Fourteen trails groomed per DNRE

Thu, Dec  23, 2010 - By DNRE

With the winter recreation season underway, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment announces that several of the state’s 23 cross-country ski trails are groomed and ready for skiers.

Michigan state forests have 23 cross-country ski trails in the Upper and northern Lower Peninsulas.  A total of 14 trails will be groomed this season. 

Three pathways will be groomed under a grant funded contract by local organizations:

• Blueberry Ridge in Marquette County
• Ogemaw Hills in Ogemaw County
• VASA in Grand Traverse County. 

Seven pathways will be groomed under volunteer agreement:

• Chippewa Hills and Norway Ridge both in Alpena County
• Black Mountain in Presque Isle County
• Tisdale Triangle in Roscommon County
• Days River in Delta County
• Canada Lake in Luce County
• Indian Lake in Schoolcraft County. 

Also, four pathways will be groomed by DNRE staff due to private donations:

• Muncie Lakes in Grand Traverse County
• Cadillac in Wexford County
• Algonquin in Chippewa County
• Pine Baron in Otsego County.

The remaining pathways will be available for ungroomed cross-country skiing and only a few will have plowed parking lots available. 

Here's a complete list of DNRE ski trails that include pathway name, county name, contract information and grooming status. The DNRE recommends call the contact number to check conditions and grooming before heading over to the trail. Or check the NordicSkiRacer trail conditions page.

“State budget issues continue to challenge the DNRE’s Forest Recreation Program,” said Lynne M. Boyd, chief of DNRE’s Forest Management Division.  “With the help of local groups and a small Recreation Trails grant we will be able to provide some services for skiing, but not to the extent we have been able to in the past.”

For more information on the state forest cross-country skiing program, please contact Mark Mandenberg, DNRE Trails Program technical designer, at 517-335-3037; or via e-mail at [email protected].

Cross-country skiing also is allowed in all 98 state parks and recreation areas.  However, not all trails within the state parks and recreation areas are groomed for cross-country skiing.

“Cross-country skiing is a great way to 'GO-Get Outdoors' to experience the winter season, enjoy nature, and get physically fit at the same time,” said Ron Olson, chief of the Recreation Division. “Twenty-two state parks and recreation areas throughout the state will have groomed, cross-country ski trails this winter season.”

Information regarding cross-country skiing in state parks or recreation areas is available at www.michigan.gov/stateparks under Seasonal Recreation Opportunities, or by contacting an individual park.