Minnesota · Cross-country skiing

Spruce Loop

0.3 mi
round trip: 34 ft
climb: 1,344 ft
high point: Out and back
route: May, Jul–Sep
best months

Spruce Loop is a short, out-and-back cross-country ski route in northern Minnesota, about 2 miles from the town of Fifty Lakes. The trail is only 0.6 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 34 feet, and it is rated hard. The climb is flat, with the steepest stretch at about 0.2 miles in, where the grade reaches 2 percent. Winter is the natural season for this route. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Pine River Dam show January highs around 19°F with lows near -1°F, while February runs a little warmer at about 25°F. The station sits roughly 94 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the loop may run slightly cooler. Pine Loop, another cross-country ski route, lies just 0.3 miles away. Cross Lake Day Use and Cross Lake Recreation Area, both about 2.8 miles off, offer camping. Paddlers can reach the Pine River, about 8.6 miles away.

Best time to go · May, Jul–Sep
Best time to visit Spruce Loop
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°
  7 wet
2. Feb
  25° / 3°
  6 wet
3. Mar
  38° / 16°
  7 wet
4. Apr
  52° / 30°
  8 wet
5. May
  66° / 44°
  12 wet
6. Jun
  75° / 54°
  13 wet
7. Jul
  80° / 60°
  12 wet
8. Aug
  78° / 57°
  11 wet
9. Sep
  69° / 48°
  11 wet
10. Oct
  54° / 36°
  10 wet
11. Nov
  38° / 22°
  8 wet
12. Dec
  24° / 8°
  7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pine Rvr Dam, MN, 2.9 mi away at 1,250 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Spruce Loop

Best time to visit Spruce Loop