Cross Country Ski Trails 

2/27/26

For those that made it out to Twilight Trails last night, Thank you for a great evening! We hope you had fun out on the trails and if you were unable to attend, be on the lookout for our event next season. The trails took quite the beating yesterday, especially in open and thin areas with the full power of the springtime rising sun. Next week, many of our trails will likely degrade again as the extended forecast is consistently warm in the afternoons. We will continue to groom various locations as conditions allow.  If possible, please ski in the mornings and or before the temperature reaches 32F. This will help to preserve bases for as long as possible without any new snow heading our way. At some point, we will have to hang it up for the season, but we will let you know as soon as that decision is made. Until then, happy trails!

Edgewood - The skate deck that was tracked for the Twilight Trails event was renovated this morning and turned-out poor to good. Grass is present along with ice and thin spots, but there are some better sections where the trees shade the trail from the mid-day sun. The classic trails are in the same condition for the most part, with some poor areas next to good sections of track. 

Lions/Iwen - Trails and track were reset yesterday 2/26. Expect thin/icy/bare areas along sections of good track.

2/25/26

Grooming conditions have improved with the cold spell last weekend, and we were able to renovate some areas in the first half of this week. A special track has been set for the Twilight Trails event happening tomorrow February 26 at Edgewood from 6:00-8:00pm! The forecast looks warm, so it should be a great evening out on the trail. That being said, with the warmup over the next two days and then again next week, expect bases to start thinning once again. We will be out to regroom where and when possible. Typically, towards the end of the season, the trails turn into a skate skiers paradise once we are no longer able to set track. Hopefully we are not done for the season, but time will tell. We hope to see you tomorrow night and if not, happy trails!

Edgewood - All trails have been renovated and are in fair to excellent condition. The main classic track was reset. Some areas are thin and ice remains, but for the most part, should provide some decent skiing. A new classic track was set this morning in preparation for the Twilight Trails event tomorrow night. This track follows the first half of the skate deck if you ski counterclockwise. Some of the new track is thin and some grass is poking through, but it should hold up for a great evening! After the event, we will scrub out the track and pack for skate skiing again. The other half of the skate deck turned out excellent.

Lindenwood - Trail was groomed on Monday, 2/23 and is in good condition. Double track was set back on the normal route with the wet areas freezing over the past weekend. The skate deck is also in good condition. 

Prairiewood - Groomed and tracked and in fair to good condition. We were able to set track on both the long and short loops, expect to see some thin track along the route. The skate deck is also in good condition. 

2/20/26

Good news! We have some track set at various locations. While the overall trail quality might not be the best, you should be able to enjoy and nice ski into next week. Grooming conditions have been tough, but we have done what is possible with the snow that we received last night. See the individual trail reports below for an accurate description of what you should expect. See you on the trail!

Reminder, Twilight Trails is happening Thursday February 26 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Edgewood!

Edgewood - Trails are in poor to good condition. Double track was set but expect wet and thin areas along the trail. The track setter was raised in the worst locations, so it should be obvious where to keep off to the side. Also, you will see where the groomer got stuck near the chalet on the hill. Use caution on the hill as there is much unpacked snow before you reach the set track. The skate deck set up nicely and should provide some good skiing once the base has set up. 

Lindenwood - Trails are in fair to good condition. A single track was set from the dog park to the Lindenwood entrance and a double track from that point into the campground. The track is mostly good with some thin spots along the way. The skate deck turned out good as well. Watch for some thin and icy spots.

Lions/Iwen - Single track was set and is in 50/50 good to thin condition.

Orchard Glen - Single track was set on all but a couple of wet spots in the woods. Some track is thin but for the most part, the trail is in good shape.

Forest River - Single track was set and is in fair to good condition. Again expect some thin and wet spots along the trail.

Heritage Hills - Will be packed next week when time allows.

Prairiewood - Likely will not be groomed for the remainder of the season to mitigate ice buildup.

