Traveling by Water in Alex

Photos Courtesy of Explore Alexandria

When you drive around the Alexandria Lakes Area you realize there is a lot of water in the county, but few realize just how much there is. Douglas County’s GIS office calculates the amount of water acreage to be over 99,000 acres. That means more than 21% of the county is covered in water. Numbers are one thing, but seeing it is another. One quick way to seeing the sheer volume of H2O is to get in a plane and fly over it. Alexandria Aviation offers scenic plane rides. The first time I remember going up in a plane over Alexandria, within 15 seconds we were high enough to start seeing enough water that I questioned, “How can there be enough land to support all of our houses?” The short answer is, “on the other 79% of the county’s acreage”.

Seeing it from above is one way, experiencing all the lakes, streams and rivers first-hand is a lot more fun. A couple of friends wanted to test out the lakes navigation among the Chain of Lakes. Scott Larson, an Alexandria alum and current geologist, had the crazy idea that he could paddle from Lake Miltona to Lake Victoria on a paddleboard. The answer is “Yes, you can do it.” He told his friend Jason Lybeck about it and the quest began.

The path would cover 13 lakes and a lot of connecting waterways. It was approximately 26 miles, and the maiden voyage took about 12 hours, but it could be done! The end result is what’s now called the annual “ Big Ole Paddlefest ” in mid-July. They’ve created three different race lengths, with the longest being called the Big Ole, the middle length is called the Sven and the shortest is called the Lena. The following morning people are invited to journey down another body of water, the Long Prairie River on a leisurely trek.

There are so many ways to enjoy all of this water. For decades people have been coming up “to the lake” to enjoy fishing. With just over 300 lakes in the county and 65 public landings, you can get into many different lakes to try your luck. Family outings are popular but the Alexandria Lakes Area has also gained the attention of pro bass and walleye tournaments over the years.

The expansion of water toys and personal watercraft has expanded the way to explore the lakes. Kayaks, personal watercraft, e-foiling, wake and wing foiling are growing in popularity, but there’s nothing that can replace good old swimming at the beach or off the pontoon. The County has expanded its beach properties with the work they’ve done at both Lake Brophy and Pilgrim Point County Parks. Both parks have beautiful beaches . Lake Carlos State Park is another popular place to swim.

The good news about the Alexandria Lakes Area is that there IS more than “just” the water activities. The aforementioned parks, plus numerous others, provide a great place to walk, picnic, or just relax. Bike paths, both paved and mountain bike, provide a chance to get a little wind in your hair and some adrenaline flowing through your body. If you like to golf, the area sports nine golf courses as part of the Chain of Links golf trail . The area is also home to 24 indoor/outdoor pickleball courts. There are outdoor concerts and venues on multiple nights every week of the summer. Breweries, wineries, distilleries, restaurants, museums and more provide great gathering places during your visit.

If you like the water, great, we have plenty to share. Just take the short drive to Alexandria and start exploring…or better yet, fly in if you get the chance. #ExploreAlex

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