Interpretive Trail
- 0.3 mi
- round trip
- 38 ft
- climb
- 887 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Oct
- best months
The Interpretive Trail is a short cross-country skiing route in Afton State Park in Wisconsin, managed by State Park and Recreation. The trail is about 0.6 miles long, with a one-way climb of 11 feet. It's a flat, easy out-and-back, and the whole trip gains and loses about 38 feet in elevation. Winter is the natural season for skiing here. Typical averages from the nearby River Falls weather station put January highs around 22°F with lows near 4°F, and February is similar at about 27°F and 8°F. That station sits about 50 feet higher than the trail, so temperatures on the trail run roughly the same. Several other routes lie close by. The South River Trail is about half a mile away, and the North River Trail is about 0.8 miles off. The Oliver Charley Trail and Prairie Loop are both within about 1.3 miles.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit Interpretive Trail
Best months: April–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° / 4°
Feb
27° / 8°
Mar
40° / 20°
Apr
55° / 32°
May
68° / 43°
Jun
77° / 54°
Jul
81° / 58°
Aug
79° / 56°
Sep
71° / 49°
Oct
57° / 36°
Nov
41° / 24°
Dec
27° / 12°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at River Falls, WI, 8 mi away at 940 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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South River Trail
Next door
1.21-mile out-and-back trail along the South River in Wisconsin.
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Oliver Charley Trail
~1 min drive
0.41-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 7 feet of elevation gain.
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Flats
~17 min drive
Flats is a 1.03-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 45 feet of elevation gain.
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Nelson Farm Trail
~21 min drive
Nelson Farm Trail is a 0.86-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 179 feet of elevation gain.
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Nelson Farm Trail
~20 min drive
Nelson Farm Trail is a cross-country ski trail in Wisconsin.
SKI
Oliver Charley Trail
~2 min drive
0.38-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 11 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
North Trail
~18 min drive
0.4 mi
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Horseshoe Trail
~22 min drive
0.12-mile out-and-back cross-country ski trail in Minnesota.
SKI
Nelson Farm Trail
~21 min drive
0.53-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 136 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Prairie Loop
~2 min drive
1.06-mile out-and-back ski out-and-back in Wisconsin with 120 ft of elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
