Join the hiking group for an urban walk on the wild side around the environs of Minneapolis' Boom Island Park.
Boom Island was the center of commercial activity in the "Upper Town" portion of St. Anthony. Boom Island was owned by Pierre Bottineau until he sold it to Franklin Steele in 1848. In 1849, Steele completed the original plat of St. Anthony, which eventually merged into Minneapolis. Franklin Steele was the father-in-law of Henry Hastings Sibley, Minnesota’s first governor as a state. An 1893 fire destroyed everything on Boom Island.
The hike route also includes Nicollet Island and the James J. Hill bridge over the falls of St. Anthony. St. Anthony falls were the steepest drop on the entire river before the falls were significantly altered to provide water power for saw mills and grain mills early in Minneapolis’ history. The route passes by the outlet of Bassett Creek, Minneapolis' best known subterranean stream.
Islands of the Mississippi in the area of Minneapolis include:
Boom Island - where log booms formerly retained the lumbermen's logs until they were gradually supplied to the sawmills
Nicollet Island - a residential portion of the city named in honor of the French explorer and geographer, Joseph Nicolas Nicollet
Hennepin Island - named after Father Louis Hennepin, a priest who visited the area with a French expedition in 1680
Cataract Island and Carver's Island - just below the falls, the latter being named for Captain Jonathan Carver, who visited the falls in 1766
Spirit Island - formerly a high remnant of the rock strata that reportedly was held in awe by the Indians
Meeker Island - an alluvial tract between the Franklin Avenue bridge and the Milwaukee Railway bridge, which was owned by Judge Bradley B. Meeker, for whom a Minnesota county is named
Directions: From downtown Minneapolis, take Washington Avenue north to Plymouth Avenue and take a right. Go across the river on the Plymouth Avenue Bridge to Boom Island Park. Park either in the Boom Island Park parking lot (a Minneapolis Park Board pay parking lot) or park for free on the street across Plymouth Avenue from the park on nearby Sibley Street Northeast or on nearby Ramsey Street Northeast.
Map to hike start point:
8th Ave Ne At Sibley St
Minneapolis, MN 55413
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This page was last updated on August 1, 2015.
