Wisconsin · Cross-country skiing

Sugar Bush

0.2 mi
round trip
33 ft
climb
1,063 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Sugar Bush is a cross-country ski route in Nourse Sugarbush State Natural Area in northern Wisconsin, managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. The route is short and flat, with a total round-trip distance of about 0.34 miles and a total climb and descent of about 33 feet each. It is an out-and-back, and the steepest part of the route comes early, at about 0.05 miles in, with a grade of about 2%. Winter is the natural season for this kind of skiing. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Bayfield Fish Hatchery show January highs around 23°F and lows near 4°F, while March runs warmer, with highs around 37°F. That station sits about 450 feet lower than the route, so temperatures on the trail run a little cooler. Several other cross-country ski routes lie close by. Seagull Classic is about 0.2 miles away, Northern Lights about 0.3 miles, and Hessian's Cutoff and Birch Hill Trail each about half a mile.

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Sugar Bush

    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.

    1. Jan

      23° / 4°

    2. Feb

      26° / 6°

    3. Mar

      37° / 17°

    4. Apr

      49° / 29°

    5. May

      60° / 40°

    6. Jun

      71° / 50°

    7. Jul

      77° / 56°

    8. Aug

      76° / 55°

    9. Sep

      68° / 47°

    10. Oct

      55° / 36°

    11. Nov

      40° / 25°

    12. Dec

      28° / 12°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bayfield Fish Hatchery, WI, 2.9 mi away at 615 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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