Discover Lake Nokomis, Minneapolis Laid-Back Gem

Minneapolis is known as the City of Lakes—we have 22. Lake Nokomis is a popular favorite.

Glide across in a swan boat, pedal around in a surrey—there are so many ways to enjoy the lake both on and off the water, from kayaks and canoes to long walks, picnics, and just hanging out.

Lake Nokomis is one of the lakes I frequent most. It’s the closest to my house, and my partner and I come often in all seasons.

This Minneapolis lake has one of the city’s most popular beaches, an adjoining park, and lots of great food nearby.

Read on for an insider’s guide to everything Lake Nokomis.

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About Lake Nokomis

Lake Nokomis is located in southeast Minneapolis, between Minnehaha Parkway and 56th Street. The lake is just west of Minnehaha Park and the famous Minnehaha Falls.

Nokomis has more of a laid-back vibe than the Chain of Lakes in southwest Minneapolis. Those lakes (Harriet, Bde-Maka Ska, Lake of the Isles) are located in more high-end neighborhoods and are surrounded by a lot of mansions and fancy condos.

Nokomis is regular people in regular houses. It’s a genuine type of area with more affordable old-school haunts than pricey chef-driven restaurants.

I’m not saying I don’t love the other Minneapolis lakes, because I do. Lake Harriet is probably my favorite for the gorgeous gardens right next to it in Lyndale Park. Living near there would be my ideal Minneapolis location, because I love the gardens so much, and seeing them change week by week and even day by day.

But that area is out of my price range. The Nokomis neighborhood is much more affordable. Caveat, if you’re house shopping: the Nokomis area is in the flight path of the Minneapolis airport., which isn’t far out of town.

This can get a bit noisy and keeps home prices down. On the up side, in addition to being near this fabulous Minneapolis lake, the surrounding neighborhoods are some of the safest in Minneapolis.

There’s great community spirit, and popular eateries have been in business for many years.

History of Lake Nokomis

You might see Nokomis labeled as a man-made lake—only partly true. Nokomis is a native lake, though originally a shallow one. The area is the ancestral home of the Dakota people, who harvested an abundance of wild rice from its shallow waters.

Early in Minneapolis Park history, the lake functioned as a reservoir to make sure Minnehaha Falls would have an impressive flow. Nokomis connects to Minnehaha creek, which feeds the falls.

After a few years, though, the park board decided to make the lake and the surrounding area into a fabulous park. That’s when the shallow lake was given an assist to become the swimming and sailing lake it is today.

Work began in 1914 to reduce the lake’s surface area and increase its depth. Dredges worked almost nonstop for four years, moving 2.5 million cubic yards of earth. You could say they moved mountains to create Lake Nokomis (sorry, couldn’t help it).

What does Nokomis mean?

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem The Song of Hiawatha is responsible for many place names in Minneapolis. The popular epic poem highlights the stories of the Ojibwe people of the Lake Superior region.

It features a legendary Native American hero, Hiawatha, and his tragic love story with a Dakota woman, Minnehaha. Nokomis was Hiawatha’s grandmother, and the lake is named after her.

Related: Another tragic love story. How the bluff formation Maiden Rock along the Wisconsin Great River Road got its name.

Minneapolis Parks

Nokomis, along with 2 ponds and 12 other lakes in Minneapolis, is part of the award-winning Minneapolis Parks system. Recently, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board was recognized with the 2024 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence, the second time they’ve earned the award.

Park system lakes boast well-maintained walking and biking paths. The paths are even kept clear of snow in the winter, which is quite a task. Some lakes in the Parks system, including Nokomis, have indoor restroom facilities and casual lakeside restaurants.

Unlike the Chain of Lakes, Lake Nokomis has a big park attached to it. You’ll find more information on Nokomis Community Park in the dedicated secton below. The park offers playing fields, pickleball courts, kid’s play areas, and more.

With two beaches, a restaurant, and tons of recreational opportunities, you can easily spend the day at Lake Nokomis.

Beaches in Minneapolis

Want to go to the beach in Minneapolis? No problem! The Minneapolis Parks system has no fewer than 12 swimming beaches at 6 Minneapolis lakes. The lakes are Bde Maka Ska, Cedar Lake, Lake Harriet, Lake Hiawatha, Wirth Lake, and Lake Nokomis, which has two beaches.

Nokomis Beaches

Lake Nokomis Main Beach

Lake Nokomis Main Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Minneapolis. The main beach boasts lifeguards, a huge kid’s playground, a lakeside restaurant, and a restroom facility.

The lake’s main parking lot is located here, and it’s a large one. It’s convenient and makes for a short walk while carting all your beach gear.

