The area is also known for Serpent Lake, a beautiful body of clear, fresh water covering 1,057 acres that is approximately 65 feet deep at its deepest point. Around its more than nine miles of shoreline, amid birch, pine, oak, and other towering trees, more than 250 homes and cabins hug its meandering shoreline. Located between the cities of Crosby, on its western end, and Deerwood, on the east, Serpent is home to Walleye, Northern Pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass, crappies, and other fish, which attract anglers year-round. At the lakes largest public access point, Crosby Memorial Park, is a large, colorful serpent statue named Kahnah’bek (the Ojibwa name for Serpent). There are rumors that the lake’s namesake is because the waters are inhabited by a mythical sea serpent, but a more likely explanation is the shape of the lake.
The Cuyuna Country region is home to nearly 60,000 year-round residents and thousands more seasonal residents and visitors. Outdoor activities abound in the Cuyuna and Brainerd Lakes area that is nestled among more than 500 pristine lakes, including mountain biking, kayaking, spin and ice fishing, hunting, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowmobiling, snow shoeing and much more. With Minneapolis and St. Paul about a two-hour drive away, you also can balance culture, shopping, and professional sports.
Many residents live on the surrounding lakes and have no trouble driving home from work in time to enjoy quality time outdoors. The opportunities in this area are endless for the outdoor enthusiast. To be able to live on a lake and be a short distance from your workplace, without the hassle of traffic jams, is truly remarkable. No traffic jams—spend that time fishing, hunting, boating, biking, hiking, golfing, ice fishing, enjoying family, and enjoying sporting, music, and school events.
Live where the rest of the state of Minnesota vacations—it’s a bit like living at a resort that you never have to leave. And of course, if you need to leave to go to the Mall of America, Cabela’s, a professional sports event, or a concert, it is only a few hours’ drive. A regional airport is also available with flights connecting you to the rest of the world and offers free parking and no TSA lines.
In addition to CRMC, Crosby is home to Graphic Packaging, a leading provider of packaging solutions, from cartons to machinery, for food, beverage, and other consumer products companies. Magnum Machinery which has offered world-class CNC machining since 1994, is another large employer.
The Crosby-Ironton Independent School District offers a junior and senior high school and elementary school with first-rate academics, cutting-edge technology, and outstanding extra-curricular activities. Its faculty and staff are dedicated to preparing students for life-long success and work hard to cultivate schools where students embrace growth. A safe and caring environment, Crosby-Ironton offers a small setting which enable individual students to get the attention they deserve.
There are several houses of worship in the area. Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist as well as non-ecumenical churches are available. A grocery and liquor stores, fuel stations, restaurants, coffee shop, brewery, outdoor outfitter, gift shops, antique and retail shops offer everything families need.
