Gale Island

A small, wooded retreat that feels like a secret the lake has been keeping all along

Gale Island is modest—just a couple of acres—but its charm is timeless. The island takes its name from Harlow Gale, a Minneapolis developer who bought it in 1871 for $2.45, a bargain by any measure. He built an octagonal summer cabin, Brightwood, which still stands today.

Even before the Gales made it a summer haven, the island had quietly borne witness to history. During the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, settlers in nearby Excelsior prepared a stockade on Gale Island, fearing conflict on the frontier. Though the fort was never needed, it hints at a time when the lake’s sparkling waters were shadowed by uncertainty—a stark contrast to the serene retreat the island would later become.

Through the decades, Gale Island has changed hands, even serving as a retreat for St. Olaf College in the 1960s, yet its essence remains untouched. Today it is privately held, accessible only to the few who call it their own, its woods and shores a quiet testament to the passage of time.