Inspiration Peak
Inspiration Peak rises to 533 m in Minnesota. Black Peak stands 519 m to the northeast, 11 miles off. The nearest named place is Inspiration Peak State Wayside, a park 0.2 miles away. Otter Trail Scenic Byway passes 0.5 miles off. 3 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
Inspiration Peak is a glacial feature of the Leaf Hills Moraines and of Otter Tail County in the U.S. State of Minnesota and is the second highest peak in Otter Tail County. It is 22 miles (35 km) northwest of Alexandria. The peak rises about 310 feet (94 m) above the surrounding plains, to an elevation of about 1,727 feet (526 m) above sea level. It is the central feature of Inspiration Peak State Wayside, a small recreation area maintained by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which manages it from nearby Lake Carlos State Park. The wayside has a paved parking lot and a picnic area. The hike to the top is a short but strenuous walk up a well-worn trail from the parking lot. A conical-shaped hill, Inspiration Peak is a kame formed atop the Alexandria Moraine, a terminal moraine left by the Wadena and Des Moines lobes of the Wisconsonian glaciation. It is on the boundary between the deciduous forest to the east and prairie to the west. In fact both biomes are present on the hill; its foot is covered with a predominantly oak forest, while its open upper reaches have prairie species such as pasqueflower, blazing star, asters, and goldenrod. Author Sinclair Lewis, a native of nearby Sauk Centre, Minnesota, said of Inspiration Peak, "there's to be seen a glorious 20-mile circle of some 50 lakes scattered among fields and pastures, like sequins fallen on an old Paisley shawl." A slightly higher peak is located on private land 5 miles (8.0 km) miles northeast of Inspiration Peak.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q6038549, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 533 m
How to reach it
- 0.5 mi off the Otter Trail Scenic Byway
- 16.3 mi off the Glacial Ridge Trail Scenic Byway
Named places within 25 miles
- Stich WPA: 0.8 mi
- Tuel WPA: 1.2 mi
- Inspiration Wildlife Management Area: 2.5 mi
- Nycklemoe Wildlife Management Area: 6.4 mi
- Folden Woods Marsh Wildlife Management Area: 7.2 mi
- Inspiration Peak State Wayside: 0.2 mi
- CIty park: 8.8 mi
- Nyberg Sculpture Park: 9.0 mi
- Chippewa County Park: 9.7 mi
- Lake Adley Park: 11.5 mi
- Diesel & Gas Engines Building: 16.4 mi
- Gas Engine Building: 16.4 mi
- Wheelock Building: 16.4 mi
- Hunting Heritage & Washerwoman Display: 16.4 mi
- Memorial Building: 16.4 mi
- Chippewa Park Beach - Devils Lake: 9.7 mi
- Sandy Beach: 11.1 mi
- Battle Lake Public Beach: 13.0 mi
- Lake Le Homme Dieu Beach: 19.3 mi
- Pebble Lake Swimming Beach: 23.4 mi
- Battle Lake Wayside Rest: 12.5 mi
- Hansel Lake Rest Area: 16.7 mi
- Otter Tail Rest Area: 18.5 mi
- Lake Latoka Rest Area: 19.4 mi
- Burgen Lake Rest Area: 23.4 mi
- Black Peak: 11.4 mi
- Tower Hill: 19.7 mi
- Lookout Mountain: 22.2 mi
- Big Ole statue: 19.4 mi
- Runestone Replica: 22.9 mi
- Broken Down Dam: 24.0 mi
- Inukshuk: 8.1 mi
- Big Ole: 19.4 mi
- Parkers Prairie Community Garden: 11.6 mi
- Pomme de Terre: 19.0 mi
- Corn Maze: 22.4 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Inspiration Peak. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Peak | NE 38° | 519 m | 11.4 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:26 | 18:55 | 19:35 |
| June solstice | 05:32 | 20:31 | 21:18 |
| September equinox | 07:10 | 18:42 | 19:22 |
| December solstice | 08:03 | 15:49 | 16:40 |
Local time (America/Chicago).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 8 | 13 | 26 | 41 | 55 | 65 | 69 | 68 | 59 | 45 | 29 | 15 |
| Precip in | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.8 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Ottertail, 19 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/1616936702
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