Nokomis beach also features an amazing kid’s play area, right on the beach. It includes swings, a slide, and a climbing gym. With a number of picnic areas to boot, it’s a great spot for a family outing.

Nokomis Main Beach

Regular season lifeguard hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Be sure to check the Park Board’s Main Beach page for lifeguard hours when you plan to visit.

The main beach is a popular spot where you’ll typically find a crowd. Aside from lots of people swimming and sunbathing on the beach, there are tons of picnickers, often large groups (for a more quiet experience, head over to 50th Street Beach). Main Beach can get quite a party atmosphere going on the weekends!

The main beach has a boat launch nearby too. Nokomis is one of three Minneapolis sailing lakes in the parks system and buoys are offered off the main beach.

Summer Swimming Lessons

The Park Board offers summer swimming lessons at Nokomis beach as well as other Minneapolis beaches. Lessons range from an introduction to swimming for 3–5 year-olds to level 4 advanced lessons, including rescue skills.

50th Street Beach (Little Beach)

The 50th Street Beach, as it is officially called, is informally known as the Little Beach. 50th Street Beach is less busy and a bit of a hidden gem, but note there are no regular lifeguards on duty. Near the 50th street beach, there are several small mini-beach spots to get in the water. You may be able to claim your own little private place on the sand.

There is one picnic table and grill right next to the beach. The big lawn just behind the beach has plenty of shade trees, and there are benches at intervals all around the lake. Lots of options for having a picnic or taking a rest.

Recreational Opportunities

If you’re looking for Lake Nokomis things to do, there’s just so many things! Read on for the plethora of recreation on and off the water as well as the variety of great events hosted here.

Walking path and bike trail

There are 2 pathways circling the lake. The distance around Lake Nokomis on the walking path is 2.7 miles, while the outer bicycle trail is slightly further. Didn’t bring your bike? No worries, you can rent one, or you can rent something to get on the water!

There’s so many fun ways to go around and get on the lake. Wheel Fun Rentals at Nokomis Main Beach provides all kinds of rentals at so you can enjoy your favorite outdoor activities any time.

Seasonal watercraft rentals

For fun on the water, Lake Nokomis rentals include kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and my personal favorite, the new swan boats!

Rent kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards hourly, by the half day or for a full day. The swan boats are rented on an hourly basis. And the fun doesn’t stop when the sun sets.

Swan boat night rides feature the iconic swan boats illuminated by LED lights that add a little after-dark sparkle. Sounds like a good way to romance that special someone!

Or just the perfect opportunity to have some fun after the sun goes down on beautiful Lake Nokomis. On cooler nights, bring a blanket or wear layers to stay warm and comfortable. Night rides are offered 7 days a week from sunset to 10 p.m.

My personal fave: Swan boats!

Glide across the water in style while commandeering a Swan boat.

Swan boats fit up to 5 people with a total capacity of 1,400 pounds. Fun and eye-catching, these boats are perfect for dates, a family outing, or fun with friends.

Their large hulls add increased buoyancy to create a super stable, safe, and smooth ride. The enclosed back bench seat makes for a safe spot for kids, and fits adults, too.

All boats come equipped with a Bimini top to shade you from the sun. You can bring food and drinks aboard the swan boats (but no alcohol or large coolers).

Surreys and bikes

You can also rent a variety of bicycle conveyances to take you around the lake on the pathways.

What the heck is a surrey? A small carriage with four wheels and a roof, and seats facing forward, pulled by a horse or horses; that was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when surreys were popular in the U.S.

Nowadays surreys are people-powered via pedals. People have been wheeling around in surreys at the lake for over 20 years!

The smaller surrey seats 3 adults plus 2 small kiddos in the front basket. The larger surrey seats up to 6 adults and 2 small children.

You can also rent an individual bike or one that seats two. These are not traditional bikes, but 3 wheelers. It’s a new kind of bicycle built for two, for sure.

Note: For your safety, watercraft rentals include life jackets and bike rentals include helmets.

Consult the Wheel Fun Rentals page for full details. Hours vary according to the season.

Sailing Nokomis

If you have a sailboat, you can enter a lottery to moor it here for the season. If you’re interested in sailing lessons, the park board offers youth and adult sailing lessons at Lake Harriet.

But what happens in the winter?

Winter doesn’t stop Minneapolitans from having fun! Winter activities on Minneapolis lakes include ice skating, hockey, broom ball, pond hockey, and ice fishing.

And in winter, you don’t have to go around the frozen lake—you can walk straight across, like the dogwalkers below!

Lake Nokomis fishing

I always see several fishermen when I’m taking a walk around Nokomis. The lake has many types of fish, including bluegill, bowfin, largemouth bass, sunfish, walleye, and yellow perch.

