Birkebeiner Trail
- 1.3 mi
- round trip
- 39 ft
- climb
- 1,193 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Sep–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, flat cross-country ski route of about 2.6 miles in the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway in Wisconsin, on private land within the national scenic riverway. It is an out-and-back with almost no climb: the route runs between about 1,187 and 1,193 feet, with a total gain and loss of just 39 feet each way. 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 December and February run similar, with highs in the upper 20s. Late spring and early fall are much milder, with May highs near 67°F and September highs around 69°F. The trail is easy to fit into a day of skiing in the area. Hatchery Ski Trail lies about 1.4 miles away, and Pine Loop is about 1.6 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, 1.5 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
SKI
Birkebeiner Trail
Next door
0.18-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 26 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Birkebeiner Trail
~2 min drive
1.58-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 158 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Seeley Hills Ski 5k
~14 min drive
0.24-mile out-and-back ski route in Wisconsin with 48 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Birkebeiner Trail
~17 min drive
4.73-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 446 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Birkebeiner Trail
~2 min drive
0.38-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 18 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Birkebeiner Trail
~3 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
~14 min drive
Two cross-country ski trails in Wisconsin: 1.99-mile out-and-back with 287 ft gain.
SKI
West Loop
~17 min drive
West Loop is a 0.31-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 40 feet of elevation gain.
SKI
Hatchery Ski Trail
~2 min drive
0.31-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 7 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Hatchery Creek Trail
~3 min drive
0.14-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin, managed by County Land.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
