Location Guide
Jenkins Quiet Town, Big Lake Next Door
Jenkins is a small town on Highway 371 between Pequot Lakes and Pine River, with Pelican Lake, one of the region's largest and clearest lakes, just outside town. It offers a quiet base with the trail and the lake at hand.
Jenkins at a Glance
County
Crow Wing County
Community
490 (2020 census)
From Brainerd
About 25 miles, roughly 30 to 35 minutes
From the Twin Cities
About 150 miles, roughly 2.5 hours
Schools
Pequot Lakes Public Schools (ISD 186)
About Jenkins
Jenkins has existed for more than a century as a small stop on the rail line that became Highway 371, and it still feels like the countryside version of the Lakes Area: a handful of businesses, a few blocks of homes, and lake country in every direction.
The town's real asset is Pelican Lake, roughly 8,250 acres with sandy beaches, clear water, and a strong walleye, northern pike, and bass fishery, sitting just outside the city limits. Buyers in Jenkins live minutes from that lake while staying off the resort strip, and the Pequot Lakes schools keep families anchored to the area.
Key Facts
The essentials that shape daily life, the housing market, and the resale picture in this community.
On Highway 371 between Pequot Lakes and Pine River
Pelican Lake, roughly 8,250 acres, minutes away
Paul Bunyan State Trail nearby
Quiet, small-town character
Minutes from the Whitefish Chain
The Water
Jenkins is a five-minute town on the main north-south highway, and its position is the whole story: downtown Pequot Lakes south, Pine River north, Pelican Lake east, and the Paul Bunyan State Trail running through the corridor. It is the quiet place to live next to everything.
Lakes and Waterways
Life Here Year-Round
Jenkins keeps a low profile year-round, which is the draw. Pelican Lake delivers summer boating and fishing and winter ice fishing, the trail connects bikers and walkers through the region, and Pequot Lakes, Crosslake, and Pine River provide dining, schools, and services within a 10 to 15 minute drive.
Buying in Jenkins
What buyers should understand before buying or selling in this community, and how it fits the bigger lake-market picture.
Compare Other CommunitiesPelican Lake property around Jenkins is the premium asset, with long stretches of sandy shoreline.
Off-water homes in Jenkins proper offer some of the most affordable options in the corridor.
Pequot Lakes schools and the growing downtown are minutes away.
The Paul Bunyan State Trail adds biking and walking access right through the area.
Questions Buyers Ask About Jenkins
Where is Jenkins located?
On Highway 371 between Pequot Lakes and Pine River, about 25 miles north of Brainerd, with Pelican Lake just outside town.
Is Pelican Lake a good lake to buy on?
Yes. At roughly 8,250 acres it is one of the largest lakes in the region, with sandy beaches, clear water, and a strong fishery, plus resort and marina support around the shore.
What schools serve Jenkins?
Pequot Lakes Public Schools (ISD 186), one of the strongest districts in the Lakes Area.
Why live in Jenkins instead of Pequot Lakes?
For a quieter, more affordable, more rural setting while keeping the same schools, trail, and lake access minutes away.
Life Around Jenkins
Pelican Lake
Sandy beaches, clear water, and strong fishing next door.
Paul Bunyan State Trail
The long paved rail-trail through the corridor.
Pequot Lakes
The bobber, restaurants, and schools five minutes south.
Whitefish Chain access
Crosslake and the chain about 15 minutes away.
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Interested in Jenkins?
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