A yard sign from the Minneapolis park and Recreation Board seeking to find those responsible for cutting down large trees.

Litle Ember Co. Sauna Sessions mobile sauna at Cedar Lake in Minneapolis.

Trees changing colors reflecting on the water of Cedar Lake in Minneapolis.

Hidden Beach on Cedar Lake during above average high temperatures in late September. The beach is on the shore of Cedar Lake.

Another new bench on Cedar Lake. This one with a plaque that reads "for my husband Geoffrey Hellman who finds his peace here on the shores of Cedar Lake. Randi" For $5,000 you too can have a bench with your name on it for 10 years..

A temporary “Turtle X-ing” sign stands beside a paved trail managed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, reminding cyclists and pedestrians to slow down for turtles crossing the path. Each spring and summer, snapping and painted turtles migrate between nearby lakes and wetlands to lay eggs in sandy soil along the city’s parkways. These seasonal signs are part of Minneapolis’s broader effort to balance recreation with urban wildlife protection, especially around the Chain of Lakes and Minnehaha Creek trail systems.

A fisherman casts a rod into Cedar Lake in Minneapolis on September 11, 2024.

Fishing at Cedar Lake in Minneapolis.

Cedar Lake in South Minneapolis, September 2023.

Hidden beach during a smokey day from Canadian wildfires. June 14, 2023.

Reflections on Cedar Lake in Minneapolis before wildfire smoke rolled into the city.

Cedar Lake South Beach in Minneapolis, photographed in the evening light, captures one of the city’s quieter public beaches along the Chain of Lakes. Located west of Bde Maka Ska, Cedar Lake is known for its natural shoreline and tree-lined surroundings, offering a more secluded experience compared to the busier neighboring lakes. The sandy beach, calm water, and sailboats anchored offshore highlight Minneapolis’s integration of recreation, nature, and urban life within a few miles of downtown.