Expansive wildlife area located south of BL

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

Take a drive south of Battle Lake, about 15 miles along Highway 78, and you will arrive at a beautiful area near Lake Christina, with a large hill that is mountainous. This is the home of the Seven Sisters Prairie wildlife area where the counties of Otter Tail, Grant and Douglas counties all come together.

Seven Sisters Prairie is a 136-acre nature area in the southern-most section of Otter Tail County. This nature area is, in the words of many visitors, “absolutely beautiful” and much different from Minnesota’s most famous landscapes.

You pass through the three counties over a stretch of about two miles in this area. A person can also get to this location, from Interstate 94, by taking the Ashby exit, passing near Ashby and then heading three miles northeast of Ashby on Highway 78.

The “mountain” of Seven Sisters Prairie rises 190 feet above Lake Christina, to the south. This gives hikers a panoramic view of the surrounding area. Park just off Highway 78 where you see the Seven Sisters Prairie sign and a nearby parking lot.

This area of southern Otter Tail County was purchased in 1978 by the Nature Conservancy, a global environmental organization. 

When visitors reach the top of the hill at the Seven Sisters Prairie wildlife area, they are greeted by a wonderful sight. On a clear day they can see for miles around, including the wonderful view of Lake Christina, to the south.

In warmer months, visitors to the Seven Sisters Prairie wildlife area find colorful wildflowers. Nearby Lake Christina is host to ducks and orioles, a common song bird in Minnesota with a bright orange color along with a black and white head and back.

All in all, this location in southern Otter Tail County is something really special that you don’t see very often. Take the opportunity to visit the Seven Sisters Prairie wildlife area south of Battle Lake and northeast of Ashby.