RIB MOUNTAIN – Whether you’re gliding through the tranquil forest or racing through a competition, cross-country skiing is a popular winter recreation activity in Wisconsin for individuals and families who hit the trails.
Parks and recreation areas offer groomed and unmaintained trails for beginners and experienced skiers in both classic skiing and skating.
Nine Mile Recreation Area at Rib Mountain hosts the annual Snekkevik Classic Ski Race, the region’s longest-running cross-country ski race sponsored by the Wausau Nordic Ski Club and the Badger State Winter Games. Operated by the Wausau Recreation and Forestry Department and Marathon County Parks, the facility offers more than 18 miles of groomed trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
“We employ thousands of people at Nine Mile,” said David Patridge, administrative manager of the forestry department. “We have slopes for beginners and experienced skiers.”
The recreation area includes a heated lodge with concessions and rentals for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Open seven days a week since mid-December, with over three miles of ski runs lit for night skiing.
“The trails are of good quality,” Patridge said. “It’s in the forest with beautiful, wide paths where you can pass each other.”
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Cross-country ski lessons at Nine Mile are provided by the Wausau Nordic Ski Club, which uses the facility as its base. Lessons are held every Sunday afternoon for Snow Gliders aged three to ten years and for Night Gliders aged ten and over on Thursday evenings. The cost of the class is $20 per student and includes certified instructors and refreshments. Free adult lessons are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings throughout January.
Several members of the Wausau Nordic Ski Club, which has more than 300 individual and family members, operate the trails at Nine Mile to train for the annual Birkebeiner American Ski Races in Hayward. The Birkebeiner is the largest cross-country ski race in the United States
“A lot of people will use Nine Mile to train for Birkebeiner,” said John Burke of Wausau, president of the Wausau Nordic Ski Club. “I personally do most of my skiing at Nine Mile. You can cover many kilometers without having to repeat the trails.”
The Wausau County/Marathon County Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department also maintains two miles of cross-country ski trails at Sylvan Hills Park located in northeast Wausau. Skiing on the trail is free and donations are accepted.
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Underdown Recreation Area
In Lincoln County, the Underdown Recreation Area near Irma has been grooming trails for cross-country skiing since the 1970s. Maintained by the Lincoln County Department of Forestry, Underdown has three-loop trails of 7.5 and 10.5 miles of varying difficulty.
“There are a lot of hills and some pretty difficult terrain,” said Forestry Superintendent Kevin Kleinschmidt. “Beginners stick to the shorter route, they can skip some of the steeper hills.”
As part of the Lincoln County Forest System, Underdown is open seven days a week during daylight hours. Day passes are $8 per person, and season passes are available for $25. There is an open shelter on the trail. Typically used for established Nordic skiing, the trails are opened for skating when weather permits.
Hartman Creek State Park
Hartman Creek State Park near Waupaca has over nine miles of groomed cross-country ski trails of varying lengths. An enclosed heating shelter and hiking and snowshoeing trails shelter hundreds of hikers each winter.
“The trails are for everyone; it is relatively flat,” said park director Michael Bergum. “It’s a family-type experience.”
In keeping with a winter tradition dating back to the 1980s, Hartman Creek State Park will host its annual ski/candlelight walk on January 28 from 5 to 8 p.m. With the facilitate of the Friends of the Park Group, over 400 luminaires filled with sand and candles will be placed on a 1.3 km long section.
Hundreds of skiers are expected to attend the candlelight event, which includes complimentary balmy apple cider and other snacks in a warming shelter and a bonfire.
“It’s a unique way to experience the park,” Bergum said. “People can enjoy the beauty of the park.”
Monk RW Botanical Garden
RW Monk Botanical Gardens in Wausau offers over a mile of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails. An oasis in the city, the gardens are free and open to the public all year round. Trails lead through several types of gardens and forests, as well as a pond and a two-story treehouse.
“The trails aren’t maintained, but they certainly attract people who come to ski,” said Jim Force, garden board member. “It is free and open from dawn to dusk. We just ask that people close the gate behind them. We try to keep the deer away.”
The garden hosts the Luminary Snowshoe Walk from 6-8 p.m. on the last Friday of December, January and February. Snowshoes can be rented and refreshments can be provided.
“It’s an urban sanctuary,” Force said. “It’s a calm and quiet place in the middle of the city.”
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AREAS
Nine Mile Recreation Area, Red Bud Road, Rib Mountain. Call 715-261-1550 or 715-355-8788 or visit www.co.marathon.wi.us/parks.asp.
Sylvan Hill Park, 1329 Sylvan Street, Wausau. Call 715-261-1550 or visit www.co.marathon.wi.us/parks.asp.
Underdown Recreation Area, W3221 Copper Lake Road, Irma. Phone 715-539-1034.
Hartman Creek State Park, Waupaca. Call 715-258-2372 or visit www.hartmancreekstatepark.com.
Monk RW Botanical Garden, 1800 N. 1st Avenue, Wausau. Call 715-574-3290 or 715-845-9571 or visit www.rwmonkgardens.org.
Council Grounds State Park, 1895 Council Grounds Drive, Merrill. Phone 715-536-8773.
Schmeeckle Reserve and Green Circle Trail, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point. Call 715-346-4992 or 715-346-1433 or visit www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle Or www.greencircletrail.org.
Standing Rock, 7695 Standing Rock Road, Amherst. Call 715-824-3949 or visit www.co.portage.wi.us.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the Wausau Nordic Ski Club, call 715-218-7883 or visit www.wausaunordic.com.
