Squirrel's Tail
- 0.4 mi
- round trip
- 233 ft
- climb
- 1,712 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Squirrel's Tail is a cross-country ski route in northern Wisconsin, about 8 miles from the town of Rantz. It is a short out-and-back, roughly 0.7 miles long, with a high point of 1,712 feet and a low of 1,587 feet. The climb is rated hard, and the route gains about 233 feet in elevation over the course of the trip, with the steepest stretch at about 0.09 miles from the start, where the grade reaches 11%. 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, while March still brings highs in the upper 30s and snow on six days. Summer is warm and snow-free, with July highs around 77°F. The route sits close to several other cross-country ski trails. Base Loop and Beaver Pond are each about 0.1 mile away, and Tornado Alley is about 0.3 mile off. For a change of pace, Flambeau Lake, a fishing spot, lies about 9.5 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Squirrel's Tail
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, 9 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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Base Loop
Next door
0.14-mile out-and-back ski out-and-back in Wisconsin with 21 ft of elevation gain.
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Beaver Pond
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0.11-mile out-and-back ski trail at Beaver Pond in Wisconsin.
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Mellow Meadow
~2 min drive
0.57-mile loop in Wisconsin with 57 ft of elevation gain.
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Base Loop
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0.18-mile out-and-back out-and-back at Base Loop in Wisconsin.
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Squirrel's Tail
Next door
Squirrel's Tail is a 0.11-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin.
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Island Hop
~2 min drive
0.81-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 101 ft of elevation gain.
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Base Loop
Next door
0.38-mile out-and-back ski out-and-back in Wisconsin with 88 ft of elevation gain.
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Beaver Pond
Next door
0.28-mile out-and-back ski trail at Beaver Pond in Wisconsin with 71 ft of elevation gain.
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Nekoosa
~2 min drive
0.80-mile out-and-back ski trail in Nekoosa, Wisconsin with 40 feet of elevation gain.
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Base Loop
Next door
0.26-mile out-and-back ski route in Wisconsin with 48 ft of elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
