I walked the 8 miles around the lake! I started and ended at East Medicine Lake Park. It was a very well marked path that stayed close to the lake 50-60% of the time! It was fairly well shaded by trees. Approximately 3 bathroom and water opportunities. I saw a lot of new beaches and fishing points on this walk. It took 3 hours with a few stops. Overall 5/5 recommend for novice hikers! read more

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Medicine Lake is such a lovely lake and the perfect spot for a nice stroll. A perfect visit for solitude and also a nice lake to gather with a company of friends to walk and talk! It is located less than 10 miles from Minneapolis in the suburb of Plymouth, quick getaway from the city. There are lovely parks surrounding the lake, and the paths are nicely paved connecting to Minneapolis, Maple Grove, and Minnetonka. The paths are ideal for biking, running, and a nice stroll. There's lots and lots of parking, Medicine Lake is one of my favorite lakes and I love the walking paths something one can enjoy all year long with the change of seasons, oh the colors and the fragrance! It is one of the reasons I love living in the Twin Cities. The photos below is from my walk on Sunday June 12, 2022 which was a perfect early summer day. read more

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This is a great trail! You can park here and access the trails leading to Theo Wirth and many other spots. I saw many birds, passed a little closer to houses and streets than I liked but forfor it's location it is great. A beautiful view of the lake and tables to hang out if you don't have a blanket or chairs!! read more

Was looking to explore a new trail and happened to be NW of the Twin Cities, came here and fell in love! I parked at French Regional park and basically ran around Medicine Lake. It's not quite so much as a trail as it is a paved bike/jogging path and most of it is parallel to the road. The path also splits off and can go for quite a long way! It splits off the the East toward Minneapolis and toward the west, heading all the way toward Hutchinson! I loved the cottage-like houses surrounding the lake, the beautiful scenery, the few mild little hills, the many clear signs and the easy to read maps along the way! read more

Medicine Lake - Railroad ties for part of the path - Parks Near Me - Plymouth, Minnesota

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My daughter and son-in-law purchased a house in Plymouth near Medicine Lake. She talked about this lake for years, but I drove around it this week for the first time. Huge, with fantastic parks right on the lake, Medicine Lake makes living in Plymouth special. A well groomed bike path surrounds the lake, and everything near the lake is family friendly. What a wonderful aspect of nature to have on your door step. read more

This is, I've heard, the second biggest lake in the metro area. But it's in Plymouth, which is FAR if you live in the city and aren't accustomed to driving more than to Uptown. However, in the winter, which is when I go, Medicine Lake is a pretty cool place to visit. The Art Shanty Projects (http://www.artshantyprojects.org/) are set up near East Medicine Lake Park. The Art Shanties are created by local artists taking inspiration from the little ice shanties that ice fishing folks set up on Minnesota lakes. Except the Art Shanties are more likely to house karaoke, a radio station, puppet shows, or bird calls than actual fishing. A whole little village is set up out on the ice (mid January to mid February, provided the ice is thick enough). Kids love it. Older people too. It's really quite remarkable. I can't think of another place besides a lake where people are just allow to set up a little shack, let alone a whole bunch of them. Plus art cars will drive you out to the Art Shanties from the parking lot, which is nerve-wracking but good fun. Seeing how this is also the coldest time of the year, dress warmer than you might even think is wise and wear good boots. Frozen feet are the worst. read more

Medicine Lake - Parks Near Me - Plymouth, Minnesota

I am currently in Minnesota visiting my husband, and this weekend was really beautiful. ( The snow just finally melted ) We decided to walk around Medicine Lake. It is a lovely place which people around the area seem to take a lot of pride in. We walked along a bicycle/walking path for at least an hour and a half. As we were viewing the nearby homes along the way, we stumbled upon East Medicine Lake Park. It is a lovely place with a very nice sandy beach and picnic tables. Although there seemed to be a decent amount of people there, it is a nice quiet area to go take a picnic lunch to, enjoy the view, play in the sand, etc. The restrooms were still closed with a sign that said closed for the Winter which was my only disappointment. If you have some free time, this makes for a nice place to spend a part of a day. read more