Give it a try—people fish from the bridge, the shore, and the docks, as well as from boats on the water.

Fishing piers are located on the North side of the lake at East Minnehaha Parkway and Lake Nokomis Parkway and on the Southeast side of the lake, on East Lake Nokomis Parkway between East 54th and 55th streets.

Boat launch

If you have a boat, use the public boat launch to get on the water. The Nokomis boat launch is on the west side of the lake, not far past the main beach.

Gas powered boat motors are not allowed on Minneapolis city lakes, but you can use your gas-powered boat if the motor is propped up and out of the water.

You can continue on fishing in the winter, too. Minneapolis lakes are dotted with ice fishing houses all winter long.

Lake Nokomis Park and Lake Nokomis Community Center

Unlike most Minneapolis lakes, Nokomis also boasts a huge park.

The Nokomis Community Park includes baseball, football, soccer and softball fields, as well as tennis courts. Pick your sport, Nokomis has it.

For families, the park offers lots of  places for kids to play and sponsors a number of activities. Nokomis Park offers outdoor programming year-round. Learn more about park activities on the Minneapolis Parks site.

The Park Board offers summer swimming lessons and sports leagues for youth and adults,

The Lake Nokomis Community Center has an outdoor kid’s playground, a gym and crafts room inside, and offers school-age childcare for busy parents.

Pickleball

Minneapolis pickleheads make a beeline for the park adjacent to the Community Center. Pickleball has been gaining popularity in recent years, and Nokomis Park pickleball courts have expanded accordingly. The Community Center now has 6 dedicated outdoor hard courts.

Lake Nokomis Restaurant

Right next to Nokomis main beach sits a lakeside restaurant. This Nokomis beach cafe is a self-serve building with a lovely outdoor seating area overlooking the lake. Open seasonally.

The original restaurant here, the Sandcastle, was cofounded by a bestie of one of my besties, local chef Doug Flicker, and his partner Amy Greely. When the Sandcastle closed in 2022 after a 10-year run, the restaurant became the Painted Turtle.

The Turtle recently obtained a liquor license, so that means sipping from a beer and wine menu with your lake view. The savory menu has some nice apps, basic sandwiches and hot dogs. For vegetarians there’s BBQ Jackfruit as well as a veggie burger.

The ice cream counter offers popcorn and snacks

Ice cream counter

The Turtle sells Minnesota Dairy Lab ice cream at a separate counter. Bee and I tried it here and weren’t crazy about it.

My malted heath bar flavor just tasted weird. And the heath bar pieces were more like speckles.

Bee’s strawberry sundae had good vanilla ice cream, but the frozen strawberries, bright red goo and canned whipped cream were indistinguishable from Dairy Queen, but cost a lot more.

The prices are pretty steep at 1 scoop $5, 2 scoops $9, waffle cone +$2, and no other cone options. Not sure how that’s going to work for kids.

Waffle cones are awful big. And a kid eating ice cream out of a dish is just sad. (in fact, ME eating ice cream out of a dish is sad.)

It’s always possible to have a better second experience, so I’d give it another try. But I think something less trendy, more kid-friendly and affordable would be better for this location.

2025 update

They’ve added “classic” ice cream at a lower price point, $4 for 1 scoop and $6 for 2, in vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate. The “premium” MN Dairy Lab ice cream prices have increased to $5.50 for 1 scoop and decreased to $8 for 2 scoops.

The pricing structure is not very clear. I looked at the menu, saw the classic prices, ordered what turned out to be premium and was surprised at the register. There were no cones at all that day.

We tried the “oops all chocolate” and the salted pistachio. The chocolate was great. So far, their other flavors haven’t popped for me.

Enjoy native flowers at Lake Nokomis gardens and Naturescape

Lake Nokomis Naturescape

Find the Lake Nokomis Naturescape on the lake’s northeast shore (50th Street and Nokomis Parkway), near the 50th Street Beach.

Featuring a variety of native flowers and grasses, the naturescape is an official Monarch Waystation and National Wildlife Federation Backyard Habitat site. The original Minneapolis Monarch Festival celebrated the 10th anniversary of the naturescape.

Before 1850, the uplands of what is now Minneapolis were covered with prairie grasses, wildflowers, and scattered oak trees. This oak savanna plant community has become very rare.

This project—a 4-acre native planting—brings back a glimpse of this ecosystem and provides a model of sustainable landscaping for urban dwellers.

Neighborhood volunteers maintain the Naturescape Gardens, and are always happy to welcome new helpers! To learn more, check out the Nokomis Naturescape Facebook page.

