Cross country skiing is fun for all ages

Cross Country Skiing

With nearly 6,000 miles of abandoned railroad grades, logging roads and fire trails combined with a mild winter climate, and an average of 150 inches of snow annually the Black Hills are a paradise for cross country skiers. Local skiers have a go-anywhere attitude when they clamp on their skinny skis. But ski treks needn’t be jaunts into the unknown…in the Hills there are six areas reserved especially for cross country skiers. Three trail systems stand out and form the points of a 12-mile triangle in the high county between Spearfish and Lead. The most popular of them is the Big Hill XC ski network. It is a complex of six ever-widening loops, 16 miles of trials in all, where the trails are marked, mapped and groomed. For maps or personal advice on Big Hill, visit with the folks at Ski Cross Country in Spearfish, or stop at a local Forest Service office.

More track-set skiing is available at Mystic Miner at Deer Mountain, where they’ve developed four marked, mapped and packed cross country loops totaling about 10 miles. If you’re looking for more of a challenge try the 25-mile Eagle Cliff network. Here the snow’s deep and powdery, where you’ll likely be breaking your own trail. A map is recommended. You can pick one up at Cheyenne Crossing Store or local Forest Service offices. Further south in the Black Hills, two other XC networks put emphasis on “county.” The 16-mile Medicine Mountain network near Custer and the 6-mile Beaver Creek ski network near Sundance, WY.

Some other trails to explore include:
Centennial Trail — 111 miles. A landmark trail that stretches across the north-south length of the Black Hills.
George S. Mickelson — 109 miles. Rail trail from Deadwood to Edgemont. Gentle grades.
Bearlodge Trails — 50.3 miles. Home of the Carson Draw Cross Country Ski Area.
Deerfield & Lake Loop Trail — 28 miles. Gentle trails through scenic canyons.
Old Baldy— 5.7 miles. Offers sweeping views of the northern Black Hills.
Rimrock and Little Spearfish Trails— 12.3 miles. Loops offering spectacular views of limestone cliffs.

 





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