Reviewing nature? I'm all in. We used to go to the parks on the shores of Medicine Lake and ride our bicycles alongside it all the way to the French Regional Park. The playgrounds on its shores are really nice. You can walk on the frozen lake during winter months, and it's pretty to see little lights representing ice-fishing folks during the long winter season. I drove along its shores to charge my batteries. The neighborhood around it is very pretty and the best thing is that it is 10-12 miles from downtown Minneapolis, so the idyllic setting is still has access to big-city amenities. read more

Medicine is the closest big lake to Minneapolis (less than 10 miles). There's good fishing, nice parks that are well maintained and constantly being updated/improved, it has nice paths around it and connecting to Minneapolis, Maple grove, and Westward past Minnetonka on the Luce line trail. It's popular for fishing in summer and winter, as well as water sports.....there's even an occassional sea plane, which I think are kind of cool. French Regional park dominates the North side. That is where the primary boat launch is. There's also a boat launch at the West Beach, but it's dates of use are limited mostly to early season and winter (for ice houses) last I checked. It's may be worth driving by to check if you want to drop a boat without the hassle of French Park's frequent cluster*u^ks. There's lots of parking there as well as a playground, forest walking path (across the street), seperate fishing and boat docks, picnic pavilions, biffs, and a shallow beach. Likes: Sand vollyball picnick shelters and grills docks paths for hiking or biking Plenty of parking Free Dislikes: Beach is too shallow for decent swimming Nazi life guards (no toys allowed, constantly making kids get out of water Etc.) Poop in the vollyball court (cat turds, I guess) Police roll in a couple times a day and like to bug people they suspect of drinking/smoking Always some sort of construction going on (only bothers me because I can hear it from my house, but apparently "improvements" are never ending) read more

If you haven't been out to the art shanties yet this year (http://www.artshantyprojects.org/), go! They're open until Feb. 5. We went last Saturday, and it was a chilly good time. We sang along with monsters in the monster shanty (super fun, and toasty!) and were scolded by the saucy ladies in the naughty shack. You can also spin yourself dizzy in the sitandspin egg, grab a hot (or not) dog and cocoa and build a fort. All in all, it was a great way to spend a cold winter day! read more

This is actually is a beautiful lake with wonderful trails and beaches. It also is actually only MAYBE 10 minutes from downtown Mpls.

Of all the lakes in my life, Medicine Lake is a close second to Rainy Lake, which is untoppable. It has three excellent parks, a nice system of trails, and an interesting shoreline with several peninsulas creating separate basins. In the summer, it is ideal for sailing [or waterskiing] and has been known for it from the years it had the Blue Water Sailing School. In the winter, it becomes first, a 1000 acre skating rink, then a great skiing surface dotted with ice shanties including the arty ones on the east end. I love living on the Western shore of this lake and never plan to move -- hardly anyone does. Where else can you enjoy lake life and then drive to a professional game in 15 minutes from your dock. read more

I love these expansive trail systems. My only qualm with them is there are so many trails around that it's hard for them to clear them all when it snows. I also don't like inconsiderate dog owners who let there dog crap in the middle of the trail and not clean up after them. You don't crap where you walk people! read more

I used to come here everyday when I lived in Minnesota. Why everyday? That was because I used to live in Medicine Lake Apartment which is just right next the the Medicine Lake. It is an awesome place if you just want to relax or enjoy some quality family time. I always bring my book to the shore and read. read more

As a resident of the peninsula on Medicine Lake, I can't say enough positive things about the beauty of this lake. I am not a city person; I hate the traffic, hustle and bustle, and pollution. This lake offers a piece of paradise in the city. Swimming is great during the summer! read more