Wisconsin · Cross-country skiing

Red Loop

0.5 mi
round trip
137 ft
climb
1,646 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. It is a short out-and-back, about a mile long, with a low point of 1,615 feet and a high of 1,646 feet. The climb is gentle, with a total elevation gain of 21 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.34 miles in, with a grade of 3 percent. Winter is the natural season for this route. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Minocqua 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 loop sits among a cluster of similar routes. Yellow Loop and Blue Loop are each about 0.4 miles away, and Green Loop is about 0.6 miles off. For a change from skiing, the Nature Trail Loop hike 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.

    1. Jan

      20° / 1°

      11 wet · 10 snow

    2. Feb

      25° / 3°

      8 wet · 7 snow

    3. Mar

      37° / 13°

      9 wet · 6 snow

    4. Apr

      49° / 26°

      11 wet · 4 snow

    5. May

      64° / 39°

      12 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      73° / 51°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      77° / 54°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      75° / 52°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 45°

      12 wet

    10. Oct

      52° / 34°

      13 wet · 2 snow

    11. Nov

      37° / 22°

      12 wet · 6 snow

    12. Dec

      25° / 9°

      11 wet · 9 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Minocqua, WI, 4.2 mi away at 1,601 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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