Brownie: The little lost lake

The uneven footpath around Brownie Lake is forest floor, not pavement. It's been worn down not by hundreds of pairs of jogging feet and bicycle wheels per hour, but over many years by lone dog walkers, romantic couples and fishermen who crave the feeling of being way out in the woods, in the middle of the city.

For longtime lovers of Harriet, Calhoun and Isles, learning of a fourth sibling in Minneapolis' famous Chain of Lakes is like discovering another Brontë sister or musketeer. Smallest in the chain at less than 12 acres of water, Brownie is often dubbed "the forgotten one" -- partly because of minimal development, but mostly thanks to limited access: via stairs off Cedar Lake Parkway, via kayak or canoe through a tunnel from Cedar Lake, or from the adjacent regional bike trail.

Named for a 19th-century landowner's daughter (according to a handwritten note on old documents), Brownie is a 28-acre site nestled between Cedar Lake and Theodore Wirth Park. People who pass one another, infrequently, on the rustic trail exchange knowing smiles or politely ignore each other. It's not personal; members of the unofficial Brownie Lake club know that the sound of silence (and the occasional mountain-bike rough rider) is why they've opted for this lake instead of the cheek-by-jowl traffic and noise of the more popular Calhoun, Harriet and Isles.

Many of secluded little Brownie's regulars have come to feel protective of their secret idyll-by-the-freeway, but it might be in for changes soon. A citizens' advisory committee is being formed this year to come up with a development plan for the little-known gem. But her fans need not despair, said spokeswoman Dawn Sommers of the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board.

"When there's no plan for parkland, there's as much potential for misuse as good use," she said. "They're looking at how to retain the lake's natural-oasis character, the quality of the water and habitat, through low-impact, natural-resource-based uses, like walking, birdwatching and canoeing."

Canoeists and pedestrians have added incentive to visit soon: "Minne" the lake creature, a dinosaurlike sculpture that makes the rounds of Minneapolis lakes, currently resides in Brownie Lake. Even sea monsters need their privacy.

Kristin Tillotson • 612-673-7046