Here's a listing of trails within a 2 hr radius of Madison and a few others our members have enjoyed. Do you have information about these trails you would like to include on this page? Do you know of additional trails that we should include in this list?
Please email us and we'll add it in!
Want to know what the current conditions are?
Check trail conditions here »
The City of Madison, Dane County and the Wisconsin DNR maintain websites with more information on their parks and trails:
City of Madison Parks »
Dane County Parks »
WI DNR XC Ski Trails »
Blue Mounds State Park
Blue Mound State Park
Where is Blue Mound State Park?
Blue Mound State Park is located on the north of 18/151 near Blue Mound, Wisconsin. From Madison, take U.S. 18/151 west to county Hwy F. Follow the signs to the State Park entrance. Ph. 608.437.5711.
What is it like?
Blue Mound State Park is one of Dane Counties most popular skiing destinations. It has 14.5 miles of groomed trails. The trails are groomed for classical Nordic style skiing only. The grooming is always done promptly after a snow and is well done. If there has been enough snow, you can generally count on good tracks at Blue Mound.
Mostly the trails gently roll through the wooded park. There are a few fast downhills and there are a couple miles of open trails as well. The longest trail includes both wooded and open areas and several downhills one of which I have nick-named "the elevator shaft". This trail is called the Ridgeview Trail and is 5 miles long. When skiing this trail, be sure to include the short Walnut Hollow Trail as part of your route. It is your last chance for a great -- not too difficult -- downhill before returning to the parking lot.
The Flintrock Trail is 4 miles long and shares most of its path with the Ridgeview Trail. It does not include the elevator shaft but still has a couple fun downhills. It finishes with a long downhill past the swimming pool.
The Willow Springs trail is 2 miles of intermediate skiing. It sticks to the woods and finishes with a nice down hill through the trees to the parking lot below.
The Pleasure Valley Trail is mostly in the open and rolls gently for 2 miles. The John Minix Trail is a 2 mile beginners trail.
Who will enjoy skiing at Blue Mound State Park?
Novice skiers will find Blue Mound State Park a joy. With excelant grooming and only a few fast downhills this is a great place for beginning and intermediate skiers. Advanced skiers will still find plenty to enjoy in this beautiful park but only the elevator shaft will challenge their skill. The narrow one-way trails are groomed only for classic style so the park is not for skaters.
There are toilet facilities near the parking lot and a warming house on the east side of the swimming pool.
How much does it cost?
A State Park sticker for your vehicle is required to enter. Stickers may be purchased for the day or for the year for all of the Wisconsin State Parks and Forests.
A state trail pass is also required of all skiers aged 16 and over (in addition to the vehicle admission sticker).
Skiing Stories from Blue Mound State Park
Ski Pole Burner Returns to Candlelight Ski Event
It was partially cloudy night when I ventured out for the second of this year's candlelight ski at Blue Mound State Park. The temperature was approximately 15 degrees when I arrived at 6:30 pm, with the parking lot being very close to full.
The trails were superbly groomed and I would say that the glide was medium fast. The standard two shortest loop trails were lit for skiing, with the addition of hiking trails starting from the east edge of the parking lot. Considering how full the parking lot was, I was surprised to only have seen four or five people on the trail, so we must have been spread out faily well. Once I got into my stride, the cold was hardly noticeable, and the wind was light in the woods.
Upon completion of the ski loop, I enjoyed some hot chocolate and veggie chili...very yummy indeed. Of course, the bonfire was very nice and toasty warm, and many skiers and hikers were huddled around it sipping their hot drinks. Having missed this event last season, it was sure nice to finally make it back.
Contributed by Lindsay Feuling (reformed Candlelight ski pole burner) on Saturday, 17 February 2003.
A Return Trip to Blue Mound State Park for
Candlelight Skiing
I have been attending the candlelight skiing at Blue Mound State Park every year since 1997 (except for the year when it was cancelled due to lack of snow), and so I thought I would follow up with an update from my visit on February 10, 2001.
