Northern Lights
- 0.2 mi
- round trip
- 36 ft
- climb
- 1,127 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Oct
- best months
Northern Lights is a cross-country ski route in Bayfield County Forest, on county land in northern Wisconsin, about 0.2 miles from the town of Bayfield. The route is an out-and-back of about 0.46 miles, with a total climb of 36 feet and a steepest grade of about 2% near the start. It is a short, low-elevation outing, and the high point is only about 1127 feet. Winter is the natural season for skiing here. Typical averages from the nearby Bayfield Fish Hatchery weather station show January highs around 23°F with lows near 4°F, while March runs a bit milder at highs around 37°F. That station sits about 500 feet lower than the route, so temperatures on the trail run a little cooler. Several other ski routes lie close by. Sugar Bush is about 0.2 miles away, and Seagull Classic, Hessian's Cutoff and Deer Path Trail are all within a mile.
Best time to go · May–Oct
Best time to visit Northern Lights
Best months: May–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
23° / 4°
Feb
26° / 6°
Mar
37° / 17°
Apr
49° / 29°
May
60° / 40°
Jun
71° / 50°
Jul
77° / 56°
Aug
76° / 55°
Sep
68° / 47°
Oct
55° / 36°
Nov
40° / 25°
Dec
28° / 12°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bayfield Fish Hatchery, WI, 3.2 mi away at 615 ft. The station sits about 500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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1.70-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 53 ft elevation gain.
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Sugar Bush
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0.72-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 143 ft of elevation gain.
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Sugar Bush
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0.17-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 31 ft of elevation gain.
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Seagull Classic
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0.39-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 202 ft of elevation gain.
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Hessian's Cutoff
~1 min drive
0.24-mile out-and-back ski route in Wisconsin with 15 ft of elevation gain.
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Hessian's Cutoff
~1 min drive
0.26-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 25 ft of elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
