Red Loop
- 0.3 mi
- round trip
- 33 ft
- climb
- 1,653 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Red Loop is a cross-country ski route in Northern Highland State Forest in Wisconsin, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. The loop is short, about half a mile long, and it's an out-and-back with a high point of 1,653 feet and a low of 1,631 feet. The climb is flat, with a total gain of 33 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.21 miles in, with a grade of 2 percent. Winter is the natural season for this route. Typical averages from the nearby Minocqua weather station show January highs around 20°F with lows near 1°F and about 10 snow days. Snow days drop to about one in May, when highs reach the mid-60s. The Green Loop lies just 0.1 mile away, and the Yellow Loop and Blue Loop are each about 0.2 mile off. For a longer outing, the Nature Trail Loop is about 2.7 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Red Loop
Best months: May–September. 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
20° / 1°
11 wet · 10 snow
Feb
25° / 3°
8 wet · 7 snow
Mar
37° / 13°
9 wet · 6 snow
Apr
49° / 26°
11 wet · 4 snow
May
64° / 39°
12 wet · 1 snow
Jun
73° / 51°
12 wet
Jul
77° / 54°
12 wet
Aug
75° / 52°
11 wet
Sep
67° / 45°
12 wet
Oct
52° / 34°
13 wet · 2 snow
Nov
37° / 22°
12 wet · 6 snow
Dec
25° / 9°
11 wet · 9 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Minocqua, WI, 4.8 mi away at 1,601 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive
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Blue Loop
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0.49-mile out-and-back ski route in Wisconsin with 87 ft of elevation gain.
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors