New recreational trail in planning stages in OTC
News | Published on February 3, 2026 at 5:50pm GMT+0000 | Author: Tucker Henderson
0By Tom Hintgen
Otter Tail County Correspondent
Grants from the state of Minnesota sales tax revenue from the Legacy Amendment, approved by state voters in 2008, will be used by Otter Tail County for design work of one section of the Glacial Edge Trail. This section will run from the northwest section of Maplewood State Park southward to Highway 24 at the southwestern section of the state park.
Two more sections of the trail will eventually run from Fergus Falls northward to the intersection of Highways 3 and 24, east of Erhard and near Maplewood State Park. The Glacial Edge Trail will be used for walkers, bikers and runners in warmer weather and during colder weather for snowshoers and cross-country skiers.
On Tuesday morning, Jan. 27, the county board of commissioners, following the recommendation of county Parks and Trails Director Kevin Fellbaum, approved the first phase of the project near the western side of Maplewood State Park. Grants from the state of Minnesota, for design work, total $939,000.
“If the planning phase for an unforeseen reason exceeds the grant total from the state, Otter Tail County commissioners will fully complete the phase one project using money from the county’s parks and trails account,” Fellbaum said.
Commissioners appointed Fellbaum to oversee this phase one work for establishment of the Glacial Edge Trail. The new trail will connect Fergus Falls to Maplewood State Park and to the Pelican Rapids to Perham regional trail, now referred to as the Heart of the Lakes Regional Trail.
Both the Glacial Edge Trail and the Heart of the Lakes Regional Trail from Pelican Rapids to Perham, running through Maplewood State Park east of Pelican Rapids, have been designated as regional trails by the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission.