Sheryl Bakewell 320-760-5616

Osakis Area Guide

Osakis is a beautiful city located in both Douglas and Todd counties in Minnesota, named after the 6,300-acre sparking lake on which it is located. Osakis is 150 years strong and growing with a population of 1,610 residents and a rich sense of tradition and family. Visitors and new residents to this west central Minnesota city will find a variety of recreational opportunities, including resort lodging, gift and antique shops, restaurants and family attractions along with many community events and festivals that are held throughout the year. Lake Osakis is rated as one of the premier fishing lakes in the state featuring walleye, northern, large and small mouth bass, crappie, sunfish and even state record bullheads. Lake Osakis is also an important destination for bird watchers who want to see western and red-necked grebes, the hard-to-find Clark's grebe, pelicans, black and Forster's terns, Franklin's gulls and a variety of herons, egrets and waterfowl.

History

Originally home to the Archaic Indians, Osakis was not officially founded until 1857. In 1862, the troubles began the local native populations and the area cleared of white settlers. When the Native American troubles were finally over settlers began to drift back into the Osakis area and Donald Stevenson acquired the original claim. Donald Stevenson opened a grist mill, operated a freight line that ran from St. Cloud to Fort Abercrombie, had the village platted, and helped organized Douglas County. He was the first postmaster at Osakis and served on the first board of trustees of the Methodist Church.
In 1878 the railroad came to Osakis and soon Osakis farmers had a way of getting their wheat, potatoes, and livestock to market. In the early days, Osakis was a thriving trade center serving the rural farm communities. However, with the arrival of the automobile and hard roads, the business center of Osakis has declined. Tourism has always been a major industry in Osakis and that continues to flourish. For this and more information Osakis’ rich history, please visit: http://www.visitosakis.com/history.html.

Attractions and Activities

Osakis Country Club


Founded in 1962, the Osakis Country Club is a nine hole course was designed by Wally Mund. The course has continued to evolve and has developed into a scenic and challenging experience. The slope of the course is 125 with a rating of 69 (based on playing 18 holes). Discover more about golfing at Osakis Country Club by visiting their official website at: http://www.osakiscountryclub.com/.





Erickson’s Petting Zoo

Erickson’s Petting Zoo is a children’s petting zoo located on an old fashion farm. Erickson’s Petting Zoo hosts birthday parties and offers a mobile petting zoo and pony rides for festivals, fairs and special events. During the fall, the Zoo offers family fun with pumpkin patch, corn maze, bounce house, wagon rides and pony rides. Please visit their official website for more information. http://www.ericksonspettingzoo.com/

Osakis Area Heritage Center
320-859-3777
For a more detailed list of Osakis’ attractions and activities, please visit: http://www.visitosakis.com/recreation.html

Parks & Recreation

Lake Carlos State Park
Lake Carlos State Park contains a variety of environments ranging from tamarack bog and marshes to woodland ponds and lakes. Lake Carlos offers visitors a perfect setting for swimming, fishing, boating, camping, hiking, cross country skiing, and horseback riding.

Central Lakes Trail
The Central Lakes Trail is a 55 mile scenic State Trail that runs through the through the communities of Osakis, Nelson, Alexandria, Garfield, Brandon, Evansville, Melby, Ashby and beyond to Fergus Falls. The Central Lakes Trail is an all season recreational trail for off road non-motorized travel by biking, walking or rollerblading in the spring, summer and fall and snowmobiling in the winter. The trail also connects to the Lake Wobegon Trail, making the combined asphalt trail system over 120 miles and one of the longest paved trail systems in the country.

Lake Wobegon Trail
The Lake Wobegon Trail is a 46 mile long, 10 foot wide surfaced hike-and-bike pathway. The trail extends from the city of St. Joseph to the city of Osakis. The trail is also available for snowmobiling, bicycling, roller-skiers, roller-blading and, of course, walking.

For this and much more about Osakis’ parks and recreation services and facilities, please visit their official website at: http://www.visitosakis.com/recreation.html

Events

Osakis is home to numerous events throughout the year that range from a spectacular fireworks show at the Osakis Country Club to the wonderful Roddin Round the Lake Car Show. Come and see what all Osakis has to offer you! To find out more about Osakis’ annual events, please visit: http://visitosakis.com/events.html

For more detail about Osakis, MN, visit: http://www.visitosakis.com/