Otter Tail County is home to more than 1,000 lakes and is located about 3 hours Northwest of the Twin Cities. It includes the towns of Fergus Falls, Perham, Pelican Rapids, Battle Lake, and more! A great destination for the summer with fishing, lake activities, state parks, cute shops, breweries, and the list goes on!
Keep reading for our list of things to do in Otter Tail County, broken up by town. Also see my google map that also includes places we didn’t get the chance to visit, but want to someday!
This post is sponsored by Otter Tail County and Explore Minnesota, but all opinions are my own.
Where we stayed
Lakes Inn at Dunvilla
Lakes Inn at Dunvilla is located in the northern portion of Otter Tail County. This cute hotel is sparkling clean and the management is so friendly! We had a king room, and had plenty of space for our pack and play and all the things that come with traveling with an infant 🙂
There’s free breakfast in the morning, which during COVID was delivered to our room. There’s also a pool and hot tub. And we loved the view of our room looking over the wedding venue! Such a great spot!
Things to do in Otter Tail County – Battle Lake
1910 Sip House
How unique is this spot?! 1910 Sip House is a cider house located in a little grain bin. Try everything from their signature dry cider to cider with pickle juice to cider cocktails! The pickle juice one was my fav! It’s definitely worth the drive outside of town, with great indoor and outdoor space.
Glendalough State Park
Glendalough State Park includes 5 different lakes, where Annie Battle Lake doesn’t allow any motorized boats or electronics (like depth finders). This makes it great for water sports like kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, water biking, and swimming! And Galloping Goose Rentals provides rentals for all of these on-site. They also have many different kinds of bikes for the park’s bike trails.
Also make sure to stop by the historic lodge on site which used to be a hunting lodge that was visited by people like Nixon and Eisenhower. So cool!
If you’re looking for a nice walk, I would recommend the Beaver Pond Trail. It follows a stream, beaver pond, and Blanche Lake. It was only about a mile total!
Neverwinter Boutique
If you’re getting the urge to shop, Neverwinter is a cute boutique located right downtown. Neverwinter is actually a Minnesota clothing brand, so you can find their cute styles here! They also have a boutique full of clothes and gifts, and they’re adding swimsuits this summer!
Stella’s Bistro and Wine Bar
Stella’s Bistro and Wine Bar is located downtown and offers food you wouldn’t expect in such a small town. We ordered the walleye tacos and Thai chicken wrap. And the lavender lemonade is amazing. We loved the cute atmosphere both inside and outside. Next time we’re coming back for wine 🙂
Ashby Brewing Company
For beer and pizza, head to Ashby Brewing Company (or ABC Brewing). I recommend the amber ale. We didn’t have a chance to try the pizza but it looked so good! There was even live music outside on the patio – fun!
Things to do in Otter Tail County – Pelican Bay
Pelican Pete
You can find Pelican Pete downtown Pelican Bay by the dam. Stop by for a photo or take a break in the park!
Maplewood State Park
Maplewood is another beautiful state park in Otter Tail County. Experience shady hollows, wooded knolls, and spectacular prairie restoration. We chose to do the hike up Hallaway Hill for great views of the lakes in the area. It was so pretty! And only 1/2 mile each way.
Things to do in Otter Tail County – Vergas
Blackboard
Located in an old schoolhouse, Blackboard offers fresh menu items that change daily. We tried the walleye fingers and lemon pepper wings. Yum! But the real winners in my book were the cocktails and homemade ice cream sandwiches. I had the peach guava punch (SO refreshing!) and the rocky road ice cream sandwich. Yum, again! For sure worth the drive outside of town!
World’s Largest Loon
Another quirky roadside attraction is the World’s Largest Loon located on Long Lake. I’m a sucker for these photo ops and this is a fun, Minnesota one!
Things to do in Otter Tail County – Underwood
Phelps Mill County Park
For all the history buffs out there, Phelps Mill Park is a must-stop. This flour mill was built in 1889 and you can still visit all 3 floors of the mill. This little museum still has many of the original machines and equipment. The park outside is also beautiful!
Things to do in Otter Tail County – Perham
Disgruntled Brewing
We spent a good few hours relaxing in the pine tree-covered outdoor seating area at Disgruntled Brewing. The staff and the beer were great, but definitely go for the outdoor patio – such a nice up-north feel!
Nest
For fun shopping and coffee, stop by Nest. Grab a coffee and then shop around for lots of fun gifts and kitchen supplies. So cute!
Goose Gang
Every good lake town has a great candy shop, and Goose Gang is it in Perham! Grab some candy by oz and even some ice cream! I loved that this shop also sells local snacks like North Mallow, Northern Soda Company, and Dots Pretzels! This is also a toy store, so it’s a kid’s paradise!
Things to do in Otter Tail County – Fergus Falls
Otto the Otter
One last roadside statue to stop by in Otter Tail County is Otto the Otter! Located in grotto park, there’s also a great playground here!
Fergus Brewing
Our last stop in Otter Tail County was Fergus Brewing, and I had my favorite beer of the trip! The mango blonde was a refreshing not-so-sweet brew. We enjoyed the outdoor patio overlooking the river, but the indoor seating area is just as great!
There’s so many other fun things to do in Otter Tail County, make sure to check out my google map for more ideas!
Apparently I need to take a visit, there seems like lots to do, and all activities I love!
My family has a cabin up in that area! Besides the State Parks, we’ve only ever been to Stellas. Thanks for the other fun ideas! We’ll have to check them out!
PS- Your baby is adorable!