Minnesota · Cross-country skiing

Palisade Valley Trail

3.8 mi
round trip
959 ft
climb
1,246 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May, Jul–Sep
best months

Caution today

Weather is marginal · OpenWeather · checked 3 h ago

Palisade Valley Trail is a cross-country ski route in Tettegouche State Park in Minnesota, managed by State Park and Recreation. The trail is an out-and-back of about 7.6 miles, with a total elevation gain of 230 feet, and it is rated hard. The route starts and ends at a low point of about 1,100 feet, rising to a high of about 1,246 feet. The steepest stretch comes early on, at about 0.25 miles in, with a grade of 8 percent. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Wolf Ridge put January highs around 19°F with lows near 1°F, and February is similar at about 24°F and 3°F. The station sits about 150 feet higher than the trail, so temperatures on the valley floor may run slightly warmer. Several other ski routes lie close by. Conservancy Pines Trail is about 0.1 mile away and Mic Mac Lake Trail about 0.3 mile. Mount Baldy Overlook Loop is roughly a mile off, and Papasay Ridge Bypass is about 1.3 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May, Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit Palisade Valley Trail

    Best months: May and July–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.

    1. Jan

      19° / 1°

      10 wet

    2. Feb

      24° / 3°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      35° / 15°

      9 wet

    4. Apr

      46° / 28°

      9 wet

    5. May

      59° / 40°

      12 wet

    6. Jun

      70° / 49°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      76° / 54°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 53°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      65° / 46°

      12 wet

    10. Oct

      51° / 34°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      36° / 21°

      10 wet

    12. Dec

      24° / 9°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Wolf Ridge Elc, MN, 7.7 mi away at 1,400 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors