Minnie Island State Park is a public recreation area occupying a tiny island at the southern end of 529-acre (214 ha) Gardner Lake[3] that is split by the townline between Salem and Montville, Connecticut.

It is accessible only via boat and offers opportunities for picnicking and fishing[2] as well as general exploration in a largely deserted setting.

[6] In the 1920s, an attempt by squatters to take possession led to the discovery that although the island was claimed by both Salem and Montville, it was not on the tax rolls of either town.

[7] Writers working for the WPA in the 1930s described Minnie Island as "a pine-grown knoll rising from the lake's depths.

[3] The island is thickly forested with mountain laurel undergrowth amidst large red oaks.