This year two candlelight events were scheduled at Blue Mound State Park. I missed the event on January 6th, and was very glad to be able to make it to this one. From what I hear, the January event was very popular, with an estimated 1000 visitors attending! My visit a month later was not quite as crowded. The parking lot was at most half-full, probably due to the cold night temperature, which was around 7 degrees F.
Upon arrival, I immediately headed to the bonfire with my skiis to get warmed up. I noticed the people who were just finishing skiing had smiles on their faces, and so I left the cozy bonfire to venture out to the trails. The John Minix and Willow Springs trails were illuminated as before with candles placed in the snow, giving me some idea where the trail was, and leaving the rest of it to my memory, quick reflexes and balance. As I expected, the tracks were very nice to glide on, and a bit on the fast side, which is what I like. The powder was light enough to make control and stopping comfortable for my taste as well. But don't go by my standards, I usually like to ski at Stewart County Park where it is very difficult.
I actually only took the longer Willow Springs trail, but would have expected the conditions to be excellent all around. A few times I just had to stop to listen for the silence in the woods. The sky was clear with the stars shinning bright as well. Venus was up and to the West, but the full-moon did not appear until after 9 p.m., long after I went home. One of the times when I stopped to listen, I heard a stick or branch snap up in the distance of the dark woods. I stopped to breathe as quietly as I could and hoped to see a deer, but nothing appeared.
Towards the end of the trail before the last downhill descent, I stopped to look down across the way and could clearly see the lights of Madison far off in the distance, and gazed at the stars for a few more minutes. Upon my final descent I had to veer to the right to avoid collision with a downed skiier (poor soul).
Once arriving at the bonfire, I noticed the concession tent selling brats, hot dogs, pop, and chili. I enjoyed a steaming hot bowl of chili while sitting down at the fire, and helped myself to a cup of hot chocolate as well. I pondered the thought of throwing my skiis in the fire again, but decided against doing so this time since Karl Heil probably would not have approved, since my skiis are fiberglass and burning them would put off a horrible stink.
And so, I have continued to enjoy the candlelight ski at Blue Mound State Park, and plan on more in the future, and possibly at the other area state parks that have similar skiing events as well!
Contributed by Lindsay Feuling (reformed Candlelight ski burner) on Saturday, 10 February 2001.
Peace at Blue Mound
Everybody knows that Karl is doing a splendid job for grooming, but he has sometimes been caught in the ``war'' between striders and skaters. I went to Blue Mound this week-end (Jan 21-22), and I think that Karl has done a splendid job trying to accomodate striders AND skaters, provided that both have some willingness to share (are courteous and considerate of the other skiers).
The first day, I went with my two pairs of skis. After a short loop with my classic skis, I decided that I could use my skate skis. The trail is narrow, but Karl tried to put the track somewhat on the side, and, where it was possibile, he widened the trail a little bit so that one can regain momentum. It seemed to me that, although it was not perfect skating, it was good and very enjoyable. Provided one was willing to push harder with the arms, do a little bit of marathon skating, and accept some kind of challenge, one could do skating with very minimal damage to the track (in very few narrow steeper places, uphill, where possibly many striders too were leaving the track). I looked at the marks left by the skaters, who seem to have been careful. I suppose that striders could say the same: not perfect, but very enjoyable. They were such beautiful days!
I keep thinking that when the snow is hard, as it was, Blue Mound can reasonably accomodate all skiers well (although some educational effort may be needed). It has by far the best snow in the area, and it is nice to share it.
Contributed by Jean-Pierre Rosay on 22 January 2001
Skate and Classical Skiing at Blue Mound
I've been skiing regularly at Blue Mound for 13 years. And I agree with your opinion regarding the grooming of these trails. Most sections are simply too narrow to have a skating lane and a classic lane on the side. And I also agree that no one grooms a better trail than Karl. But I think it's fair to point out that when there are no tracks I can still stride and not damage the trails. But on those rare occasions when we do have quality tracks, skaters will ruin them in no time. Most of the skaters I meet do their best to stay off the tracks, but they can't help skating over them on most of these narrow trails. It would be foolish to designate Blue Mound as classic only. More often than not, there are no tracks and it's a terrific place to skate. We need to educate people to use some simple common sense and exercise some courtesy. If you know there are good tracks at Blue Mound, bring your classic skis (or skate on the road through the campground). If you're in doubt, bring both and let conditions dictate your choice. But if you must skate and there is likely to be good classical track, please go somewhere else.
