On a recent sunny and beautiful March day, I had the opportunity to get out of the office and head out to experience Inlet. The sun was shining, the temperature was rising throughout the morning, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I thought it would be a perfect day to head to Fern Park and check out their cross-country ski trails, and it was!
I arrived in Inlet around 10 a.m. and the temperature had already risen to 25 degrees, and was supposed to keep rising. It was going to be a spring skiing day! My mom, my black lab Ruger, and I parked at Fern Park and put on our cross-country ski boots. There were people milling about looking at the map and deciding which route to take for their ski. We chatted with them about best routes to take and they pointed us towards the blue loop. The blue loop is an intermediate loop, about 5 and a half miles long and sounded like it was just what we were looking for.
We headed into the woods on beautiful wide and groomed ski trails. There are portions of Fern Park that are groomed, and portions that are left ungroomed. Fern Park is a true recreation center as there is a skating rink, snowshoe trails, cross-country ski trails, and a sledding hill. There is the ability to do backcountry skiing with the ungroomed ski trails. If you are looking for a groomed ski trail, Inlet does a great job of updating their website with information on what portions of Fern Park have been groomed. Check there before heading out.
We stuck to the groomed trails. The blue loop that we did was the perfect intermediate trail. The whole loop went through the woods with some hills and beautiful vistas. At some points it ran along snowmobile trails, and we saw a few snowmobilers zooming through the woods. We also passed many snowshoe trails that people have explored throughout Fern Park. This makes me want to visit Fern Park again, but bring my snowshoes next time. The trails were hard packed as we started out, but once the sun came out and the temperature rose, the trails started to soften up and it made for great spring skiing.
Fern Park is set up well for all types of skiers. The green trail is for beginners and is only 0.9 miles long. The blue trail is intermediate and longer at 5 and a half miles long, and the red and yellow trails are for experienced skiers, being longer at 5 and 7 miles long, with some portions of those trails not being groomed. If you enjoy backcountry skiing, the red trail is a great option with some hills and fresh, untouched snow. Throughout the trail system, there are maps every so often so you can see where you are and map out the rest of your ski. There are also printed maps at the entry to the trails so you can take one with you.
Want to try out Fern Park on your next trip to Inlet? Stop by Petals & Pedals for cross-country ski or snowshoe rentals. They will hook you up with the gear you need to have a successful outing. Afterwards, find a place to eat, and a place to rest to make your stay in Inlet complete.
Be sure to visit Fern Park in summer, as well! There is great hiking and biking to be had!
