Lac qui Parle County

Lac qui Parle is French for “lake that speaks,” a fitting name the French explorers gave the lake in the region. Visit the lake in Lac qui Parle State Park in the spring or fall and you’ll understand why. As a stopover for thousands of migratory Canada geese and other waterfowl, the lake area resounds a delightful chorus of honking, quacking, and other bird calls.

Today, the lake and river define the northeast boundary of Lac qui Parle County. Bordering lakes (including Marsh Lake upstream from Lac qui Parle Lake) offer some of the area’s best wildlife viewing and birding opportunities. Paddle the lake; cast a line and catch walleye, northern, perch, and crappies; explore the trails by foot or horseback; or canoe or kayak the many challenging stretches of the Lac qui Parle River. The county is home to families who have lived here for generations, while many new folks visit annually to enjoy the tremendous outdoor recreation opportunities, strong farming economy, and the convenience of widespread fiber optic broadband internet access.

Lac qui Parle State Park

Enjoy the outdoors at Lac qui Parle State Park. Check out the outdoor recreation that awaits!

Historic sites
Swimming Beach
Hiking Trail
Lake/River Access (Boat Ramp)
Cross Country Ski Trail (groomed)

Lac qui Parle County Park

A four seasons park perfect for sledding and snowshoeing in the winter or fishing, camping, and hiking in the summer. A unique feature of the park is the rich riverbank landscape with sheer 60-foot cut-banks. The natural resources of the park provide for a unique experience.

Lac qui Parle Lake

Walleye and waterfowl are two things that come to mind when outdoorsman around Minnesota hear the words Lac Qui Parle Lake. Lac Qui Parle has a tradition of being one of the best walleye fisheries in the state! (photo credit: Kelly Lund)

Salt Lake

It is the only alkaline lake in Minnesota and its water is approximately one-third the salinity of sea water. The site is one of the most popular birdwatching sites in Minnesota. There have been 141 different species of birds that have been identified by birders in the vicinity of the lake.

SALT LAKE WMA

LqP County Museum

The Lac qui Parle County Museum‘s mission is to represent visually and chronologically the priceless heritage of Lac qui Parle County.

Robert Bly Study Museum

The studio was hauled over to the Lac qui Parle County Museum Robert Bly, Madison’s native son and Minnesota’s first Poet Laureate, donated the building he used as a study. In 1999 with Bly’s books and furniture intact. It is where Bly wrote ‘Silence in the Snowy Fields’ and where his four children played on the wooden floor, separated from their father by a curtain so that Bly could think.” Laurie Hertzel, The Poet Comes Home.

Lac qui Parle County Fair

Nicknamed the “Little Minnesota State Fair,” the Lac qui Parle County Fair (located in Madison) falls during the week/weekend following Labor Day, giving one last shot at family-friendly fair fun—in case you couldn’t make it to St. Paul for the “Great Minnesota Get-Together.” The fair boasts the Minnesota High School Rodeo, live music and events, rides, games, food and beverage vendors, 4-H showings and just about everything else you’d expect to find at a classic county fair.