2/19/26

Not going to sugarcoat this one, trails are in rough shape. With the high temps, almost 1/2" of rain and then heavy wet snow to cap everything off, we have a huge mix of conditions. There are many wet spots along the trails that will need time to freeze if they even do before spring. Track setting is not possible with the very wet base layer of snow. We are packing the bases down now and hopefully with the forecasted temps this weekend they freeze up for renovation and track setting soon. Until then, expect bases to be very soft and not in the best of shape. 

Wish we had better news but perhaps some better skiing lays ahead next week!

2/18/26

With temps sitting right around freezing this afternoon, we will start grooming operations on Thursday morning. If we were to groom the heavy/wet snow today, it would compact to ice, and you would need ice skates instead of skate skis! Hopefully we get a couple more inches of snow on the wrap around as the system leaves our area. The amount of snow we have now might not be enough to set track, but we will evaluate the trails in the morning and do so if possible.

Reminder, Twilight Trails is happening Thursday February 26 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Edgewood!

2/17/26

The trails may be in poor condition, but our driveways are all melted off, so that's a plus! We are waiting to see what happens with the weather system arriving today. Models have been changing hourly as to snow amounts and location; time will tell if we end up with more rain or snow. Hopefully we receive a good amount of snow, and we can get some track set again! In the meantime, try not to blow away in this rare east wind, and we hope to see you on the trail later this week. 

Reminder, Twilight Trails is happening Thursday February 26 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Edgewood!

2/12/26

We have entered the first false spring of the season. Trails are generally in poor condition across the board. Temps and sunshine will be hard on the trails over the next 6 days especially in the afternoon hours. Speaking with other trail maintenance crews in the region, all trails are going to degrade in quality and unfortunately, there is not much to be done until we receive more snow. We were able to renovate the skate decks at Edgewood and Lindenwood this morning. The Edgewood base was very thin in areas coupled with icy and bare sections to boot. Lindenwood faired a bit better, with only a couple sections of thin base and tree debris. The base on both trails groomed to a granular finish but should pack in as the snow melts. We will not be renovating the classic tracks at this time as the bases are too thin to work with to create a skiable surface. If you do attempt to ski, please do so in the AM hours and before temps rise above 34F. This will help to preserve the base that we hold and will help to bring the trails back to good condition when we receive more snow. 

A slight glimmer of hope is on the horizon; snow is in the forecast for the middle of next week. Assuming we get some fresh snow, we will be out grooming again to set track and get you back on the trails!

Twilight Trials has been rescheduled to Thursday February 26^th from 6-8pm and Edgewood.

2/9/26

It seems we have skipped the month of February and have been transported to late March with the weather we are forecasted to experience this week. If there is any grooming to be done this week, more than likely it will only happen on the skate decks, so not to destroy the classic tracks.

On the positive side, overnight temps will be below freezing, allowing the trails to cool back down and spend less time in the melting phase. The best help skiers can give to the groomers is to ski in the morning before the temps rise above 32F. If you ski when the temps are over 32F, the snow compacts into ice in the overnight hours and becomes harder to groom later for better skiing. It is too far out to be considered reliable, but there is a slight chance for snow next week, and the temps look to be trending down again. We aren't done with winter yet (hopefully)!

We will do what is possible at Edgewood to prep for the Twilight Trails event on Thursday. In the mean time, if you aren't on the trails, be sure to check out the Olympics and all the nordic skiing events happening in Italy! 

2/3/26

The word we would use to describe trail conditions currently is SUPURB! Everything has groomed up to excellent condition and will provide some top tier skiing. We widened sections of trail where possible to lessen the effect hikers have on the track, specifically in the nature parks where trails tend to be narrower. Looks like we will see some days above freezing soon, but there should be enough base to sustain conditions for a while. Lets hope for some more snow next week and we'll see you out on the trails! Reminder, Twilight Trails is happening Thursday February 12, from 6:00-8:00 pm at Edgewood.

