2013 Map of Big Lake

About this map

Mississippi River and Elk River define the southern and central geography of this Sherburne County landscape, where water has long dictated the patterns of settlement and recreation. The city of Big Lake sits at a critical junction of transportation and nature, adjacent to its namesake lake and Lake Mitchell. Following the path of Us-10, the community of Bailey serves as another historic anchor point, marked by the Bailey Station Cem. The northern reaches are characterized by the meandering Saint Francis River near the Shady River Campgrounds, alongside numerous smaller water bodies like Birch Lake and Tibbits Brook. This mapping captures the region's character as a river-valley corridor where residential expansion from the Twin Cities meets the more traditional agricultural and lakeside landscapes of central Minnesota.