Cross-Country Skiing/Skijoring

Cross Country Ski Trail Updates


Please check skinnyski.com as we will post the most recent trail reports on that site under NW WI Region - Superior Municipal Forest. You can read trail reports submitted by other skiers as well!

​Location & Parking

The trail head locations are at the intersection of 28th Street and Wyoming Avenue (Millennium Trail Head) as well as at the intersection of 42nd Street and Billings Drive near the former Archery Range.   The Millennium Trail Head has a ski shack along with a portable toilet.  There are no amenities at 42nd Street.

Please feel free to park at either site.  Parking on 42nd Street/Billings Drive will give you closer access to our purple and yellow trails.


Map Info

An update of the Outer Purple Loop was completed in 2018 allowing for it to act as a connector to the Yellow trails.  As a separate ski only route this will lessen a large part of the shared motorize use trail on Billings Drive. 
The Blue Trail has been classified as a “Multi-use” trail now allowing winter bikes, snow shoes, walkers and cross country skiing on that trail.  Grooming will still take place on this section of trail including the Millennium Trail but will be either packed snow or corduroy.  Follow the Blue Squares and Arrows to utilize this trail and please still respect the ski only signs on our other trails.

Here is the most up to date ski trail map.  We have maps on the trails, to help skiers find their way along with a few available for users to take at each pay station.  You can also find most of our trails available through the “AllTrails” app when you search for the “Superior Municipal Forest”.

Click for a larger map of all of the trails in the municipal forest.  This map shows GPS coordinates of the various parking areas. 

Trails

The City of Superior is proud to offer 27.78 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails ranging from beginner to advanced in the beautiful Superior Municipal Forest.  

The Forest is comprised of 4,400 acres of forest and natural habitat, making it the third largest forest within a city in the nation.  It is the best remaining example of a boreal forest (conifers and hardwood, including white and red pine, balsam, cedar, black spruce, white birch, and aspen) in the state of Wisconsin.  Our forest is a beautiful place to ski!  We offer the following trails, for skiers of all abilities:

BEGINNER TRAILS

Red trails, 2.4K-Outer, 1.7K-Inner   Perfect for the beginners or a quick ski this warm up trail is a nice loop that starts and ends at the ski shack and loops through various stands of pine.
Blue Trails, 3.7K-Outer, 2.9K-Inner   This is a “Multi-use” trail that follows the Millennium Trail for most of its distance.  The trail is maintained with packed snow or corduroy but no set track on this loop.  It is open for use by bikes, snowshoes, walkers and skiers.

INTERMEDIATE TRAILS

Green Trails, 3.2K-Outer, 2K-Inner   More advanced with flat, open fields and gently rolling terrain.  These trails act as connecting routes to the various other ski trails south of 42nd Street and have a variety of different paths you can take that can avoid or add hills to your ski.
Purple Trails, 4.8K-Outer, 2.5K-Inner   With a mix of the more flat and open inner loop and the longer hill filled outer loop the Purple trails make for a great ski to test out your skills.  Please note though that one small section (700 meters) of the outer loop does share trail with the motorized Billings Drive between the intersection of the yellow trail and 42nd Street.

ADVANCED TRAILS

Yellow Trails, 6.8K-Outer, 3K-Inner    Spectacular view!  This is a longer, hilly trail with bypass side loops and more difficult terrain.  The trail falls within a designated State Natural Area valued for its unique biological resources & boreal forest.  These trails also have a few destination trails leading off to either a knife ridge point known as “Cedar Point” or toward the end of Dwight's Point where a few primitive camp sites can be found.


Skijoring (Dog-Assisted, Cross-Country Skiing)

Orange Trail, 7.4K loop   This portion of the shared motorized trails on Chase's Point is not regularly groomed by the city staff yet still provides an opportunity for some very scenic Skijoring.  Occasional snowmobile grooming may occur throughout the season but the trail is shared with various motorized traffic so please be aware of additional users when skiing.  Access Chase's Point off Highway 105 and then follow Riverside Drive to the trail head.   MAP
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Skijoring is also permitted on the following trails:
Multi-use Blue Trail 
Millennium Trail
Snowmobile trails
Billings Drive (which is also a snowmobile trail)

Please exercise caution if skijoring on a snowmobile trail and wear bright clothing and be alert for snowmobiles!

Maintenance


All ski trails unless noted above are tracked and groomed 7 days per week, depending upon staff availability and weather, for both skate and classic skiing.  Please note that our trails are not lit at night.

Trail grooming staff monitors trails, conditions and passes throughout the day.  Access into the ski warming shack at the Millennium Trail head is available as long as grooming staff are working in the forest.  We also try to staff the warming shack dawn to dusk with additional staff whenever possible .  Look for the OPEN sign on the ski shack door and that will let you know that there is an attendant on duty.  Our shack is nice and warm and has a white board outlining the latest grooming too!

Seasonal Passes

A trail pass is required to ski the trails in the Superior Municipal Forest.  Seasonal permits are available for sale at the Government Center, 1316 North 14th Street, 2nd Floor, M-F, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Northwest Outlet, 1814 Belknap Street  and by envelope at the self-service kiosk at the trail head with a 5-7 day turnaround. You must be age 65 to qualify for a senior pass.
Season Permit Fees
City resident $30
City Resident Senior 65+
 $25
Nonresident
$40
Nonresident Senior 65+
 $35

Daily Permit Fee

You will find daily envelopes at the kiosk at the two trail heads.  Fees for a daily pass are $5.00 for both resident and non-residents.
Children 15 and under ski free


Ski Etiquette Rules
  • A yearly or daily ski permit is required to ski in the Municipal Forest
  • Get out of the track when skate skiing up hills
  • Do not snowplow in the classical ski tracks going down hills
  • Skate skiers, please avoid classical ski parallel tracks
  • Ski under control at all times
  • Ski with a friend
  • Dogs are not permitted on groomed ski trails
  • Carry out any litter
  • Please do not walk on groomed ski trails
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Hotline/Ski Websites


Call (715) 395-7299 for open/closure information, but for the most up to date reports, please check skinnyski.com for trail conditions supplied by the City and other skiers.