Lake Nokomis, Recreational lake in South Minneapolis, United States.
Lake Nokomis is a recreational lake in South Minneapolis featuring two swimming beaches and trails that loop around its shoreline. The surrounding park includes spaces for baseball, tennis, fishing, and boating activities for visitors of all kinds.
Originally called Lake Amelia in 1819, this shallow marsh was purchased and transformed by the Minneapolis Park Board in 1907 into the developed recreation area seen today. The naming change to Nokomis came a few years later.
The lake takes its name from a grandmother character in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem The Song of Hiawatha, a choice made in 1910 that reflects the area's literary connections. You can see this heritage reflected in local events and signage around the shore.
The area is easy to navigate with well-maintained paths, parking areas, and clear signage at access points. Visitor information is available on-site to help you find fishing spots, boating areas, and the best swimming conditions.
During winter, the lake's surface transforms into multiple ice hockey rinks when it hosts the United States Pond Hockey Championships. Teams from across the country compete on the frozen water against a backdrop of frozen shorelines and winter sky.
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