Birkebeiner Trail
- 3.2 mi
- round trip
- 675 ft
- climb
- 1,404 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Sep–Oct
- best months
The Birkebeiner Trail is a 6.5-mile out-and-back cross-country ski route in Sawyer County Forest, Wisconsin, on county land. The trail rises from about 1,280 feet to a high point of 1,404 feet, with a total climb of 675 feet over the course of the round trip. The steepest stretch comes at about 1.9 miles in, where the grade reaches 13 percent. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Hayward show January highs around 22°F with lows near 2°F, while March runs about 40°F by day and 17°F at night. The station sits roughly 200 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the higher ground run a little cooler. The Hatchery Ski Trail and Hatchery Creek Trail are both within about 2.4 miles, and Ox Loop is about 3.4 miles away.
Best time to go · Sep–Oct
Best time to visit Birkebeiner Trail
Best months: September–October. 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
22° / 2°
7 wet
Feb
27° / 5°
7 wet
Mar
40° / 17°
9 wet
Apr
53° / 29°
11 wet
May
67° / 41°
14 wet
Jun
75° / 51°
13 wet
Jul
80° / 55°
13 wet
Aug
78° / 53°
13 wet
Sep
69° / 45°
12 wet
Oct
55° / 34°
12 wet
Nov
39° / 23°
9 wet
Dec
27° / 10°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Hayward Muni Ap, WI, 2.5 mi away at 1,204 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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4.73-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 446 ft of elevation gain.
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0.24-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 43 ft of elevation gain.
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0.98-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 167 ft of elevation gain.
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West Loop
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Birkebeiner Trail
~4 min drive
0.23-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 30 ft of elevation gain.
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Birkebeiner Trail
~5 min drive
1.58-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 158 ft of elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
