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Cascade River State Park & Areas

The Cascade River State Park trails are on the west side of the river with free parking on Highway 61 or parking with a permit within the park.
Cascade Lodge trails are on the east side of the river where a parking fee is charged.


cascade state park ski trailsCascade River State Park
Phone 218-387-3053
Connects west to Hall Loop and northeast to Deer Yard
Amenities restrooms in State Park; the main trail shelter in the park may be heated by wood stove as needed; unheated rustic shelters are located at backpack campsites along the trail; and, Cascade Lodge Restaurant is at the trailhead of the east side system
Fees MN Ski Pass required; and if you park in the State Park, a Park Permit is required; both sold at state park office (open 10am-4pm weekends)
Maps click here and at trailhead
Level of Difficulty easy, more difficult & most difficult
Trail Description tracked trails with one skating loop west of the lodge
lots of easy and intermediate loops near the lodge and in the park near Lake Superior; ski the easy to intermediate 6.4K Cedar Woods loop, which is uphill the first third, downhill the middle third and level the last third, if you ski it clockwise
suggestion make it a two-car ski by leaving one car on Hwy 61 and drive to Deer Yard, where you can ski the more difficult 8K plus Babineau Run, ski in to the first junction and head towards the beaver pond, then ski the eastern leg of the Pioneer and River Trails back down to Hwy 61
Location & Directions 3481 West Highway 61, north of Lutsen
located just off Highway 61 at mile marker 101 (10 miles southwest of Grand Marais)


Deeryard Trails
Phone Cascade Lodge :: 218 387 1112
Connects southwest to Cascade River and north to Bally Creek
Amenities restrooms in State Park; Cascade Lodge Restaurant is at the trailhead of the east side system
Fees MN Ski Pass required; and if you park in the State Park, a Park Permit is required; both sold at state park office (open 10am-4pm weekends)
Maps at trailhead and online
Level of Difficulty easy, more difficult & most difficult
Trail Description tracked trails only
ski the easy 3K trail into the first junction and return to the trailhead or plan to ski the more to most difficult Deer Yard loop; this is a great picnic loop and offers a variety of hills, from short, steep and curvy to medium length uphill climbs; see the Cascade River description for details on skiing from Deer Yard down to the Highway 61 at the Cascade River
Directions From Hwy 61, drive north on County Road 7 to County Road 44, north to Pike Lake Road (County Road 45), then west to intersection with forest road, and west on road in to parking (known locally as Babineau Corner)

Cross Country Ski Trails by Area
Two Harbors Crosby Manitou State Park Grand Marais
Gooseberry Falls State Park Finland / Little Marais Pincushion Mountain
Split Rock Lighthouse S.P. Tofte Gunflint Trail
Silver Bay Lutsen Grand Portage
Tettegouche State Park Cascade River State Park main XC Ski page


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