Nokomis East Gateway Garden

Find the Nokomis East Gateway Garden at the corner of East 50th Street and Old Hiawatha. It’s kitty corner from the Minnehaha station of the Hiawatha LRT line. (Note: this is quite a ways east of lake, near Minnehaha Regional Park.)

It’s designed to resemble a Monarch butterfly wing when seen from an aerial view. Planted in October 2010, it’s made up of plants indigenous to the region, including a Bur Oak to represent the Oak Savanna found in this area centuries ago.

Neighborhood volunteers maintain the garden. Everyone is welcome to volunteer and visitors are encouraged. To learn more, see the Nokomis East Gateway Garden Facebook page.

Lake Nokomis Events

Monarch Festival

For 16 years, the annual Monarch Festival, or Festival de la Monarca, has been celebrating the monarch butterfly’s amazing 2,300 mile migration from Minnesota to Mexico.

The celebration includes music, food, dance, hands-on art, and a native plant sale. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to get up close with monarch butterflies, learn about their habitats and about what you can do to make a difference.

Because of ongoing habitat loss, monarchs are threatened with extinction. What a sad world it would be without these beautiful butterflies.

See the Minneapolis Monarch Festival Facebook Page for more information.

YWCA Women’s Triathlon

Created and run by the Minneapolis YWCA, the women’s triathlon celebrates the strength of all women as participants swim, bike and run around Lake Nokomis. Beginning as a small event in 2010, now over 1000 registrants are common. It’s one of the largest all-women triathlons in the country.

The event prides itself on welcoming athletes of every size, shape and level of ability. At the 15th annual women’s triathalon in 2024, over 950 athletes took part. Ranging in age from 11 to 82 years old, they hailed from 25 different U.S. states. 

The event course is also para-friendly for adaptive athletes. The YW offers training support opportunities for participants. My partner took part in the event a few years ago, and trained for months with other women who were registered, forming lasting friendships.

Not quite ready for triathalating? You can also join in as a volunteer. Learn more and register for the next event here.

Proceeds from the women’s triathlon support YWCA Minneapolis community programs.

U.S. Pond Hockey Championships

The nation’s premier outdoor pond hockey tournament is held annually at Lake Nokomis. The event brings hockey players and fans together for an incredible ten days of fun and fierce competition.

“Hockey the way nature intended,” outdoors on a lake, not inside on an ice rink!

Players compete in one of 11 divisions, including beginner, women’s, 40+, 50+, and Warrior for injured veterans. All strive to win the coveted golden shovel.

This is a big deal—media coverage includes ESPN, NBC and CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Thrillist, The Today Show and more.

January, 2025 will be the 20th anniversary of the pond hockey tournament. Check out the U.S. Pond Hockey website for information about the tournament, how to register to play or to attend.

Yoga at Nokomis

During the summer, free yoga classes are held on Saturday mornings at the main beach. The Friends of Lake Nokomis sponsors the yoga program.

Nokomis yoga sessions begin at 8am and last for approximately one hour. Bring your own mat. Check out the Friends Facebook page for lots of great information about happenings at the lake.

Where to Park and Visitor Information

The main parking lot for the lake is located at Lake Nokomis Main Beach. It’s a paid lot, and parking fees go to the Minneapolis Parks system to help maintain the parks.

There’s lots of places you can park for free, though, if you want to save some cash. Many people park on the street just across from the Main Beach. There are also a couple smaller, free parking lots (see map for locations). In addition, you can park on Lake Nokomis Parkway, in inset spaces, anywhere around the lake.

Lake Nokomis Main Beach Address and Parking
5001 Lake Nokomis Parkway W
Minneapolis, MN 55417

Further parking information can be found here.

Lake Nokomis is part of the Mineapolis Parks. It is also part of the Nokomis-Hiawatha Regional Park. Lake Nokomis Park info can be found here. Nokomis Main Beach info is here.

Lake Nokomis Map

Where to Picnic around the lake

There’s lots of picnic tables at Nokomis main beach, and grills, too. It can get to be quite a party atmosphere on summer weekends.

For a quieter picnic, head to the 50th street beach side of the lake and camp in the grass under mature shade trees. There is also one picnic table and grill next to the beach.

Restaurants near Lake Nokomis

I’ve got a full post up on the site listing restaurants near Lake Nokomis I personally recommend. You’ll also find the top coffee shops near Lake Nokomis, the finest Minneapolis ice cream shops nearby, and the best places to pick up a picnic.

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More in Minneapolis

• The Best Restaurants Near Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis
• Visit the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
• Eat your way around the Minnesota State Fair
• Enjoy a Romance Weekend at the Elliot Park Hotel

Explore More Urban Parks and Green Spaces

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• The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden