Resources – Winter Activities

Winter Sports Links »   Destinations  |  Organizations  |  Resources

Destinations

  • Anoka County Parks:  anokacounty.us
  • Boundary Waters Winter Activities:  bwca.cc — Information about Boundary Waters winter activities.  Winter camp, or stay at one of the areas surrounding resorts and enjoy cross country skiing, dog sledding, and other exciting activities.
  • City of Lakes Loppet:  cityoflakesloppet.com — The City of Lakes Loppet is a cross-country ski festival featuring the beautiful trails and lakes of the Twin Cities.  Join us on the first weekend in February!  Midwest Mountaineering is a proud sponsor.
  • Colorado’s 10th Mountain Division hut system:  huts.org — Linked by over 350 miles of trails, the 10th Mountain Huts provide access to spectacular terrain within the White River, Arapaho, and San Isabel National Forests.
  • Cross Country Ski Areas Association:  xcski.org — Information on Nordic ski areas, resorts, guided tours, instruction, equipment, daily snow reports and a special section for skiing industry professionals.
  • Cross Country Ski Map – Metro Area:  midwestmtn.net/forms/CrossCountrySki-metro-map.pdf — Rudi’s fabulous map of local cross country ski destinations including where to find lit trails and snow-making.
  • MnTrails Ski Trails: https://mntrails.com/ski-trails/
  • Dakota County Parks:  www.co.dakota.mn.us/parks — Trail conditions 24 hour hotline 651–554–6530.
  • Minnesota DNR:  jc.activeoutdoorsolutions.com — Online cross country ski license sales.  Purchase your MN Ski Pass online, or lookup a license agent near you.
  • Northern Minnesota Trail Conditions:  bwca.cc/activities/skiing/trailconditions.htm — Brought to you by BoundaryWatersCanoeArea.com.
  • Roots Rated:  rootsrated.com — Find the best outdoor experiences – hand-picked by Grassroots Outdoor Alliance experts.  Local area outdoor experiences are submitted by the staff of Midwest Mountaineering.  Take a look and see our employee recommendations!
  • Theodore Wirth Park:  minneapolisparks.org — Arguably the best big city cross country skiing park in the nation.  Lit trails and man-made snow make the park very available.  Trails groomed daily with snowmobiles and Pisten-Bully groomer.
  • Three Rivers Park District:  threeriversparks.org — Formerly Hennepin County Parks.  Trail conditions 24 hour hotline 763–559–6778.

Organizations

  • City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation:  loppet.org — The mission of the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation is to promote and support cross country skiing in the Minneapolis area, especially among youth.
  • Midwest Skijorer’s Club:  skijor.org — Celebrating dogs, skis, and the great outdoors.
  • Minnesota Youth Ski League:  mysl.org — We are the biggest youth nordic skiing league in the country, based right here in Minneapolis!
  • North Stars Ski Touring Club:  north-stars.org — We bike, canoe, kayak, hike, dance, socialize, develop and maintain trails.  But our PASSION is CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING!
  • Skijor USA:  skijorusa.org:  Our mission is to support and promote the National Skijoring Championship, promote the sport of Skijoring, provide education and training, promote canine welfare, support clubs and local events and support efforts to get Skijoring into the Olympics.
  • United States Telemark Ski Association:  ustsa.org — Lists event schedules and race results for members.

Resources

  • Couloir Online:  couloir-mag.com — The backcountry ski and snowboard magazine.
  • Cross Country Ski World:  xcskiworld.com — Good information on technique for striding, skating and racing.
  • Mtn Scoop:  mtnscoop.com — Your Ski Resort Guide.  From detailed resort reviews to advice on nearby hotels, restaurants and more, find everything you need to plan the perfect ski trip.
  • Cross Country Skier Magazine:  crosscountryskier.com — Contains information on travel, gear, instruction and general news for the Nordic skier.
  • NOAA Interactive Snow Information:  nohrsc.noaa.gov — Want to know where to go for snow? Get snow depth maps using an interactive GIS Mapping Tool.
  • SkiPulk:  SkiPulk.com — Build your own ski pulk instructions.
  • Skinny Ski:  skinnyski.com — The source for all cross country skiing information in the upper Midwest including trail condition reporting, maps, and events calendar.  Where can I :  rent cross-country skis?
  • Sled Dog Central:  sleddogcentral.com:  Your local resource for all dog-powered sports.
  • Swix Wax Wizard:  swixsport.com — Submit information on temperature, humidity and snow granulation for Swix Wax recommendations.
  • WinterCampers.com:  WinterCampers.com — Winter camping know-how.

Got resource ideas?  Updates?  Send them to [email protected].

© Midwest Mountaineering
Updated 02/20/2020