Fern Lake Trail
- 0.7 mi
- round trip
- 177 ft
- climb
- 1,429 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Fern Lake Trail is a short, out-and-back cross-country ski route in northern Minnesota, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. The trail is about 1.4 miles long, with a total climb of 177 feet and a high point of 1,429 feet. The route is back-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 0.07 miles in, where the grade reaches 11 percent. Winter is the natural season for skiing here. Typical averages from the nearby Cass Lake weather station show January highs around 18°F with lows near -4°F, while February runs a little milder at about 24°F. The station sits roughly 133 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the trail run slightly cooler. The Gold XC Trail lies about 3.4 miles away, and the Montebello Trail is about 5.3 miles off. For a change of pace, the Mississippi River offers canoeing about 6.6 miles from the trail.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Fern Lake Trail
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
18° / -4°
8 wet
Feb
24° / 0°
7 wet
Mar
37° / 15°
7 wet
Apr
51° / 29°
9 wet
May
65° / 42°
12 wet
Jun
74° / 53°
12 wet
Jul
79° / 58°
11 wet
Aug
77° / 56°
10 wet
Sep
68° / 47°
10 wet
Oct
52° / 34°
10 wet
Nov
36° / 20°
8 wet
Dec
23° / 6°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cass Lake, MN, 15.6 mi away at 1,296 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive
SKI
Shingobee Spur F Ski
~51 min drive
0.45-mile out-and-back ski route in Minnesota with 34 ft of elevation gain.
SEE
Buena Vista Ski Area
~29 min drive
Buena Vista Ski Area in Minnesota has 6 lifts and 19 downhill runs.
SKI
Gold XC Trail
~6 min drive
0.12-mile out-and-back ski trail in Minnesota with 16 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Red Trail
~20 min drive
Red Trail is a 0.36-mile out-and-back in Minnesota with 54 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Green Trail
~21 min drive
0.42-mile out-and-back ski trail in Minnesota with 53 feet of elevation gain.
SKI
Shingobee Spur C Ski
~51 min drive
0.47-mile out-and-back ski route in Minnesota with 39 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Montebello Trail
~9 min drive
0.21-mile out-and-back route in Minnesota with 30 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Red Trail
~20 min drive
0.49-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 53 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Green Trail
~21 min drive
Green Trail is a 1.90-mile out-and-back route in Minnesota with 267 feet of elevation gain.
SKI
Shingobee Ski
~51 min drive
3.24-mile loop ski trail in Minnesota with 262 ft elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
