Park Drive

Park Drive is a short, easy cross-country ski route in Maplewood State Park in southeastern Minnesota, managed by State Park and Recreation. The route is about 0.24 miles long, with a total climb of about 100 feet, and it makes a quick out-and-back from the low point at 1,392 feet to the high point at 1,420 feet. The steepest stretch comes early in the route, at about 6 percent grade. Winter is the natural season for this ski route. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Rothsay show January highs around 18°F with lows near -1°F, while March runs warmer at about 36°F. The station sits a few hundred feet lower than the route, so temperatures on the drive may run slightly cooler. Several hiking trails lie close by. Cataract Lake Trail is about 0.3 miles away, Grass Lake Trail about 0.5 miles, Ironwood Trail about 0.6 miles, and Heart Of The Lakes Trail about a mile.