North End Ski Trail

North End Ski Trail is a short, moderate cross-country ski route in Bayfield County Forest, on county land in northern Wisconsin. The trail is an out-and-back of about 0.66 miles, with a total elevation gain of 49 feet, and it sits at a low point of about 1,540 feet with a high of about 1,564 feet. The climb is flat, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.22 miles in, with a grade of about 3 percent. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Drummond, WI, show January highs around 19°F and lows near 3°F, while February runs a little warmer, with highs around 25°F. The station sits a few hundred feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the trail run slightly cooler. The trail sits close to two other routes, the Birkebeiner Trail and the Birkie Classic, both about 0.1 mile away, and the North End Classic Trail is about 0.3 mile off. For a change of pace, the Namekagon River offers river fishing about 1.5 miles away.