Four Seasons of Fun

With four distinct seasons and an abundance of natural resources, the Twin Cities area provides a rich array of recreational activities.

Imagine a city with 22 lakes and a metropolitan area with more than 1,000 lakes—and you can begin to get a sense of Minneapolis and the Twin Cities. A 13.3 mile biking/walking/jogging path connects Minneapolis’s Chain of Lakes, providing many beautiful settings for a variety of activities. Each major lake is encircled by two separate paths. One path is for biking and rollerblading in spring, summer, and fall and for cross-country skiing in winter. The second path is for pedestrians and joggers year round (this path does get plowed during the winter!).

Major city lakes have lifeguard-protected sand beaches, docks for sailboats, canoes, and kayaks, and fishing year-round. There are outdoor concerts and plays during the summer at the Lake Harriet Bandshell and other park venues, and ice skating in the winter.

A full four seasons of fun— and the seasons generally are not quite as extreme as some may think!