After back-to-back low snow years, things are looking up this year.
Snow is on the ground, snowmobilers were hitting the trails before Christmas, and ice is building on the lakes.
Need some help finding things to do during the snowy months? We’ve got some ideas.
Take your picture with Snowmy Kromer or the Eagle River Ice Castle
Snowmy Kromer is a 30-foot tall snowman with a four-foot-long pipe and size 96 Stormy Kromer hat, from which he gets his name.
The giant snowman is taking up residence at Torpy Park in Minocqua this winter. He’ll stay up as along at the weather cooperates.
This winter is also looking promising for the Eagle River Ice Castle.
On December 22, the Eagle River Fire Department measured 10 inches of ice on Silver Lake. 14 inches is needed to build the ice castle.
If there is enough ice, work typically begins the first week of January so it’s built in time for the Eagle River World Championship Snowmobile Derby.
Check the Eagle River Fire Department Facebook page for the latest updates.
Snowshoe, ski, or hike by candlelight or moonlight
The darkness of winter doesn’t need to stop you from getting outdoors.
Several local organizations host candlelight ski, snowshoe, or hikes during the winter.
Here are some planned for this winter:
Saturday, Dec. 27 at 5:00 p.m. Candlelit Snowshoe Soiree at North Lakeland Discovery Center.
Wednesday, Dec. 31 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. New Year’s Ever Candlelit hike at Trees for Tomorrow.
Saturday, Jan. 31 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at MECCA Trails in Mercer, WI. Ski, snowshoe, or walk.
Saturday, Jan. 31 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. Snowshoe Celebration at Tara Lila includes a luminary walk.
You can also let the moon light your trail.
The North Lakeland Discovery Center has its Moonshoe event at WinMan Trails on Jan. 3.
The full moon’s this winter are: Saturday, January 3; Sunday, February 1; and Tuesday, March 3.
Reel in that big walleye
Just because the lakes are frozen, doesn’t mean the fishing stops. Ice fishing is a popular sport, with Rhinelander’s Boom Lake regularly being named one of the top ice fishing destinations.
If you’ve never been ice fishing before, you can find a local fishing guide. Many chambers of commerce or visitors bureaus can provide you a list.
For the more experienced, there’s also plenty of ice fishing tournaments throughout the season including the White Lake Fishing Derby, Rhinelander Lions 49th Annual Fisheree, or the Winter Fest & Ice Fishing Jamboree in Presque Isle.
Skate The Glide
The Glide in Boulder Junction is back for its second season after being a big hit in the winter of 2024/25.
The .8-mile-long ice skating ribbon takes people in a loop through the woods at Boulder Junction’s Winter Park.
It is free and open to the public between the hours of 10am and 10pm. There are a limited number of skates for borrow on site or you can rent skates from Coontail in downtown Boulder Junction.
In addition to the ice skating ribbon, there’s also a skating rink at Winter Park.
St. Germain, Conover Town Park, Rhinelander Pioneer Park, and Land O’Lakes also have skating rinks.
The folks behind the American Pond Hockey tournament in Minocqua clear the snow at the bowl for people to ice skate.
Sled down a hill
Whether you are a kid or want to feel like one again, taking a sled down a snowy hill is a great way to spend some time outdoors.
In Rhinelander, Sarocka Field or Northwood Golf Course are great options to bring your own sleds. Conover Town Park and Boulder Junction Winter Park both have designated sledding hills.
Minocqua Winter Park has a new large tubing hill this year, The Flying Squirrel. It features a 630-foot run with a 70-foot vertical. A tubing tow lift will transport you to the top of the hill.
Some downhill ski resorts also have tubing runs including Ski Brule in Iron River, Michigan and Mt. Zion Rec Complex in Ironwood.
(Tip: Make sure you double check before going tubing. Places will sometimes stop runs on really windy days.)
