Autumn is coming to a close in just a few weeks- are you ready for winter? With snow brings a whole new array of recreation activities- skiing, winter biking, ice fishing, snowshoeing and more. Check out some spots on BLM-managed public lands to embrace the season.
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Oregon
The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument offers outstanding opportunities for a variety of winter sports within a short drive of residents and visitors to southern Oregon. Plentiful snow at higher elevations makes cross-country skiing, snowmobile touring and snow-play a popular way to visit the monument in winter.
For cross country skiers, the Buck Prairie Nordic Ski Trails system is only 13 miles from Ashland and offers a well-marked trail system suitable for skiers of all levels. Views from high points on the system stretch from Mount Shasta in the south to Mount McLoughlin and the rim of Crater Lake in the north. Snowmobilers can access similar outstanding views on a diverse network of loop trails following unplowed roads through dense forests and open ridgetops. Families gather at the popular Table Mountain Winter Play Area near Hyatt Lake which contains a large tubing/sledding hill, warming hut and plowed parking.
Iditarod National Historic Trail, Alaska
The Iditarod National Historic Trail celebrates a 2,300 mile system of winter routes that first connected ancient Native Alaskan villages, and later opened Alaska to the last great American gold rush. The Trail is still in use today with rural residents using it as a overland travel route between communities, muscle-powered competitors and motor-powered competitors using it in long-distance winter races, and modern-day adventurers testing their mettle in some of the most remote areas in North America. BLM maintains two remote, long-distance segments interspersed with public shelter cabins that provide respite from the elements. The most practical way to explore the trail is in the winter, when the hundreds of miles of swamps crossed by the Trail are frozen, making for easy passage. While offering outstanding opportunities for solitude, the Trail demands a high degree of self-reliance by the user, proficiency in extreme winter camping and travel by ski, dog team, snowmobile, or fat tire bike.
Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness Area, Arizona
Aravaipa Canyon has a loyal and devoted fan base, drawing desert lovers year after year who come to explore and appreciate this oasis in the desert. Forced to the surface as it squeezes through a tight canyon in the Galiuro Mountains, Aravaipa Creek’s flow supports a thriving riparian ecosystem complete with rare native fish, bighorn sheep, javelina, and colorful migratory birds.
Visitation to the canyon is directed by a recreational permit system established to protect the canyon’s ecology. Advanced planning pays off in an uncrowded canyon sprawled out under a canopy of sycamore you can have all to yourself!
Paxson Lake Campground, Alaska
In the summer, the Paxson Lake Campground in Alaska is a launching point for those floating the Gulkana Wild and Scenic River. When the Lake freezes over, Paxson Lake Campground becomes a go-to spot for ice fishing. Back in 2016, BLM Alaska partnered with Wrangell St. Elias National Park to host “Chosen Frozen” teen winter camp. Approximately 60 teens rotated through the “Chosen Frozen” winter camp at BLM’s Paxson Lake Campground. Teens learned winter camping and fire-starting techniques, Quinsee hut survival shelter construction, Chistochina Tribal methods for sewing and beading fur, winter animal habitat, and they snowshoed, cross country skied, and ice fished.
Sundance Lodge Recreation Area, Montana
The Sundance Lodge Recreation in Montana is a day-use-only area at the confluence of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone rivers on the Lewis and Clark and Nez Perce National Historic Trails. Its cottonwood groves, meadows, and riparian areas are popular for hiking, viewing wildlife, horseback riding and picnicking.
Sundance Lodge was a working ranch before the BLM acquired it in 1997. The Nature Conservancy, the Yellowstone Chapter of Pheasants Forever, and the BLM combined efforts to acquire the land. It is now designated a Special Recreation Management Area and its purpose is to provide a dispersed recreation experience near the communities of Laurel and Billings, ensure public access to the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone, and protect wildlife habitat.
