The Otter Tail Scenic Byway

The Otter Tail Scenic Byway winds over wooded hills and farmlands, taking in Inspiration Peak, Phelps Mill, a veterans museum in Perham, and a collection of welded sculptures in Vining, among other attractions. 

Never heard of these places? Not surprising. This pocket of lakes and hills, located in the west-central slice of the state on the edge of the Red River Valley, is overlooked and underappreciated by vacationers more typically heading to the North Shore or Boundary Waters. But the fact is, this lake land centered on Otter Tail County is beautiful, with overlooks of hardwood hills, secluded little hollows, dozens of lakes large and small, and varied (and relatively unvisited) state parks. 

The 150-mile loop makes a perfect weekend getaway, whether you enjoy prowling through museums and art galleries, hiking, camping out, or relaxing in bed and breakfasts. To get started, download the route (minnesotascenicbyways.com/ottertrail.html), grab a highway map, and head northwest on I-94.

Day 1
West of Osakis on I-94, about 140 miles west of the Cities, head north on County Road 40 and then 12 to pick up the Otter Trail at Urbank, the closest trail point to the Twin Cities. Head west on County 38 for an invigorating hike at Inspiration Peak State Wayside Park. Amid the Leaf Mountains (named by the Ojibwe “Rustling Leaf Mountains” for reasons easy to imagine when a breeze stirs the many oaks) is a 1,750-foot knob that rises 400 feet above the surrounding countryside. A tarred path leads to the top, with a surprising panoramic view of surrounding hills, lakes, and forest. The spot was well known to Minnesota novelist Sinclair Lewis. From the crest of Inspiration Peak, he wrote, “there’s to be seen a glorious 20-mile circle of some 50 lakes scattered among fields and pastures, like sequins fallen on an old paisley shawl.” 

Follow the byway signs westward over rolling hills on a series of country roads. A short detour on Highway 78 about three miles east of Ashby takes you to Seven Sisters Prairie, 136 acres owned by The Nature Conservancy. Seven rounded knobs crown a 190-foot-high hill rising above the north shore of Lake Christina. Park in front of the gated road leading into the gravel pit. 

If you brought your bike, park the car in Dalton and pedal the Central Lakes Bike Trail west to Fergus Falls, or ride east to Osakis, where the paved 55-mile-long trail joins the Lake Wobegon Trail for even more easy riding. 

Fergus Falls (population 14,000) is the largest town on the tour. The rushing Otter Tail River bisects the compact downtown; a century ago, two mills on opposite sides of the river ground 500 barrels of flour a day. Today, there’s plenty to see around town. Just south of downtown is the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center (602 Hwy. 210 E., 218-998-4480), a 330-acre U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service area devoted to environmental education and restoration of native prairie and wetlands. Hiking trails and grounds are open daylight hours, year round. The Otter Tail County Historical Museum (1110 Lincoln Ave. W., 218-736-6038), meanwhile, portrays Native American history and European settlement of the area with exhibits on agriculture and farm life. You can also walk down a recreated 1910s main street. 

View the painting, woodcuts, and sculptures of Charles Beck and other local artists at Fergus Falls’ nonprofit Kaddatz Galleries (111 Lincoln Ave. W., 218-998-4405), housed in the 95-year-old building that was once the Kaddatz Hotel. Nearby, in the old Fergus Theatre, is A Center for the Arts (124 Lincoln Ave. W., 218-998-2787). Plan ahead to take in a concert (from classical to jazz), film, dance performance, or musical (this summer, The King and I). 

For dinner, try the casual fare at Mabel Murphy’s restaurant and pub on the edge of town (Hwy. 210 at I-94, 218-739-4406). Then consider spending the night at Forest Lodge Farms Bed & Breakfast ($85–$150/night; 21802 Forest Lodge Rd., 218-736-7427), a charming lakeside farmhouse inn just outside town that recently reopened after an extensive renovation.

