Birkebeiner Trail
- 0.4 mi
- round trip
- 17 ft
- climb
- 1,210 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Oct
- best months
Is Birkebeiner Trail open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway. It doesn't name Birkebeiner Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.
North Parking Lot at Osceola Landing to Close for Bridge Construction
Park closure covering Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway · NPS · Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
As of · Source: NPS · Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
The Birkebeiner Trail is a short, easy cross-country ski route in Wisconsin's Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway. It is an out-and-back that covers about 0.76 miles, with a total climb of 17 feet from the start at 1,205 feet to the high point at 1,210 feet. The trail is flat, with the steepest stretch at about 2% grade near the 0.31-mile mark, and it works well as a quick outing or as part of a longer day on the riverway's ski trails. Winter is the natural season for this route. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Hayward, at a similar elevation, put January highs around 24°F and lows near 3°F, with snow on about eight days that month. March and April bring fewer snow days and warming temperatures, while summer runs from 78 to 82°F. Several other cross-country ski routes sit within about a mile and a half. Hospital Trails and Lakeview Loop are each about a mile away, Buckthorn Loop is about 1.1 miles off, and Pine Loop is about 1.2 miles away.
Best time to go · Jul–Oct
Best time to visit Birkebeiner Trail
Best months: July–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
24° / 3°
9 wet · 8 snow
Feb
30° / 6°
7 wet · 7 snow
Mar
42° / 18°
8 wet · 5 snow
Apr
56° / 30°
11 wet · 2 snow
May
69° / 42°
13 wet
Jun
78° / 52°
13 wet
Jul
82° / 56°
12 wet
Aug
79° / 54°
11 wet
Sep
72° / 47°
12 wet
Oct
57° / 35°
12 wet · 1 snow
Nov
41° / 23°
10 wet · 5 snow
Dec
29° / 11°
10 wet · 8 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Hayward Rs, WI, 1.6 mi away at 1,200 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive
SKI
Hospital Trails
~2 min drive
0.12-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 19 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Birkebeiner Trail
~4 min drive
1.58-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 158 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Seeley Hills Ski 5k
~15 min drive
0.24-mile out-and-back ski route in Wisconsin with 48 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Birkebeiner Trail
~18 min drive
4.73-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 446 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Lakeview Loop
~2 min drive
0.53-mile loop with 61 ft elevation gain in Wisconsin.
SKI
Birkebeiner Trail
~4 min drive
0.98-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 167 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Seeley Hills 7.5k;Seeley Hills 5k
~15 min drive
Two cross-country ski trails in Wisconsin: 1.99-mile out-and-back with 287 ft gain.
SKI
West Loop
~18 min drive
West Loop is a 0.31-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 40 feet of elevation gain.
SKI
Buckthorn Loop
~2 min drive
0.77-mile loop in Wisconsin with 146 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Hatchery Creek Trail
~4 min drive
0.14-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin, managed by County Land.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
