Spruce Loop
- 0.3 mi
- round trip
- 71 ft
- climb
- 1,322 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 Minnesota, about 2 miles from the town of Manhattan Beach. The trail is 0.6 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 71 feet, and it is rated hard. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 0.09 miles from the start, where the grade reaches 5 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 milder at about 25°F. The station sits at a similar elevation to the trail, so these figures are a fair guide to conditions on the snow. Pine Loop, another cross-country ski route, lies just 0.1 miles away. Cross Lake Day Use and Cross Lake Recreation Area, both about 2.7 miles off, offer camping. Paddlers can reach the Pine River, roughly 8 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.
Jan
19° / -1°
7 wet
Feb
25° / 3°
6 wet
Mar
38° / 16°
7 wet
Apr
52° / 30°
8 wet
May
66° / 44°
12 wet
Jun
75° / 54°
13 wet
Jul
80° / 60°
12 wet
Aug
78° / 57°
11 wet
Sep
69° / 48°
11 wet
Oct
54° / 36°
10 wet
Nov
38° / 22°
8 wet
Dec
24° / 8°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pine Rvr Dam, MN, 2.7 mi away at 1,250 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive
SKI
Goose Lake Spur K-Ski
~38 min drive
0.55-mile out-and-back ski route in Minnesota with 33 ft of elevation gain.
SEE
Mount Ski Gull
~38 min drive
Mount Ski Gull has 5 lifts and 10 runs with 198 ft vertical drop in Minnesota.
SKI
Spruce Loop
Next door
0.30-mile out-and-back ski out-and-back in Minnesota with 20 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Goose Lake Hiking Trail Spur N
~37 min drive
0.49-mile out-and-back route at Goose Lake Hiking Trail Spur N in Minnesota.
SKI
Goose Lake Spur B-Ski
~38 min drive
0.41-mile out-and-back ski route in Minnesota with 34 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Spruce Loop
Next door
0.34-mile out-and-back out-and-back in Minnesota with 59 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Goose Lake Hiking Trail
~38 min drive
7.23-mile out-and-back route in Minnesota with 749 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Goose Lake Spur E-Ski
~39 min drive
0.47-mile out-and-back route with 10 ft of elevation gain near Goose Lake in Minnesota.
SKI
Judy's Run
~36 min drive
0.20-mile out-and-back ski route in Minnesota with 71 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Goose Lake Hiking Trail Spur L
~38 min drive
1.99-mile out-and-back spur trail at Goose Lake with 207 ft gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
