Winter · Silent Sports
XC Skiing & Snowshoeing
Big Snow Country runs on lake-effect snow, and its cross-country trails are some of the best anywhere. Make the mountain your basecamp and ski a different one every day of the week.
Cross-Country & Snowshoe
The heart of nordic country
You’re in the middle of it here. Within a short drive of the resort sit six distinct trail systems, from rustic backcountry loops you reach on foot from the property to a full-service touring center rated among the country’s best. Classic tracks, skate lanes, and snowshoe routes, all fed by the same lake-effect snow. Sleep on the mountain and ski a new one every day.
Uller Trail
29 km · Classic groomed · At the resort
The closest trails to the resort, and the most rugged. The Uller Trail runs 29 kilometers of classic track through Penokee backcountry near Weber Lake, with three loops on the Whitecap end you can reach on foot from the property. Groomed for classic skiing but backcountry at heart, it’s the kind of quiet you drove north for. Kept up by the Penokee Rangers; snowshoers and dogs welcome.
Montreal Trails
11 km · Classic groomed · A few miles out
The Penokee Rangers’ other system: 11 kilometers of classic track threading the old Montreal mining district. Interpretive signs mark what’s left of the mine that ran here from 1900 to 1962, so you get a little history with the glide. All abilities, buried under the same lake-effect snow, free to ski on donations.
ABR Trails
90 km · Classic + skate · ~30 min
The big one. ABR is a destination touring center outside Ironwood: 90 kilometers of groomed classic and skate trails, plus 18 kilometers set aside for snowshoeing, regularly rated among the country’s top five nordic centers. There’s a full-service shop for rentals and repairs, warming cabins out on the trail, and a pass to ski. Worth the half-hour.
Wolverine Nordic
25 km · Classic + skate · ~30 min
Twenty-five kilometers of classic and skate trails on rolling terrain just east of Ironwood, run by the Wolverine Nordic Ski Club. Eight trails cover everything from a first-timer’s afternoon to an expert’s workout, and the trailhead chalet keeps the hot chocolate going. Snowshoers welcome.
Miners Park
165 acres · Ski + snowshoe · ~30 min
A park built on reclaimed mining ground in the middle of Ironwood: 165 acres where old iron works have gone back to woods and trail. Ski or snowshoe a network that links neighborhood to neighborhood, right in town. Community-run on memberships and donations.
MECCA Trails
21 km · Groomed · ~45 min
Down in Mercer, MECCA lays 21 kilometers of groomed track over glacial country: eskers, drumlins, and kettles that keep the terrain interesting, with long views at the Little Turtle Wildlife Area. Three more miles are set aside for snowshoeing. A little farther out, and worth it for the scenery. Volunteer-run since 1973.
Snowshoe
Room to roam
Two hundred inches of snow turns the whole region into a place to explore on foot. Marked routes wind through every trail system here, and the open woods of northern Wisconsin and the western UP go on well past them. Frozen waterfalls are a favorite destination, but half the fun is picking a direction and seeing where the tracks take you.
Rentals
Gear up nearby
Renting is easy. ABR rents cross-country skis right at its trailhead, so you can show up and go. In Ironwood, Hobby Wheel handles both cross-country skis and snowshoes, with packages by the day or the trip. Either way, reserve ahead on busy weekends.
The Wine Hut
Warm up at The Wine Hut
There’s a reason to keep skiing to the far end of Weber Lake: The Wine Hut. It’s a square-hewn log cabin on the shore, the oldest building in Iron County, with a wood stove throwing heat and mulled wine on the counter. Pull off your skis or snowshoes, warm up over chili and cocoa, and let the fire do its work before you head back out. Go in the afternoon; it closes before the lifts.
Get the group together
Nordic clubs, families, a few carloads of friends: Whitecap makes an easy basecamp for all of it. Beds on the mountain, trail systems in every direction, and one team to help sort lodging and logistics. Tell us what you’re planning.
Downhill
Skiing & Snowboarding
Three peaks and 43 trails when you want the lifts to do the climbing.
Refuel
Dining
A warm restaurant and bar at the base, and The Wine Hut on the shore of Weber Lake.