Lake Harriet★5.0

Lake Harriet

Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Lake in the southwest part of Minneapolis, just south of Bde Maka Ska and north of Minnehaha Creek surrounded by parkland as part of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes

General Information

Hours:
Developed areas: 6am to Midnight
Undeveloped areas: 6am to 10pm
Fees:
Free admission
Parking fees may apply in designated lots
Pet Policy:
Leashed pets are allowed in the park and on trails. Owners must clean up after their pets.
Closest cities with hotels:
Minneapolis, MN (0 mi)
Seasons:
All year
Summer is best for concerts, beaches, boating, and biking.
Fall offers colorful foliage and scenic walks around the lake.
Winter is popular for walking, snow activities, and lake views.
Location:
4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55409
Website:
minneapolisparks.org

From Minneapolis (0 mi): Take Lyndale Avenue South or Lake Harriet Parkway through southwest Minneapolis and follow signs to Lake Harriet Park at 4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway, located within the Chain of Lakes Regional Park system.

Overview

Lake Harriet (Dakota: Bde Unma, "Other Lake") is a lake in the southwest part of Minneapolis, just south of Bde Maka Ska and north of Minnehaha Creek. The lake is surrounded by parkland as part of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes.

Lake Harriet is named for Harriet Lovejoy, who lived with her husband Colonel Henry Leavenworth at Fort Snelling. The two came to the area in 1819. The lake and surrounding land was last owned by Colonel William S. King, who donated the land to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board in 1885.

Lake Harriet is popular for recreation. It offers sailing, two beaches, and a system of bike and pedestrian trails (about 2.99 miles (4.81 km) for the bike trail and 2.75 miles (4.43 km) for the pedestrian trail). The trail and parkway system, part of the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway, connects with Bde Maka Ska on the north end of Lake Harriet, via William Berry Parkway, and with the Minnehaha Creek trail system at the southeast side of the lake.

The bandshell is used for concerts throughout the summer months. The bandshell complex also contains a picnic area and a seasonal outdoor restaurant, Bread & Pickle.

Other parkland near the lake includes a picnic ground just north of the bandshell, Lyndale Park, and the Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary on the northeast side of the lake. Lakewood Cemetery is located between the southeast side of Bde Maka Ska and the north shoreline of Lake Harriet.

The lake contains black crappie, bluegill, golden shiner, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lake Harriet (Minnesota)", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0

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