Relax in a sauna
Whether it’s a regular part of your routine or a special treat, sweating it out in a sauna has proven to have some health benefits like lower blood pressure and lower risk of fatal heart disease.
In recent years, places like Unwind in Woodruff, Northern Lights Sauna in Wausau, and Nordic Night in Stevens Point have opened as places for people to come together and enjoy a sauna experience and community. Some of them also offer private sessions.
You can even rent a sauna and have it delivered to your home. Businesses like Northern Steam Co. in Eagle River, Minocqua Sauna, and Metsä Saunas in Bryant offer this kind of service.
Hit the trails or slopes
No matter how you choose to get outdoors, there is no shortage of trails across the Northwoods.
You can find trails all across the area that are groomed for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat-tire biking. Some popular trail systems include WinMan Trails in Manitowish Waters, MECCA Trails in Mercer, ABR Trails in Ironwood, Minocqua Winter Park, Tara Lila Trails in Eagle River, and groups like LAMBO Riders and RASTA Trails groom and maintain trails in the Lakeland and Rhinelander areas, respectively.
You can also checkout county lands, the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest, and the Ottawa National Forest for more trails.
As of December 19th, snowmobile trails are open in the Upper Peninsula and Iron, Vilas, and Oneida counties in Wisconsin.
Travel Wisconsin regularly updates a snow report for snowmobile and cross-country ski trails as well as downhill skiing and snowboarding reports.
Northern Wisconsin and the western U.P. are home to quite a few downhill ski resorts.
Whitecap Mountains Resort in Upson, WI, Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort in Bessemer, MI, Snowriver Mountain Resort in Wakefield, Mt. Zion Ski Hill in Ironwood, Camp 10 Ski Area in Rhinelander, Granite Peak in Wausau, and Ski Brule in Iron River, MI are all open for the season.
The volunteer-run Kettlebowl in Bryant, WI is not yet open for the season. You can keep an eye on its Facebook page for an opening date.
Cheer at winter sporting events
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean sporting events all move indoors. For skiers, hockey players, and snowmobilers, the season is just getting started.
Snowmobiling
Eagle River is home to the World Championship Snowmobile Derby. There are several races throughout January and February.
Watch snowmobilers fly across a lake at a Radar Run. The St. Germain Radar Run is Feb. 13-14 on the West Bay of Little St. Germain Lake. Bent’s Camp in Land O’Lakes hosts a Radar Run on Feb. 14. The Phelps Radar Run is January 24 on North Twin Lake.
Pond Hockey
The Northwoods has two ice hockey tournaments that the public is welcome to come out and cheer on teams at.
USA Pond Hockey Championships return to Dollar Lake in Eagle River January 29th through February 1st.
Then the following weekend, Feb. 6th-9th, is the American Pond Hockey Invitational in Minocqua.
Cross-country skiing
Always one of the first competitions of the season, the SISU Ski Fest in Ironwood is back January 10th. Skiers start at ABR Trails racing to the finish line in downtown Ironwood.
More than 20 schools from the Wisconsin Nordic Ski League (WNSL) and Upper Peninsula of Michigan are coming to Rhinelander January 17-18 for the Hodag Challenge Cross Country Ski Races at the Cedrig A. Vig Outdoor Classroom (CAVOC) trails, 4321 South Shore Drive, Rhinelander, WI. More than 400 athletes are expected to compete.
MECCA Winterfest lets racers compete virtually or in person on January 17th.
Minocqua Winter Park has its Wolf Track Rendezvous on Jan. 31.
(P.S. Many of these cross-country ski races still have a registration open if you’d rather participate than watch)
Sled Dog Racing
It’s not just people racing this time of year. There are a couple sled dog races people can check out.
The Three Bear Sled Dog Race is scheduled for Feb. 7-8 in Land O’Lakes.
The Heal Creek Dog Dash is held at Northwood Golf Course in Rhinelander Feb. 21-22.
Looking for more local events or want to add one of your own? Check out the WXPR Community Calendar.
