Tucked into the hardwood hills at the meeting point of the Mississippi and Elk Rivers, Elk River, Minnesota feels like it was shaped by both nature and imagination. The hills here are a gift from the last glacier that passed through the state, leaving behind coarse materials better suited for gravel mining than farming. As a result, the land doesn’t boast endless waves of grain.
Elk River pulses with artistic energy. The town celebrates its local talent with festivals, performances, and art shows, but it’s the murals that truly catch the eye. All around town, blank walls have been transformed into colorful tributes to Elk River’s past and present. One mural might show a steamboat churning along the Mississippi; another, a portrait of the Native peoples who first called this land home. The murals tell stories.
Elk River is nicknamed “Energy City” for its early adoption of renewable energy initiatives back in the 1990s.
Winding trails, wooded parks, and two rivers give Elk River a natural calm, while its artists add depth and color. It’s the kind of place where you can breathe deep, soak in the view, and then get drawn into a conversation about how the old water tower became a canvas.
