The Little Elk River was known to the Ojibwe as Omushkoso-sibi, meaning "Elk River," reflecting the historical presence of elk in the area. In the 1850s, the name was modified to "Little Elk River" to avoid confusion with another river of the same name. The Little Elk/Schoessling Unit consists of two separate additions: the 40-acre Schoessling unit, the northernmost part of the property, was donated to the State of Minnesota by the Ray Schoessling family in 2001 to be used permanently as a State Park or Scientific and Natural Area, and the State of Minnesota acquired the 68-acre Little Elk addition in 2007. That parcel had previously been known as the Little Elk Heritage Preserve when it was administered by the Institute for Minnesota Archaeology. Together, the adjacent parcels total 108 acres and are administered by Charles A. Lindbergh State Park on the southwest side of Little Falls along the Mississippi River.