic place to see all sorts of people. Young, old, adults, children, every type of dog imaginable, urban, trendy, sporty, yuppie. The list goes on. If you are looking for a place to be seen, this is your lake. If you are looking for a quiet retreat where you can walk at your own pace, don't come here in the summer. This lake is packed on a nice day in the summer. There is 1 main beach, and a couple smaller ones. In the old days (pre-1960) they used to have a bath house for those people needing to change clothes after coming to the lake from a bus, or in the much older days, trolley. This was demolished years ago though. Check out the links I have provided for more information on the old bath house. Historically, Calhoun has been the place to be seen. They say it was even a great place to find a spouse! Lake Calhoun also has a great little concessions area. So after you've burned a few calories walking around the lake, make sure to ingest them again with a big fat ice cream cone. Lake Calhoun also has canoes for rent. You can go around Calhoun and canoe over to the Lake of the Isles also. Lake Calhoun also offers a sailing school, so you can learn to sail on a small, intimate lake. It's the perfect lake for learning to sail. Within walking distance of Lake Calhoun, you will find many quick food shops, ice cream shops, and gift shops, in the Uptown area.

Lake of the Isles is Calhoun's immediate neighbor to the North, and is connected to it by canal. At 93 acres, it is smaller than Calhoun and you can easily bike or walk around it. You can use your canoe from Calhoun and pop on over to Lake of the Isles. Lake of the Isles is in the Kenwood neighborhood of Minneapolis, which is an upscale area. You will be in awe of the gorgeous homes as you stroll along. The Lake also features an off leash dog park.

The third lake is Lake Harriet. Lake Harriet is located further south in South Minneapolis. Lake Harriet is famous for it's unique band shell. Here, you can check out the many summer concerts that are performed. A concessions area is also located nearby. Lake Harriet has two beaches and two fishing docks. Also nearby, on your walk to the lake, is the beautiful rose garden. This is a beautiful garden full of numerous types of roses. There is also a bird sanctuary. To take a step back in time, hop onboard the Lake Harriet Streetcar. Lake Harriet is like Calhoun in that it also has boats for rent and sailing lessons as well. There is some play equipment for kids, though it's a bit outdated. Lake Harriet is also 3 miles around. You can bike, walk, or rollerblade. The homes around Lake Harriet are also very upscale.

Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, or Lake Harriet all offer a great escape in the city of Minneapolis. Whether you exercise, watch a concert, eat a cone, or just lay on the grass, admiring the view, there's something to be said for Minnesota lakes.