Sugar Bush
- 0.7 mi
- round trip
- 142 ft
- climb
- 1,113 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 about 0.7 miles from the town of Bayfield. The trail is an out-and-back that covers roughly 1.4 miles, with a total climb of about 140 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.6 miles, where the grade reaches 10 percent. The route starts at about 1,100 feet and reaches a high point of about 1,110 feet. Winter is the natural season for skiing here. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Bayfield Fish Hatchery show January highs around 23°F and lows near 4°F. That station sits about 500 feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the route run a little cooler. Several other 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.
Jan
23° / 4°
Feb
26° / 6°
Mar
37° / 17°
Apr
49° / 29°
May
60° / 40°
Jun
71° / 50°
Jul
77° / 56°
Aug
76° / 55°
Sep
68° / 47°
Oct
55° / 36°
Nov
40° / 25°
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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Northern Lights
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Northern Lights
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0.17-mile out-and-back ski route in Wisconsin with 12 ft of elevation gain.
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Hessian's Cutoff
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0.26-mile out-and-back ski trail in Wisconsin with 25 ft of elevation gain.
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Hessian's Cutoff
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors