Is the your favorite nearby ski trail low on snow? Do you want to travel the state and see what other ski trails are like? Luckily, Wisconsin has a network of resources to help you find a trail.
SkinnySki.com
The Skinny Ski website has an amazing trail listing and is kept up to date by skiers and groomers who leave reports about trail conditions. Skinny Ski also provides links to ski trail websites that may have more information about events that may be happening at the trail. Skinny Ski is my #1 resource for figuring out which trail to ski on. The night or morning before I travel to ski, I always check out the recent reports on trail conditions. Visit SkinnySki.com
Snow Depth Reports
There are several sites where you can find snow depth reports from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.) I find the NOAA website difficult to navigate, personally. For a quick view of the current snow depth for the entire state of Wisconsin, I usually hit this page on WeatherStreet.com. Then I can decide which direction I might want to drive in.
MadNorSki Trail Reports
The Trails page of the MadNorSki website is full of first hand accounts of skiers from local Madison trails as well as trails that are within driving distance.
Travel Wisconsin Website
On the Travel Wisconsin Website, you’ll find a nice list of ski trails in the state as well as a list of upcoming events. Although the site has a lot of information to help guide decisions of where to visit in the state, I would check SkinnySki for trail reports prior to visiting a new ski trail. Travel Wisconsin also has a snow depth report, but I find it less informative than the maps from NOAA.
Wisconsin State Parks System
There are many beautiful ski trails within Wisconsin State Parks. You can find some information on the Wisconsin State Parks website, however sometimes there is more information on a State Park’s Friends’ Group website than the actual park website.
City and County Websites
Sometimes you’ll find trails that are not heavily reported on SkinnySki, but do have up-to-date reports on their city or county websites. These are often worth checking out.
Some ski clubs don’t update their websites nearly as often as they update their Facebook pages. It’s also helpful if you can find photos that recent visitors have posted so you can take a peek at the trails.
Use your Phone
Many ski trails are run by passionate volunteers and staff. Even trails that don’t have a lodge with a phone, there is usually a phone number you can call to hear a trail report. If someone picks up the phone, you’ll often find yourself on the line with a fellow ski enthusiast, maybe even the very person who groomed the ski trail that morning.
Andrea Roenning – February 12, 2017 – Category: Wisconsin Skis
