North Loop Trail
- 0.2 mi
- round trip
- 1,557 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Hard
- difficulty
- May–Sep
- best months
North Loop Trail is a cross-country ski route in Minnesota, about 3.8 miles from the town of Richwood. It is a short out-and-back, roughly 0.34 miles long, with no elevation gain or loss. The trail is rated hard, which makes it a compact but challenging option for skiers looking to add a short leg to a longer outing in the area. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show January highs around 18°F with lows near -4°F, while March runs warmer, with highs around 37°F. The station sits at nearly the same elevation as the trail, so these figures are a fair guide to conditions on the snow. Several other cross-country ski routes lie within a short distance. Roy's Run is about 0.1 mile away, Skater's Waltz Extension about 0.2 mile, and Twin Lakes Trail and Loon Return each about half a mile.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit North Loop 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°
Feb
23° / -1°
Mar
37° / 16°
Apr
52° / 30°
May
66° / 44°
Jun
75° / 55°
Jul
79° / 59°
Aug
78° / 57°
Sep
70° / 48°
Oct
54° / 35°
Nov
39° / 21°
Dec
24° / 6°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tamarac Wildlife Re, MN, 7.3 mi away at 1,508 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive
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Roy's Run
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3.49-mile out-and-back route in Minnesota with 408 ft of elevation gain.
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North Loop Trail
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0.18-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 8 ft of elevation gain.
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Loon Return
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0.32-mile out-and-back ski route in Minnesota with 20 ft of elevation gain.
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Skater's Waltz Extension
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1.02-mile out-and-back route in Minnesota with 152 ft of elevation gain.
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North Loop Trail
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2.22-mile loop trail in Minnesota with 295 ft of elevation gain.
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Sukkerbusk
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Sukkerbusk is a 0.26-mile out-and-back ski trail in Minnesota.
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Twin Lakes Trail
Next door
0.30-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 55 ft of elevation gain.
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North Loop Trail
Next door
0.18-mile out-and-back trail in Minnesota with 2 ft of elevation gain.
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Sukkerbusk
~1 min drive
1.36-mile out-and-back route in Minnesota with 216 ft of elevation gain.
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Single Green
~1 min drive
0.17-mile out-and-back ski trail in Minnesota managed by State Fish and Wildlife.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
