Here we've outlined the most popular places to ski in and around Saskatoon.  These are the areas groomed by Saskatoon Nordic Ski Club volunteers and by the City of Saskatoon.  Most of the trails are suitable for all levels of skiers.  Skiers who use these groomed trails are encouraged to join the Nordic Ski Club.

Happy skiing folks!

Wildwood Golf Course

Suitable for:  all levels of skiers, groomed for skate and classic.

Directions:  parking at the clubhouse off 8th Street, just east of McKercher Drive.

These are some of the best maintained trails in the city, groomed frequently by Nordic Ski Club volunteers.  The terrain is nicely rolling with a number of flat sections and some decent hills in the interior.  A fairly flat classic track of 2.5km circles the perimeter, and the interior loop is 6km and groomed for skate and classic.  This is the location of Tuesday night Grapefruit Cup races during January to March.  The clubhouse is often open on the weekends with access to heated bathrooms.

Kinsmen Park

Suitable for:  all levels of skiers, groomed for skate and classic.

Directions:  parking in the lot across the street from the museum on Spadina, or the northernmost two rows of the YWCA parking lot.

Banked by City Hospital, Kinsmen Park is right in downtown Saskatoon and easy to get to.  The entire loop is about 2.6km and the terrain is easy.  There is a gully near Spadina and Queen with a couple of hills to practice your ascents and descents.  Often there is a grid of classic tracks in the ball diamond in the centre of the park where lessons take place.  Kinsmen Park is the current home for the Jackrabbits program on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons.  It is groomed by Nordic Ski Club volunteers.

Holiday Park

Suitable for:  all levels of skiers, groomed for skate and classic.

Directions:  From 11th Street, turn south onto Avenue U and drive until you get to the end.  Parking and trail access from here.

Groomed by the City, Holiday Park has a 3.5km loop usually groomed with a skate track and a double classic track.  There are a few fun rolling sections as you get nearer the river.  

City Trails

The city often grooms a classic track in various parts of town, such as Lower and Upper Meewasin Park (park at the junction of Pinehouse and Whiteswan Drives).  Diefenbaker Park (access at Ruth Street and Henry Avenue) is often tracked, as is Forest Park (access from Lowe and Nelson Roads and Forest Drive).  More information on city trails here.

Eb's Trails

Suitable for:  all levels of skiers, though some trails are more technical than others.  Groomed for classic only.  No dogs.

Directions:  drive 100km north of Saskatoon on Highway 11.  Past Duck Lake you will enter the Nisbet Provincial Forest.  Watch for two small signs with a skier on them, these indicate the two entrances to the trails.  There is a south and a north parking lot, about 2km apart.  Each has trail access, outdoor bathrooms, and a warm-up hut where you can start a fire in the stove.

These are beautiful trails through mixed forest and rolling country.  There are 52km of trails with loops of varying distance and difficulty so every skier can have a great experience.  Eb Fass himself was instrumental in the formation of this trail system, which is maintained and groomed by Nordic Ski Club volunteers.  They put a lot of hours into fall trail clearing, winter grooming, wood cutting and area upkeep, so please help to keep the place in good shape.  This is one of the prime areas to ski near Saskatoon and it is well loved.  Click here for trail map.

Blackstrap

Suitable for:  all levels of skiers, as new hill bypasses have been put in.

Directions:  drive about 35km south of the city on Highway 11, then turn east opposite Dundurn onto Highway 211.  Follow it across the lake and turn immediately right.  You will find parking near the clubhouse.

There has been some recent work done on this trail system, which was designed for the 1972 Jeux Canada Winter Games.  Some leveling, trail widening and hill bypasses have made the 5km loop more accessible to beginner skiers, yet there is a lot of terrain variation that will keep experienced skiers happy.  Please ski in a clockwise direction.  There is a shelter near the parking area.