Minnehaha Falls & Lake Bde Maka Ska: Nature Retreats in Minneapolis
Though you might not picture Minneapolis, MN, with its metro population topping 3.6 million, to be a haven for nature-lovers, that’s one of the best aspects of Minnesota: the state embraces and celebrates its natural beauty.
Just a ten minute drive from the boon of capitalism that is the Mall of America, Minnehaha Regional Park extends over 170 acres, winding beside Minnehaha Creek and the Mississippi River. The park was easy to access, with ample (paid) parking. There are several different entry points for the trails to the waterfall, so just be sure you’re going upstream!
I expected the hike to the waterfall to be more city-park like (think: Central Park) than true hiking, but I was very wrong. Surrounded by a lush canopy of trees and limestone bluffs, we were transported into the wilderness immediately. I was very sweaty very quickly after navigating down stairs, over twisting roots, and along a narrow over-creek walkway. The only things that reminded us we were in the city was the overpass crisscrossing the sky overhead and the stinky city water in the creek.
It was a hot day—almost 90 degrees—and many families were cooling off in the creek or a swimming hole along the trail. Closer to the waterfall, there were stone benches where, on a cooler day, it would have been lovely to eat a picnic.
Minnehaha Falls, the main attraction of the park, plummets 53 feet in a gorgeous alcove of rock and trees. The falls inspired the famous author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his epic poem, “The Song of Hiawatha:”
With him dwelt his dark-eyed daughter,
Wayward as the Minnehaha,
With her moods of shade and sunshine,
Eyes that smiled and frowned alternate,
Feet as rapid as the river,
Tresses flowing like the water,
And as musical a laughter;
And he named her from the river,
From the water-fall he named her,
Minnehaha, Laughing Water.
After visiting the falls, you can also hike to the banks of the Mississippi to feel the sand between your toes and enjoy some rock-skipping. If I lived in Minneapolis, I would savor every day of gorgeous weather by exploring this park.
After Minnehaha, we drove into Uptown Minneapolis for some lunch and book-shopping on Hennepin Avenue. Our original plan was just to hop around the different bookstores in that area (Magers & Quinn, Wild Rumpus, and Birchbark) before heading home. However, after eating in Calhoun Square and checking out Magers & Quinn (which I highly recommend—I purchased four books for $3.78!), we couldn’t resist the draw of Bde Maka Ska, the largest lake in Minneapolis.
Lake Bde Maka Ska has an interesting history in its naming. The Dakota originally called the lake Mde Maka Ska (with the modern spelling Bde Maka Ska), which means Lake White Earth. It was later named Lake Calhoun after politician John C. Calhoun sent the Army to survey the area around Fort Snelling. In 2011, the name was revisited, as it became apparent that the public did not want a politician known to be a slaveholder and pro-slavery to be honored that way. Through a complicated legal process, the lake was officially restored to Lake Bde Maka Ska in January 2018.
The area around the lake is aspirational: vintage clothing resellers, artistic shops, treelined neighborhoods, and upscale apartments had us dreaming of living lakeside. We watched a man and his French bulldog walk barefoot from the lake to his apartment, dripping wet and lugging his paddle board. Through the glass window of another building, we caught sight of a living room dominated by an easel, someone whiling away the hours painting the idyllic scenes below. I won’t lie—I was enraptured by the romanticism of it!
Beyond living the bougie, artistic dream, the lake also hosts many outdoorsy recreational activities, like kayaking, canoeing, and windsurfing. There are three swimming beaches, and bike trails surround the lake, connecting with Lake of the Isles to the northeast, Cedar Lake to the northwest, and Lake Harriet to the south.
Kayla and I opted to wade into the waves and watch the sailboats sway as the end to our beautiful, nature-filled day in Minneapolis (but next time, I have my eye on renting a kayak!).
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