Oliver Charley Trail
- 0.4 mi
- round trip
- 290 ft
- climb
- 952 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Oct
- best months
The Oliver Charley Trail is a short, moderate cross-country ski route in Afton State Park in Wisconsin, managed by State Park and Recreation. The trail is an out-and-back that covers about 0.76 miles, with a total climb of 290 feet from a low point of 781 feet to a high of 952 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.27 miles in, with a grade of 12 percent. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in River Falls show January highs around 22°F and lows near 4°F, while March warms to highs around 40°F. The station sits at nearly the same elevation as the trail's high point, so those figures are a fair guide to conditions on the route. Prairie Loop is the closest neighbor, about 0.3 miles away, and Bobolink Loop and South River Trail are within a mile. The North River Trail, a hike, is also about 0.6 miles off.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit Oliver Charley 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, 8.4 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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Prairie Loop
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1.06-mile out-and-back ski out-and-back in Wisconsin with 120 ft of elevation gain.
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South River Trail
~1 min drive
1.21-mile out-and-back trail along the South River in Wisconsin.
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Flats
~15 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
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Nelson Farm Trail is a 0.86-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 179 feet of elevation gain.
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Prairie Loop
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0.24-mile out-and-back ski out-and-back in Wisconsin with 22 ft of elevation gain.
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Interpretive Trail
~2 min drive
0.30-mile out-and-back route in Wisconsin with 17 ft of elevation gain.
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North Trail
~16 min drive
0.4 mi
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Horseshoe Trail
~21 min drive
0.12-mile out-and-back cross-country ski trail in Minnesota.
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Oliver Charley Trail
Next door
0.41-mile out-and-back trail in Wisconsin with 7 feet of elevation gain.
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Nelson Farm Trail
~18 min drive
Nelson Farm Trail is a cross-country ski trail in Wisconsin.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
