Lake Minnetonka Real Estate » Lake Minnetonka Islands » Enchanted Island

Enchanted Island on Lake Minnetonka

Enchanted Island lies just south of Phelps Island on the Upper Lake, across Zimmerman Pass. The road reaches it through Phelps, while the shoreline looks toward Phelps Bay and the surrounding island waters. It is a private residential neighborhood with a name that belongs to the lake's earliest summer years.

McCormick's and Boulder Lodge

Before Enchanted became the familiar name, the island was known as McCormick's Island. Samuel McCormick lived here and was involved in building and selling steamboats. In a lake community where much of the traffic traveled by water, that was a useful business to have on your doorstep.

In 1877, Charles A. Zimmerman, a St. Paul photographer, bought property here and established Boulder Lodge. His name also became part of the lake's steamboat history, associated with the Belle of Minnetonka and City of St. Louis. Zimmerman Pass keeps that connection in the present-day geography.

Older histories associate the island with Dakota gathering places. The stories surrounding its name are less definite, and an exact explanation for Enchanted should be treated with care.

Living on Enchanted

Road access makes the daily routine straightforward, but the setting remains distinctly an island one. Shoreline direction, trees and the distance across the water give each property its own outlook. Nearby Shady Island and Phelps Island are useful comparisons when considering this part of the lake.

For a closer look at property around Enchanted Island, contact Daniel and Elisha Gustafson.