There are three areas around the Inn at Wawanissee Point bed and breakfast in Baraboo, Wis., with groomed trails for classic-style, cross-country skiing, also known as track skiing. One also offers combination trails for skate-skiing and classic. There are also miles of hiking trails five minutes from here to blaze fresh tracks through picturesque landscapes into solitude. Rentals are available nearby.
- Gliding through the snow on narrow boards with poles to help propel you is a centuries-old transportation form that provides a terrific all-body workout and a way to explore greater distances faster than hiking.
Devil’s Head Resort next door www.devilsheadresort.com has a 3.5-mile cross-country ski loop through its scenic, hilly Glacier Golf Course, beginning at the first hole. This trail is open dawn to dusk when there is enough natural snow cover. A trail pass is not required.
Devil’s Lake State Park five minutes west of here has 5.2 miles of groomed x-country ski trails beginning in the Steinke Basin Meadow along the upper County Road DL. The two groomed loops, Steinke Basin and Johnson Moraine, are mostly double track and ideal for beginner to moderate skiers. The terrain is mostly flat with some minor hills through prairie and forest, once a glacial lake, and along a terminal moraine passing glacial kettles and marshes, which connect to miles of ungroomed trails.
- Download a trail map here
- A State Trail Pass is not required but a vehicle admission sticker is.
- Learn more about the park and its events at www.devilslakewisconsin.com
- Questions? Call 608-356-8301 ext. 140 or e-mail SusanA.Johansen@wisconsin.gov
Mirror Lake State Park between Baraboo and Lake Delton, 25 minutes north of here, has 18 miles of combination skate- and classic-groomed cross-country ski trails and a one-mile classic-groomed trail.
- Download a winter trail map here
- A State Trail Pass is required on all groomed ski trails, and you’ll need a vehicle admission sticker to use the parking areas.
- Learn about the park’s latest sightings and events at the Friends’ Facebook page and at mirrorlakewisconsin.com.
- Questions? Call 608-254-2333 or e-mail rebecca.green@wisconsin.gov
- Save time: purchase an annual Wisconsin State Parks vehicle admission sticker and state trail pass online here from the Friends of Wisconsin State Parks, where you can also donate to help keep our state parks open. Or purchase an annual or daily pass and sticker online here or at the park entrance.
Off-trail Skiing
A nice location for exploring without a groomed trail is the Riverland Conservancy’s Merrimac Preserve riverlandconservancy.org, five minutes downhill from us. It’s 1,900 acres of forest, prairie, savanna, wetlands and streams laced with 12.7 miles of trails, including 3.2 miles of Ice Age Trail, connecting to Devil’s Lake State Park. This is a perfect place to seek quiet and beauty.
Rent cross-country ski sets at two places nearby:
- Devil’s Head Resort offers day rentals for use there and around the area www.devilsheadresort.com.
- Wildside Action Sports in west Baraboo is a full-service outfitter that rents and sells equipment, sells sport clothing and offers a ski waxing service. Its enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff of outdoor-sport enthusiasts helps beginners to advanced skiers have a great experience. Rent classic and skate cross-country ski sets (boots, skis and poles) and purchase a Wisconsin State Trail Pass to ski at Mirror Lake State Park. www.wildbaraboo.com.
X-country ski trail etiquette is to yield to downhill skiers and faster skiers by stepping aside or off the trail.
Bring…
- Several pairs of wool socks.
- Wicking long underwear of wool, silk or synthetic materials (no cotton), a fleece or wool middle layer, and a windbreaker jacket.
- Hat
- Waterproof mittens or gloves.
- Sunglasses, sunscreen and sunscreen lip balm.
- Waterproof snow pants are helpful. Don’t wear cotton pants!
- Fanny pack or small backpack for a water bottle and to stash your layers as you warm up.
Relax you after you play in the snow with our…
- Shiatsu massage chair
- Sauna
- Great Room fireplace
- Massage-therapy tubs for two in the Bird’s Nest and Bordeaux guest rooms
- Private in-room massage in the Bordeaux and Secret Garden guest rooms
- Massages and more at day spas Spa Serenity spaserenitydayspa.com in Baraboo and Cloud Nine cloudninesaukcity.com in Sauk City
The Inn at Wawanissee Point bed and breakfast www.bestviewinwisconsin.com atop the Baraboo Bluffs is the middle of a winter-sports Mecca. Between five minutes and 25 minutes from here you will find:
- Two downhill ski resorts for skiing, snowboarding and tubing
- Miles of trails on thousands of acres for snowshoeing and winter hiking
- Two state parks with 24 miles of groomed cross-country skiing trails
- A groomed cross-country ski loop through Devil’s Head Resort’s Glacier Golf Course
- Two outfitters renting skis and snowshoes
- Three lakes for ice fishing with a guide service
- Sledding on our prairie hill and at Devil’s Lake State park…play like a kid again, it feels great! We provide the sleds.
Also enjoy our 42 acres with three miles of wooded and prairie trails offer hiking, snowshoeing and birding with peaceful spots to sit and savor the solitude.
- We provide complimentary Redfeather Snowshoes, made in Wisconsin.
