Things To Do In Otter Tail County, Minnesota
This last weekend we had a lot of fun exploring Otter Tail County, Minnesota. Here are ideas of things to do when visiting!
This past weekend Vince and I found our Inner Otter in Otter Tail County, Minnesota! :) The county is about 2.5 hours northwest of Minneapolis and has so much beauty to offer! It has over 1,000 lakes in the county (the most of any county in the US) as well as two state parks. I have made a list of things to do and where you can stay below.
*I created this interactive map to show everything that I talk about below*
State Parks
1. Maplewood
There is so much beauty to see here! :) We actually took food and had a meal here, and it was so peaceful! They had a lot of picnic tables and grills for people to enjoy. There spread out really well so you aren't right on top of other people. They also have a couple fun hikes here. It would be a great place to bring a paddle board or kayak and take it out one of the few lakes in the state park!
2. Glendalough
Out of everything we did, this was the first place we went and absolutely enjoyed it! There is a place where you can rent bikes, non-electric water equipment, etc. that can offer so many fun activities for you to do. We checked out a two person bike and took it out on the 5.5 mile path that goes around the whole state park. It was SO gorgeous and we loved going through the beautiful terrain. We also made great memories and shared good laughs on the bike as well.
Breweries
1. Thousand Lakes Brewing Co.
This brewery was right by our hotel and is relatively new to the area. We only took out pizza and a crowler from here, but the location is really nice and one of the few places in Parkers Prairie to get food. The pizza they have is a local frozen pizza brand that they make in a pizza over and it really hit the spot. The sour we got was also really tasty! If we ever are back up that way, I would go back!
2. ABC Brewing Co.
This is a local spot near Ashby. The bartender was so friendly and helped us get an awesome flight together. We also tried one of their pizzas, and she was so helpful helping us pick the perfect one for that as well. The pizza was something I had never had before. It had a cheese sauce, bacon, spinach, and an eg in the middle of it. It was so unique and SO good!
3. 1910 Sip House
This was an experience like none other! The Sip House was turned into a cidery from and old grainery. It was so cool to step inside, and it had a really cozy vibe. The owners were so friendly and let us try a few different drinks before making our final choice. Their cider was really delicious and they can add several different flavors to the drinks to make them each unique. Unfortunately, it was raining while we were there, but they have a really great outdoor area to sit and enjoy the cider as well!
4. Disgruntled Brewing
This was probably our favorite brewery of the whole trip. The atmosphere was great and the beer tasted amazing! We got a fun flight of beers and they had some of the best sours I have tasted! They also had a pastry stout made with Oreos, you could really taste them!! They also have a supppper cute outdoor area to sit that would be so fun with a group of friends or family.
5. Fergus Brewing Company
This brewery hands down had the best views out of the breweries we went to during our trip. It sits up a bit on a hill and over looks the river. It was a beautiful day when we visited, so we were able to sit outside and enjoy the views. We also got a flight here, and they had some good tasting beers. It wasn't our favorite beers out of the ones we tried that weekend, but they still tasted great!
Instagrammable Spots
1. Otto The Otter - A cute otter to snap a picture by!
2. Minnesota Mural in Perham - It has beautiful detail of the state of Minnesota
Other Things To Do
1. Inspiration Peak
This was fun hike for us to do. It was really nice because it was short, but I do warn, it is an up hill climb the whole way! The views from the top are so so worth it though, because you can see for so far. It is the highest point in the county and one of the highest points in the whole state! We sat up here for a while, with the hole place to ourselves! It was really worth seeing.
2. Central Lakes Trail Park
This trail goes for over 55 miles and spans across most of the county and you can walk, bike, rollerblade, etc. I was really excited when I read that this was a good place to rollerblade. Vince got his own set of rollerblades and we went exploring! We got on the trail in Fergus Falls, and were so impressed with how smooth the trails were. It is really important with rollerblades to find these smooth trails so that you aren't tripping on broken cement or anything! There were lakes along the way, and it was such a beautiful trail.
3. Visit a Lake (You have a lot to choose from!)
As I mentioned earlier, there are over 1,000 lakes in the whole county and that gives you a lot of options of lakes to chose from! This would be a great spot to paddle board/canoe, go out on a boat, fish, or whatever else you love to do by a lake. There is so much beauty in Otter Tail County and I recommend you going and #findingyourinnerotter.