Duluth's Best Winter Sports, From Ice Climbing to Fat Biking
Duluth's Best Winter Sports, From Ice Climbing to Fat Biking
By Hansi Johnson
Our idea of a perfect winter day is completing a “snowfecta” of ice climbing, cross-country skiing and fat biking before sunset. Nestled on the North Shore of Lake Superior, Duluth is the one of the country's best places to experience all three. Not to mention lots of other winter sports and outdoor activities.
Mixed climbing in Duluth / Sarah Wiesner
ICE CLIMBING AT QUARRY PARK
Start the day with a hearty breakfast downtown at Duluth Coffee Company Kitchen on Superior Street. Fortified for action, head over to nearby Quarry Park for some breathtaking ice climbing. This former industrial site has been re-imagined as one of Duluth’s leading winter sports hubs.
Listen as your ice pick makes a satisfying “thump” with every swing at an imposing, 80-foot wall of verglas, and your adrenaline propels you up the climb. Topping out, swing lazily back down on your rope against a backdrop of waterfalls and the lakeside city.
Heart no longer hammering, roll down to the blossoming Lincoln Park Craft District and 190 Coffee and Tea for a warm-up and a quick bump of espresso.
Grand Avenue Nordic Center
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AT GRAND AVENUE NORDIC CENTER
Time for a fast-paced Nordic-style ski at the Grand Avenue Nordic Center! The GANC is located at the base of Spirit Mountain. Guaranteed snow and daily grooming make it the top choice for an exhilarating skate ski.
Push off and glide across the pristine snow, loving the fresh corduroy under your feet as you fly along the trail that links GANC to the top of the hill. The relatively new route links the upper Spirit Mountain system with the Magney-Snively trail.
Lucky for cheese lovers, Burnett Dairy was literally built right across the street. Its crispy, deep-fried curds are sure to warm your core before a quick walk through the new Ski Hut Adventure Center next door, where you can replenish your kick wax supply for future adventures.
Winter fat biking on the groomed trails in Duluth / Hansi Johnson
FAT BIKING AT MISSION CREEK
Mission Creek is one of Duluth's most renowned mountain bike trails. As the sun sets and a glowing spray of powder spins off the front wheel of your bike, silently float on hard-packed singletrack trails through mature stands of white pine and birch trees. If you're lucky, you may even see a great grey owl swoop down as you pass by.
Before wrapping things up for the day, be sure to swing by Ursa Minor Brewing for a cold pint and a warm fire. Or make it a mini crawl with any of the other taprooms in the area, including Bent Paddle, Wild State, Warrior Brewing and Duluth Cider.
Skier on jump at Spirit Mountain in Duluth
EXPLORE MORE
If snowboarding or downhill skiing is more your game, head to Spirit Mountain for one of Minnesota’s best lift-served experiences. Spirit Mountain has a high-speed quad to help you quickly access its 22 runs, and a super-fast tow rope for hitting its high-quality terrain park if you go for lapping rails and sliding boxes.
Hartley Nature Center is located in the center of one of Duluth’s most beloved outdoor hangouts. The nature center rents winter gear for cross-country skiing as well as snowshoes. The trails at Hartely are perfect for beginners, and the setting is about as spellbinding as it gets in the City.
Credit: Riah Beth, courtesy of the Back Alley Surf Shop
Some hearty souls love to surf on Lake Superior. Keep an eye on the weather and learn how you can be safe on the big lake in winter and you too could be hanging ten at -10F! Back Alley Surf & Coffee is a great place to catch the Lake Superior vibe, gather resources, and get caffeinated.
Want to extend your Duluth winter sports day well into the night? Recharge with a woodfired pie at Vitta Pizza. Then get your ice skates on and hit the flawless ice at Bayfront Park for some pirouettes and triple axles under the crystal-clear night sky.
Vikre Distillery
Wind the long day down with a cocktail from Vikre Distillery and some bistro food at the Zeitgeist Arts Cafe downtown, then cross the street to check out what play is showing at the historic, newly renovated West Theater. If you’d rather listen to live music, The Ripple Bar on Canal Park is the perfect place.
Find more things to do in Duluth and other winter activities throughout the state.