The 2,800-acre Pelican Lake is a popular stopping point for migrating waterfowl. Each fall, geese and ducks use the lake's open waters as a resting area. A variety of shore birds spend their entire summer in or near the park.
Most noticeable are the large white pelicans that frequent the lake. Pelicans were so numerous when the region was first settled that the lake was named in their honor.
