Area History

Orr, Minnesota, located along U.S. Hwy. 53, is the gateway to Pelican Lake and Voyageurs National Park. The Orr area offers outstanding fishing, hiking trails, several resorts that cater to families and one of the nicest visitor centers in the region. It is also home to the Vince Shute Bear Sanctuary, perhaps the best place in the United States to view wild black bears.

Known as the "Home of the Giant Bluegill," Pelican Lake offers great fishing for a wide range of northern species, including bluegills, crappies, walleye and northern pike. The lake's relatively shallow waters also make it attractive to a large population of white pelicans, which are always an impressive sight. The lake also attracts large numbers of migrating waterfowl each fall.

Just to the north of Orr, Voyageurs National Park provides some of the best boating in the country, with over two hundred thousand acres of land and water all intertwined amid islands, bays and wild peninsulas. The area is home to dozens of nesting bald eagles, timber wolves, moose, beaver, bears, and much more. It has been described as "one of the crown jewels of America's natural heritage."

If you're in the area, the town of Orr offers many services, including a full grocery, a hardware store and lumberyard, a unique general store, sporting goods, motels, a new and used car dealership, a newspaper, and several cafes. While you're there, be sure to stretch your legs on the Orr Bogwalk, located at the visitor center. This half mile boardwalk travels through a wide range of wetland types, giving visitors a chance to view insect-eating pitcher plants, wild orchids, marsh marigolds and more. Interpretive signs are located along the way.