Duck Lake
After exploring the bigger and better known bodies of water in this region (some better known than others), it is fair to say that one of my favorites is a small, relatively unknown lake about fifteen minutes away.
Near well-known Madison Lake (a lake and neighboring town) is an overgrown pond called Duck Lake. It’s small, quiet and relatively private. An unassuming, unmarked road brings you to the entry gate of the park attached to the lake- the only part of the lake that appears accessible. Driving in, you pass a children’s play area, picnic benches and the caretakers’ house. This is one of the few parks I’m aware of that still has live-in caretakers. For the price of patrolling the area for trash and generally ensuring the park is well-maintained, the caretakers live rent free on the park grounds. It’s a great deal for them, and the city gets cheap labor. Their presence also benefits the park by adding a sense of warmth to the area. They clearly love the park, and are welcoming, friendly folk.
The main feature of the park area is the picnic shelter. Being this is Minnesota, it’s common for shelters to have retractable walls, functioning much like garage doors. Up on nicer days, they’re easy to pull down when the wind or rain pick up. And since we had snow for six months last year, those walls made all the difference. Even better, inside the shelter, built into the far brick wall, is a huge fireplace capable of heating the entire room. Sofas have been parked around the fireplace, creating a living room-like atmosphere that’s conducive to chatting up whoever happens to be sitting next to you.
The park caretakers also like to share their lake with people, and often throw parties for anyone and everyone. Random picnics-cum-parties occur sporadically during the spring and summer, motivating people to get out of the city and enjoy nature for a day. Pick up games of drunken Frisbee take place near the green belt, while lakeside people lounge, joke and grill on the barbeque. There is also an annual music festival in July, with popular local bands playing while people spread out in the grass, hula hoop, or watch their children play on the swings. Pets and children are always welcome at the park, with the standard request of picking up after them. This year’s music festival was also a fundraiser for the local food bank. While no tickets were sold, a donation was requested upon entry of either canned food or a cash denomination of your choice. Even with the persistent drizzle, people had a great time, the music was rocking, lots of cash and cans were collected, and, as usual at Duck Lake, I ran into several people I hadn’t seen in too long.
The larger, more frequented sites such as Wazee Lake in Wisconsin, Falls Park and the Big Sioux River in South Dakota, and, of course, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota, are draws for many reasons. They’re beautiful, they’re unusual, they’re well worth seeing. But Duck Lake offers something these other places don’t have for me- warmth and welcome and the promise of friends, new and old.
