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Landscaping for Wildlife – A Closer Look at the Upgaard Reserve

Jul 12, 2019
2 min

Landscaping for Wildlife – A Closer Look at the Upgaard Reserve

This month is Lakes Appreciation Month and (besides delving into how awesome our area’s beaches are) we wanted to showcase some methods that may help you keep your lakes the best they can be. So, first things first: It’s important to understand that healthy lakes will be able to support all kinds of wildlife, including fish, waterfowl, insects, amphibians, and even larger creatures such as deer and other large mammals. According to the US Forest Service, wildlife have four th

It’s Clean Beaches Week! BLA’s Best Beaches

Jul 1, 2019
6 min

It’s Clean Beaches Week! BLA’s Best Beaches

July 1-7 is Clean Beach Week, and boy does the Brainerd Lakes Area have some doozys! Let’s be frank: They don’t call it the Brainerd Lakes Area for nothing. As we get into the dog days of summer, there’s no better time to make use of the area’s namesake. But before you double-check your packing list and apply your sunscreen, take a moment to see which beach might fit your needs. I grabbed my kids and we spent a hot afternoon doing a little research of the area’s best beaches.

Brainerd Lakes Beaches Review: Part 4

Jul 24, 2017
2 min

Brainerd Lakes Beaches Review: Part 4

In our last post reviewing the Brainerd Lakes Area beaches, I wanted to go to a beach that I had never been to before. I wanted to experience it like a rookie. Living in the area for most of my life proved it was difficult to find a public beach in the five county region that I haven’t been to before. After looking online and on maps, I was surprised to find Dower Lake Recreation Area. I was even more surprised to find that it’s a pretty good beach. Minus the drive (around 45

Brainerd Lakes Beach Review: Part 3

Jul 21, 2017
4 min

Brainerd Lakes Beach Review: Part 3

So far, we’ve focused on the beaches in Crow Wing County. It seems a little unfair to focus on the ones closest to Brainerd when there are dozens of beautiful beaches thirty minutes out. So, we grabbed snacks and supplies and drove the construction-riddled journey up Hwy 371 to Pine River to visit not only the Pine River Dam Park but also two (count ’em TWO!) beaches on Pelican Lake near Breezy Point. Pine River Dam Park The Pine River Dam has been in use for over a century,

Brainerd Lakes Beach Review: Part 2

Jul 14, 2017
4 min

Brainerd Lakes Beach Review: Part 2

I found out that Crow Wing County only has four “public” beaches in the county limits: Gull Lake, Lum Park, Whipple Beach, and Serpent Lake Beach in Crosby. That’s it. You would think that with how much the BLA relies on our lakes for business and recreation, that there would be a larger emphasis on public beaches. With that in mind, I wanted to take a closer look at the beaches that are a bit outside of town on the east side of Crow Wing County. Serpent Lake “Kahnah’ bek” is

Brainerd Lakes Beach Review: Part 1

Jul 7, 2017
4 min

Brainerd Lakes Beach Review: Part 1

They don’t call it the Brainerd Lakes Area for nothing. As we get into the dog days of summer, there’s no better time to make use of the area’s namesake. But before you double-check your packing list and apply your sunscreen, take a moment to see which beach might fit your needs. I grabbed my kids and we spent a hot afternoon doing a little research of the area’s best beaches. Gull Lake Recreation Area Clean sand welcomes all sand castle builders. Ever since the early 20th ce