Day 2
After breakfast, head north and east on County Road 1 to Phelps Mill (Cty. Rd. 45 at Phelps Mill Rd.), surely one of the most picturesque county parks around. The mill, built in 1889 and once called the Maine Roller Mill, sits alongside a small dam on the clear Otter Tail River. If you’re traveling on the second weekend in July, stop for the Phelps Mill Arts and Crafts Festival. (Fun fact: William O. Douglas, wilderness advocate and former U.S. Supreme Court justice, was born two miles away in Maine Township.) 

Follow the byway signs north to Maplewood State Park (seven miles east of Pelican Rapids on Minnesota 108, 218-863-8383). At 9,250 acres it’s the largest state park in the region. Forested hills overlook surrounding farmland. More than 20 sparkling lakes nestle in the hollows. Many provide good fishing for walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, and even some big muskies. Head to the south arm of Lake Lida for picnicking and swimming. The park has 35 miles of hiking trails and 20 miles of bridal trails. Because of the varied landscape, Maplewood is a great park for wildlife and bird watching. Campsites are available on several lakes. In addition to a large campground, the park has two seasonal camper cabins; it’s $45 a night for a cabin without electricity, $50 for one with power.

Follow Highway 108 through lakes and hills to Pelican Rapids (population 2,300), where a sculpture of the town’s namesake bird stands, perhaps a little hopefully, at a small waterfall.

The scenic byway turns back east on Highway 108 to Perham (population 2,700), a tidy town that recalls an era when small farm-country towns prospered. Along Perham’s refurbished Main Street are gift shops, including Bev’s Book Nook. Take a break at the Place in the Country & Gathering Grounds coffee shop, or visit the Lakes Café for cream pie piled high with fresh meringue. Beneath a colorful marquee just off Main, you’ll find the Comet, a movie house since 1938. While in Perham, pay a visit to the History Museum of East Otter Tail County (230 1st Ave. N., 218-346-7676). Housed in a hand-laid stone church building, it celebrates the region’s history with artifacts ranging from timetables of the Northern Pacific Railway trains that carried passengers and freight through town, to photos of early resorts that sprung up on nearby lakes. 

A standout attraction for such a small town is the museum In Their Own Words (805 W. Main St., 218-346-7678), a maze of video screens that tells the story of war through the oral histories of veterans from the area. For dinner, try the Station House restaurant (103 E. Main St., 218-346-7181). 

Drive south on Minnesota 78 toward Battle Lake for a good rest in peaceful countryside at Xanadu Island Bed and Breakfast (rooms $105–$165/night, cottages $130–$160/night with three-day minimum; 35484 235th St., 800-396-9043), a millionaire’s summer retreat built in 1922 on an island in Elbow Lake and accessible now by a narrow causeway. 

If you prefer your quiet countryside with a tent, pull into nearby Glendalough State Park (25287 Whitetail Lane, 218-864-0110) for the night. Once a corporate retreat for the owners of the Star Tribune, the park has nine miles of hiking trails, five miles for mountain bikes, and clear lakes for canoeing. Annie Battle Lake is a 335-acre non-motorized lake managed as a “heritage fishery” for sunfish, crappies, and largemouth bass. In addition to campsites, Glendalough has camper cabins.

Day 3
Stop in Battle Lake (population 797) to visit Art of the Lakes Gallery (108 Lake Ave. S., 218-864-8606), with exhibits of dozens of member artists. 

On your way back home, look for Ken Nyberg’s sculpture garden along Minnesota 210 near Vining. Using skills he developed assembling grain elevators, Nyberg cobbles together metal scraps into roadside attractions, including a big foot, a huge knot, a giant coffee cup supported by pouring “coffee,” and a host of bigger-than-life animals, from an elephant to, appropriately, an otter. Greg Breining is a St. Paul–based travel writer specializing in outdoor pursuits. His work appears regularly in these pages and The New York Times, among others.

Learn More: The Otter Tail Country Tourism Association will send you a free tourism guide and is the best resource for additional information about the region. Contact them at 800-423-4571 or ottertailcountry.com.