Edgewood - Groomed 2/2 Trails are in excellent condition. With most of the snow remaining in place due to relatively mild winds, all areas of the track set well and are free of debris and ice. The skate deck should firm up and provide some great skiing in these warmer temps. 

Lindenwood - Groomed 2/1 Trails are in excellent condition. Both the track and the skate deck set up great! We will look at regrooming sometime later this week after all other locations are groomed as the trails are sure to see heavy use.

Forest River - Groomed 2/3 Trails are in excellent condition. Base is deep and the track turned out great throughout the park.

Orchard Glen - Groomed 2/3 Trails are in excellent condition. There are a couple thin spots near the steep hill intersection but the remainder of the trail tracked well.

Lions/Iwen - Groomed 2/3 Trail is in mostly excellent condition on the Lions side. The connection to Iwen has been packed, but no track has been set. Snow was thin along the University flood wall so the cutoff was groomed on the hill before the Iwen connection. Snow that was removed from the University concrete trail solidified and made grooming along the levee difficult, it is skiable but use caution in this section.

Heritage Hills - To be packed on 2/4

Prairiewood - To be packed date TBD

2/2/26

February is here, and the trails are in their prime! The weather looks great for a couple weeks, so we will have the best conditions of the season so far. Edgewood and Lindenwood have been groomed. The remaining trails will be groomed starting 2/3 as we have other snow removal commitments that need attention. 

Edgewood - Groomed 2/2 Trails are in excellent condition. With most of the snow remaining in place due to relatively mild winds, all areas of the track set well and are free of debris and ice. The skate deck should firm up and provide some great skiing in these warmer temps. 

Lindenwood - Groomed 2/1 Trails are in excellent condition. Both the track and the skate deck set up great! We will look at regrooming sometime later this week after all other locations are groomed as the trails are sure to see heavy use.

"Share the Trail"

1. For the safety and enjoyment of everyone, please stay in your lanes.
2. Be an ambassador for your activity.
3. Dogs must stay off of classic trails and leash and dog waste laws still apply.
4. Slow skiers yield to skiers going at a faster pace.
5. Avoid skate skiing on or over the groomed classic and foot traffic lanes.
6. Be respectful of wildlife and private property.
7. Keep the trails litter-free. Pack in, Pack out.
8. The trail is multi-directional. Be courteous to other trail users and oncoming traffic.
9. Have fun!

• Dike East to Lindenwood Classic (blue) - 9.8K*
• Dike East to Lindenwood Skating (yellow) - 5.9K*

*Trail distances represent the distance going out and back

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• Edgewood Golf Course is the only trail that offers cross country ski and snowshoe rentals. Get your rentals at the Edgewood Chalet, learn more here. 

• Edgewood Classic Short Loop (red) - 2.6K 

• Edgewood Classic Long Loop (red) - 3.7K 

• Edgewood Skate (yellow) - 2.5K

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• Forest River Combo (red) - 2.75K
• Forest River Flat (yellow) - 1.3K

The blue lines in the map below represent trail shortcuts.

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Heritage Hills Park trails will now be groomed for hiking, and ski tracks will not be set at this location for the upcoming season. This change allows visitors to freely explore the park on foot while still enjoying a groomed path, without the need to avoid ski tracks.

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Due to winter tree pruning activities at Island Park that will create safety concerns and prevent us from maintaining a groomed trail throughout the season, the Island Park Ski Trail will be closed for the 2025–2026 winter.

• Iwen Loop – 2.6K 
• Iwen to Lions (out and back) – 5K

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• Lindenwood South Classic (red) - 3.9K*

• Lindenwood Full Length Classic (red and blue) - 9.8K*

• Lindenwood to Dike East Classic (blue) - 5.9K*

• Lindenwood to Dike East Skating (yellow) - 5.9K*

*Trail distances represent the distance going out and back

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• Orchard Glen Combo (red) - 1.75K
• Orchard Glen Flat (yellow) - 1K

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• Prairiewood Ski Trail #1 - .8K
• Prairiewood Ski Trail #2 – 2.7K 

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