Birkebeiner Trail
- 0.2 mi
- round trip
- 52 ft
- climb
- 1,248 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Sep–Oct
- best months
The Birkebeiner Trail is a short, easy cross-country ski route in Sawyer County Forest, on county land in northern Wisconsin. The trail is about 0.46 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 52 feet for the round trip, and it sits at roughly 1,200 feet of elevation. The climb is back-loaded, with the steepest grade of about 2% at 0.12 miles from the start. The most comfortable skiing weather comes in the dead of winter. Typical averages from the nearby Hayward airport weather station put January highs around 22°F and lows near 2°F, while March runs warmer with highs around 40°F. That station sits about 44 feet lower than the trail. Hatchery Creek Trail is just 0.1 miles away and Hatchery Ski Trail about 0.3 miles, with Pine Loop roughly 2.2 miles off.
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, 0.9 mi away at 1,204 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors