Located on the west side of Cedar Lake Parkway, between I-394 and the Cedar Lake Trail, Brownie Lake is the smallest and northernmost link in the Chain of Lakes. The lake’s rustic nature and remote location provide visitors with what can easily be described as a great place to get away from it all without leaving town.
Amenities at Brownie Lake are geared toward the outdoors enthusiast. The lake’s fishable waters are off limits to motorized watercraft, but the lake is accessible to canoeists and kayakers and canoe and kayak storage racks, added in 2009, are available for rental with permit.
Brownie Lake was acquired in 1908 as part of an expansion of Theodore Wirth Park along with portions of the southern and western shores of nearby Cedar Lake. A navigable channel connecting the two lakes was completed in 1917. Nearly one third of the expanded parkland was later sold to develop the regional headquarters of an insurance company in 1952.
Historical Profile: More information about this and other parks is included in Parks, Lakes, Trails and So Much More, a richly detailed account of the histories of Minneapolis’ renown recreational system.