Contributed by Tom Bartelt on 21 December 2000
Blue Mound Grooming Guru
Resigned to the vagaries of this El Nino year yet desperate to train for the upcoming Birkiebeiner, Jim and I headed this morning to Blue Mound State Park. Our moods were skeptical, our hopes muted as the wipers swept away the freezing rain. The limpid countryside along Hwy. 151 looked like death warmed over. "Think of it this way", said Jim philosophically, "What if the Birkie is a day like this? At least we'll be prepared."
A weak, icy crust covered everything as we pushed off from the swimming pool at around 9AM. The snow, we immediately realized, was actually pretty good. Clearly, it had just been groomed. Our spirits soared as we flew down the long slope to the outer loop trailhead. Only one other skier had passed before us. Jim and I could not believe our good fortune as we methodically skated through the fog shrouded woods. The drizzle continued, coating our goretex shells with ice. Somehow, the snow stayed soft, rewarding us with fast descents, though the going was a bit slow on the flats. We finished the outer loop, including Pleasant Valley, in under 45 minutes. Unbelievably, there had been not a single bare spot. It was so perfect we proceeded to ski the whole thing again.
How is it, we wondered, that the snow could be so meticulously groomed and carefully maintained here, while back in Madison, Elver and Odana were all but unskiable? Last Saturday I called Odana to ask about conditions. Was it skateable, I'd asked. "If you're training for the Birkie I'd go to Lapham Peak", the man replied wearily. Evidently, little of the over $17,000 reportedly generated so far this season from the new $2 trail fees has been reinvested in the City's grooming operations. "Tell you what, until I see an improvement I'm not paying any more", groused Jim.
As we packed up to go another skier appeared. He nodded knowingly as he listened to our rhapsodic accounts of the day's conditions. "That'd be Carl", the man said. "Some nights he's out here until after 9, making sure the trails are just right. He's usually the first one out, too. Been to the last sixteen Birkies. Guy looks to be over 300 pounds but you should see him skate!"
I wouldn't know Carl from Adam. Still, I nominate Carl for the Madnorski Meritorious Grooming Award (should one exist). Maybe it takes a man like Carl to straighten out Madison's pitiful grooming operations. Someone should make him an offer he can't refuse.
Contributed by Mike McQuestion
Blue Mound State Park: Is it Favoring Skaters this Season?
After a trip out to Blue Mound this weekend, I fired off a vitriolic letter to this bulletin board which was wisely intercepted by Joseph King (thanks). I'll try again...I am a serious classic skier (we do exist). In my opinion, the current grooming policy at Blue Mound - grooming for skating when there isn't "enough" snow - is fundamentally flawed and incompatible with the area ever being a decent classic ski facility. Here's why:
- One of the worst snow surfaces on which to diagonal stride is a heavily skated track. The track becomes mounded towards the center and the surface becomes heavily chopped, interferring with the tracking of the ski and grip of the wax pocket, respectively. The net result is that Blue Mound State Park, a supposed classic area, has spent the majority of this season in a condition that is not condusive to classic skiing at all. This, despite the relatively large amount of snowfall we have had this year. In years past (and we have been skiing there for decades) when there wasn't enough snow for mechanical tracking (this amount seems to be increasing?), we made our own track and had excellent skiing. Summarizing: if there is enough snow for skating, there is certainly enough snow for classic skiing.
- The slipperly slope. Over the last several years, more and more thoughtless skaters have skied directly on top of the track, even when it is in pristine condition. Now that a large number of skaters are aware of this new "skating facility", they will make the 40 minute (or more) drive and, after doing so, will skate ski - regardless of the condition of the track or any rules. This has been clearly demonstrated.
- It seems that the grooming techniques currently employed tend to favor skate skiing. Do we really need to roll a 25 foot wide swath at a classic area? Historically, when the grooming was done specifically for classic skiing, there was much better classic skiing.
