Ottertail, MN

Tucked along the northeast edge of Otter Tail Lake where Highways 78 and 108 meet, Ottertail is a welcoming Minnesota lake town. With around 600 year-round residents, it stays peaceful through the winter and buzzes with energy each summer as seasonal cabin owners and boaters return. Local cafes, bait shops, and lakeside spots give the community a friendly, easygoing feel, while paved walking and bike paths make it easy to get around without having to drive everywhere.

ATTRTony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States / CC BY-SA 2.0

The area has a long history dating back to the 1800s, when an earlier settlement served as the original county seat. After the railroad established a depot nearby, the town shifted a short distance to its current location along the tracks. Today, historic landmarks like the 1800s Saint Paul House sit alongside quiet residential streets and lakefront homes. Even the name comes from the lake itself, named after a natural otter-tail-shaped sandbar that still anchors the region's identity.