Join the hiking group for a hike around Lake Calhoun, before the walkpath becomes congested with other recreational walkers. Lake Calhoun is part of the Chain of Lakes and is a popular site for fishing, wind surfing, swimming, sailing, canoeing, walking, jogging, biking and in-line skating. In 1999, the Chain of Lakes drew over 5.5 million visitors, making it the second most popular visitor destination after the Mall of America. Lake Calhoun is 401 acres in size and is 82 feet deep at its deepest point. Lake Calhoun originally was known as "Mde Ma-ka-ska/Lake of the White Earth" then was named "Lake Medoza/Lake of the Loons" and finally was renamed in honor of John Caldwell Calhoun, a U.S. Senator, a U.S. Vice President, a Secretary of War under President James Monroe, and the government official who ordered in 1817 Colonel Henry Leavenworth to found the Minnesota fort that became Fort Snelling. Missionary Gideon Pond lived on the East side of the Lake in 1830's, when Dakota chief Cloud Man had his village here. Subsequent conflict with the Ojibway caused the Dakota to move to the banks of the Minnesota River.
If driving: Take Lake Street West to the "Y" split with Excelsior Boulevard and proceed Southwest (Left) on Excelsior Boulevard. Immediately after turning onto Excelsior Boulevard, turn SouthEast (Left) into the parking lot immediately to the West of the Lake Calhoun Executive Center, 3033 Excelsior Boulevard. The group will meet in the parking lot of the Lake Calhoun Executive Center.
The group will reassemble at a nearby restaurant (Punch Pizza, 3226 W. Lake Street, Minneapolis) after the hike.
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Map to hike start point:
3033 Excelsior Boulevard
Minneapolis, MN
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This page was last updated on March 28, 2011.
