Northern Lights
- 0.2 mi
- round trip
- 23 ft
- climb
- 1,112 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Oct
- best months
Northern Lights is a short, flat cross-country ski route in Bayfield County Forest, on county land in Wisconsin. The out-and-back trip is about 0.34 miles long, with a high point of 1,112 feet and a low of 1,106 feet. The climb is nearly flat, with a total gain and loss of about 23 feet each, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.1 mile in, with a grade of about 3 percent. Winter is the natural season for this route. Typical averages from the Bayfield Fish Hatchery weather station, about 3 miles away, show January highs around 23°F and lows near 4°F, while March runs warmer, with highs around 37°F. That station sits roughly 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. 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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Sugar Bush
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1.25-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 144 ft elevation gain.
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Teuton Loop C
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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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Beginner's Loop
~3 min drive
Beginner's Loop is a 0.16-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 52 feet of elevation gain.
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Sugar Bush
Next door
0.17-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 31 ft of elevation gain.
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Seagull Classic
Next door
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
