Snowshoeing – Fun Winter Activity in Bayfield, WI
Snowshoeing is an excellent way to experience nature in the wintertime. You will love exploring the beautiful rolling hills surrounding Bayfield and the Apostle Islands.
We offer a convenient package that lets you experience this fun winter activity for yourself at nearby Mt. Ashwabay. Old Rittenhouse Inn’s Snowshoe Package includes premier booking through Mount Ashwabay and rental of snow shoes and related equipment. The on-site snow shoe trails at Mount Ashwabay offer several groomed trails, as well as access to the Jerry Jolly Trail. We take care of all the details, and after your adventure, return to the Inn to enjoy hot cocoa and cookies as you warm-up.
If you have your own snowshoes (you can also rent them at Sweet Sailing) strap them on and head out on one of the many trails in the surrounding area. Several of our favorites are close to home, starting only a few blocks from the Rittenhouse.
To enjoy one of these woodsy trails (Ravine Trail), head north on 4th Street to the Bayfield School; then take a left and follow the road up to the ballpark, where you can park your car. (You can easily walk there from the Inn also). Donning your snowshoes, head out around the outfield fence, along the upper ridge of a beautiful ravine. At the edge of left field you’ll find the entrance to a trail that goes up into the woods and follows along that ravine with several other loops you can explore.
The bottom part of that Ravine Trail is also very fun to hike or snowshoe in the wintertime. There is a trail that stays pretty nicely marked for about a half a mile up and after that is fairly rugged but an absolutely gorgeous walk through the forested ravine. You can traverse quite some distance up this ravine and it is really spectacular.
For Lake Superior views, from the Old Rittenhouse Inn go 2 blocks straight down 3rd Street where you’ll pick-up the Brownstone Trail. This trail goes along the lake shore, over the brownstone cliffs. It is a solid mile and a half of great trail going out one way, so doubling back, you can do a nice three-mile loop.
There are lots of photo opportunities on any of these trails, so if you like to bring your camera into nature, this is a great opportunity for that.
Of course you can also explore the frozen surface of lake superior when conditions permit, including the famous frozen Ice Caves north of town.
Winter doesn’t last forever, so what are you waiting for? Come on up to the Old Rittenhouse Inn and Bayfield Wisconsin this winter to experience some great outdoor activities like snowshoeing, skiing, dogsledding, and much more.