Let’s be honest. Winter can be hard. The lack of daylight, freezing cold temperatures, and seemingly endless shoveling can wear a person down.
The good news is that there are many fun things to do in the ice and snow and finding the right one for you and your family can turn winter into an enjoyable season. Here are six outdoor activities that you can do right in the Wausau area!
Check out winter recreation opportunities with your family!
Cross-Country Skiing
- Locations: Nine Mile County Forest or Sylvan Hill
- Cost: Free for kids 11 and under (rentals are available at Nine Mile for a fee)
- Tip: Kids can try the Cookie Trail at Nine Mile! Get a punch card at the chalet, punch the card with the hold-punches in all of the mailboxes on the route, then bring your card back to the chalet to receive a treat! IRONBULL has a great review of the Cookie Trail, here! (If your kid is too young to do the 1.5 mile Cookie Trail, you could try the .5 mile Kids Loop instead.) Also, the Wausau Nordic Ski Club offers free Snow Striders cross-country ski lessons for kids!
Downhill Skiing
- Location: Granite Peak Ski Area
- Cost: Varies by day and time
- Tip: Granite Peak offers classes for kids! They have Single Day Group Lessons, Midweek Night Camps, and Little Legends – a camp for those who are new to skiing or snowboarding.
Ice Skating & Hockey
- Locations: Wausau, Rothschild, Rib Mountain, Weston – click here for locations
- Cost: Skating at the outdoor rinks is free – just bring your own skates!
- Tip: You can go skating and sledding at Doepke Park & George Street Park
Sledding
- Locations: Doepke Park (behind the ice rinks), George Street Park, these hills in Wausau
- Cost: Free – just bring your own sled!
- Tip: You can go ice skating and sledding at Doepke Park & George Street Park
Snowshoeing
- Locations: Nine Mile Country Forest, Sylvan Hill Park, and Rib Mountain State Park (State Park Pass is required)
- Cost: Free for kids 11 and under at Nine Mile County Forest (rentals are available at Nine Mile for a fee) and free for everyone at the other locations
- Tip: Snowshoeing is also allowed at no charge throughout the woods, off the marked snowshoe route in all county forests and parks – per the Marathon County Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department
Snow Tubing
- Location: Sylvan Hill Park
- Cost: $10.00/session – Adult (14 and older) $7.50/session – Child (42″ to 13 yrs old)
- Tip: Children must be must be at least 42″ tall to ride a tube. The hill is open from Dec. 11, 2021 to March 13, 2022 – weather permitting.
For even more winter fun, check out Wausau Mama’s Winter Activities Guide:
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