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Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park, Minneapolis, MN

Photo: August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFreeFamily Favorite

Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park

Around Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet and Lake of the Isles, southwest Minneapolis · Minneapolis, MN

Why you should go…

The Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park strings together the shorelines of Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet, Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake and Brownie Lake, with over 13 miles of pedestrian trails and 15 miles of bike trails. You can swim at the beaches, rent a paddleboard, or walk the three miles of paths around Bde Maka Ska. North of Lake Harriet, the Lyndale Park Rose Garden is the second oldest public rose garden in the United States.

  • #urban lakes
  • #bike trails
  • #beaches
  • #paddling
  • #city park

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    Iconic

    Walker Art Center & Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

    Under $25

    Cutting-edge contemporary art beside the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry in the free Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

    2.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Minneapolis Institute of Art

    Free

    One of America's great free art museums, 90,000 works spanning 5,000 years, from Monet to samurai armor.

    2.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Spoonbridge and Cherry

    Free

    See a 52-foot spoon balancing a giant red cherry over a pond in the free Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

    2.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Museums
    Local Gem

    American Swedish Institute

    Under $25

    A turreted 1908 castle-mansion turned Nordic culture hub, with craft workshops, exhibitions, and the celebrated New Nordic café FIKA.

    2.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Minnehaha Regional Park

    Free

    A 53-foot waterfall tumbling through a leafy city park, Minneapolis's most photographed natural wonder.

    5.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Photo Op

    Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

    Under $25

    1,100+ acres of U of M gardens, forest, and prairie, Three-Mile Drive, seasonal blooms, and the breeding grounds of the Honeycrisp apple.

    16 mi awayMore like this