I don't pretend to know what is best for ski-kind, but I do know that Blue Mound is now effectively a skate park. This weekend, despite the fact that there was clearly enough snow for a track (either mechanically set, or the natural one that would exist if not obliterated by skaters), it was a skate park. I did enjoy skiing there, but the experience was significantly diminished. The trails have gotten wider and wider and, in the process, have lost a great deal of their intimacy. The venues available for challenging classic skiing in the Madison area are now extremely limited as the tracks at Elver and Indian Lake are almost instantaneously obliterated.
I will continue to ski these areas, because I have no choice. However, I do not think it unreasonable to leave one good area in the vicinity left purely to classic. Considering the long classic tradition at Blue Mound, it is a natural choice.
Further, I would suggest that classic areas always be classic area and that we move from the idea that classic skiers only ski in 18 inches of powder; we all live in southern Wisconsin, and I'm as comfortable on ice as anybody (thank god for klister). Further, I would suggest that skaters excercise some self-policing, as blatant skating on tracked trails is becoming more and more prevalent - and suggestions to alter behavior will be far better received from one's own.
Contributed on 31 January 1998 by Tye Gribb.
A Candlelight Ski at Blue Mound State Park
I have never been to a candlelight ski before, so I was really looking forward to it the whole week. The weather turned very warm at the beginning of the week and melted most of the snow, but a 5" snowfall the day before saved the day. Although the snow was fluffy and light the day before, today's sunshine had made it a slower snow.
The candlelight ski was scheduled to run from 6 pm to 9 pm. I arrived around 7:15 pm, and was amazed at how many cars were in the lot...it was nearly full. I have never seen the lot this full in the daytime when I have skiied here! The wind was cold but not too strong. I'm guessing the temperature was around 0o F, but that didn't stop me and hundreds of other people from enjoying this clear and brisk night.
After parking in and getting my skis and poles out, I immediately walked over to the bonfire they had going to get a little bit warmed up. There seemed to be a large number of people who were about to start, so I quick put on my skis and started ahead of them. Starting out, it was a bit hard getting used to seeing where the trail was with the candles spaced approximately 6 to 10 feet apart. I guess a pair of night-vision goggles would have helped. After a while, I got used to looking for the shadows of the track, and feeling the groove while I skiied.
The hills were slow, but good thing they were, since I didn't feel like falling into a candle. Occasionally, there were fast and icy spots, but for the most part, the trail was moderately slow in the track. I found myself always approaching another pack of people, and passing them on the left. Most of the time when I passed, there was a second track, but I did have to ski on fluff a few times.
Due to a limited number of candles, they only marked the Twin trail (the smallest loop), and the Minix trail (it's larger counterpart) for night skiing. The park rangers did an excellent job marking the trails, with candles mainly on the right side of the trail, but with occassional candle markings on both sides where the trail was more challenging (like a sharp curve or bridge).
Overall, I had a terrific time skiing at night by candlelight, and being greeted by the full moon three-quarters of the way through the Minix trail at arround 7:45 pm. Again, I was very surprised to see the large turnout of people. Being only able to see sillouettes of fellow skiers and hearing their voices, I would guess this was a big family outing for many parties attending. My arrival at the end of the trail was rewarded with my return to the bonfire (where I proceeded to burn my skis, just kidding:), and a cup of hot chocolate, provided by the park (thanks guys).
If you ever considered trying a candlelight ski trip, I would urge you to go!
Contributed by Lindsay Feuling on Saturday, 25 Jan 1997
Busy Day at Blue Mound State Park
It was a short drive from Stewart County Park to Blue Mound State Park this morning. The parking lot was jammed with cars just after noon on Sunday. This could well be the most popular skiing spot in the Madison Area. But I often find myself alone on the trail for significant streches and today is no exception.
The snow was fast and the grooming was holding up pretty well. I wasn't getting a very good kick but I was getting a real nice glide and the downhills were nice and fast.
It was fun to see families out for a ski. I was gliding along on my short skis and discovered that my skis are actually shorter than childrens size skis. Everyone seemed to be in a wonderfully good mood. Perhaps because there is finally hope that this snow will last.
While not challenging the ski was fun and I know I'll return.
Contributed by Joseph King on 22 January 1995.
