Best Trails for Winter Snowshoeing in the US
Most lists of the best snowshoeing trails in the US include at least one route that crosses avalanche terrain, or a trailhead you can't drive to after December. We wanted a list that's useful to someone who owns snowshoes but no beacon, so we picked only from our own trail guides and checked each trail against what its managing agency says about winter. The 10 trails here are gentle, mostly forested, and reachable in winter if you plan for the access. They range from frozen-lake hikes in New Hampshire's notches to groomed park systems in the Twin Cities. We also explain why some famous winter trails, including Franklin Falls and Utah's Donut Falls, didn't make the list. For each trail, you'll find the distance and climb from our guide, how dependable the snow is, any avalanche exposure, and what the road or gate situation looks like. We mention rentals only where the operator confirms them.
How we chose: gentle grades, no slide paths, honest snow
Each trail had to meet three tests. First, the route itself can't run through or beneath avalanche terrain in a normal winter, according to its managing agency or our guide. Avalanche.org keeps a directory of U.S. avalanche forecast centers. If a trail is in a region with a forecast center, we name it, and you should read that forecast before any trip that goes beyond the route described here. Second, you have to be able to reach the trail in winter, even if that means walking a closed road for part of the approach. Third, the snow has to come often enough to be worth planning around, or we say plainly when it's only a chance. That rules out a lot of famous summer hikes. It also means the list leans toward short, forested trails, frozen waterfalls and park systems that set aside trails for snowshoeing. Those are what most people are looking for when they search for the best trails for winter snowshoeing.
When snowshoes are worth it and when spikes are enough
Snowshoes help in deep, loose snow, especially in the first day or two after a storm, before other people have packed the trail. Once a popular route is packed, microspikes often grip better and weigh much less. Many of these trails ice over on stairs, ledges or freeze-thaw slopes, so carry both if you can. Snowshoes with built-in heel lifts make the climbs at Lonesome Lake and Mount Willard much easier on your calves.
New England: frozen lakes and notch views
New Hampshire's notches have the most classic snowshoe outings on our list. The trails climb through forest rather than open slopes, the snow is usually deep from midwinter on, and the reward at the top is a frozen lake or a cliff-edge view. The serious avalanche terrain in the White Mountains is in the Presidential Range ravines, and the Mount Washington Avalanche Center forecasts those. These two trails don't go there.
Lonesome Lake, Franconia Notch
This round trip is 3.2 miles with about 1,000 feet of gain from Lafayette Place, and the work comes in one steep, switchbacking stretch of under a mile. Once the lake ices over, it turns into one of the notch's favourite snowshoe objectives, according to our guide. Take microspikes as well as snowshoes, because the switchbacks are often packed hard by other hikers. Pets aren't allowed in Lafayette Place Campground, where the trail starts, so check dog rules with the state park first. Parking on the I-93 shoulder is illegal.
Mount Willard, Crawford Notch
This trail is 3.2 miles round trip with about 900 feet of gain, starting near the Crawford Depot on US-302, and AMC rates the view from the ledges among the best in the White Mountains for the effort. Our guide describes it as a popular winter snowshoe because the grade stays gentle. The danger is at the top: the ledges end in a steep drop and are often icy, so put on spikes and keep children close. Cloud can fill the notch, so check the forecast.
Montana and Utah: plowed roads, one pick and one cut
In the Northern Rockies and the Wasatch, the snow isn't the issue. The question is how far you can drive, and what sits above the trail once you get there. Palisade Falls passes both tests if you plan the approach. Donut Falls, the Wasatch trail most people would expect on a list like this, does not, and the reason is worth knowing before you go.
Palisade Falls, Hyalite Canyon near Bozeman
In summer this is a paved 1.2-mile round trip with about 250 feet of gain to an 80-foot waterfall over basalt columns, and the falls freeze in winter. Cars can reach the trailhead on the East Fork spur until the end of December, per our guide. From January on, plan to ski or snowshoe in from the Chisholm trailhead, which adds real distance. Friends of Hyalite, which helps fund the work, says the main canyon road is plowed from mid-November through March 31, though not on weekends or evenings. Steep gullies elsewhere in Hyalite are covered by the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. There's no fee.
Why Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood didn't make the list
In summer this 1.5-mile, 518-foot hike is the busiest family trail in the canyon. In winter, the road to the summer trailhead and the trail itself are snowbound, so the approach gets longer, and the Utah Avalanche Center has logged avalanche activity at Doughnut Falls. The falls alcove sits below slopes that can slide. That rules it out here. If you go anyway, treat it as avalanche terrain: read the Salt Lake forecast, carry rescue gear with a trained partner, and stop well short of the alcove.
Twin Cities: snowshoe trails with rentals
Minneapolis has no mountains, but it has reliable midwinter snow and park systems that build winter around skiing and snowshoeing. That means rentals and designated snowshoe trails, along with strict rules about staying off groomed ski tracks. Minnesota state parks allow snowshoeing anywhere except on trails groomed for another activity, and Three Rivers Park District doesn't allow snowshoeing on its ski trails unless signs say otherwise. There's no avalanche center for the region and no avalanche terrain. The main hazard is cold.
Hyland Lake Park Reserve, Bloomington
Our Hyland and Bush Lakes guide covers a 5.4-mile summer loop with 364 feet of gain, but in winter much of the reserve is groomed for skiing. The snowshoe network, about 5 miles, starts from Richardson Nature Center, and that's also where the park district's rental snowshoes are handed out; reserving them online ahead of time is the smart move. There's no charge to enter, and gates open at 5 a.m., so an overnight dump can be yours first.
Afton State Park, St. Croix bluffs
Afton is the hilliest snowshoe trip in the metro. Our guide says about 12 miles of trail stay open to hikers and snowshoers in winter, and the North River loop is 3.9 miles with about 508 feet of gain, mostly on the climb back up from the river. The Minnesota DNR lists Afton among the parks that rent snowshoes for $6 a day, though rentals aren't always available. You'll need a $7 day permit or a $35 annual permit.
Theodore Wirth Park, Minneapolis
This is the snowshoe outing closest to downtown. The 3.2-mile summer loop mostly becomes ski trail, but the Loppet Foundation opens three natural-snow ski trails to snowshoers: Tornado Alley, the JD Rivers Trail and the Eloise Butler trail. Keep left there and never step in the classic grooves. You can rent snowshoes at The Trailhead, which also has staff who can tell you what's open.
Southern California and Chicago: when a storm comes through
These three are on the list as opportunities rather than reliable snowshoe trips. Snow comes in with storms and can disappear within days, so treat a snowy weekend as a bonus. Check the conditions, and if there isn't enough snow, walk them in boots.
Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail, Idyllwild
This trail runs about 2.5 miles each way between Humber Park and Saunders Meadow on a gentle, shaded contour at over 5,000 feet. Our guide calls it a pleasant snowshoe because the easy grade stays manageable in conditions that make Idyllwild's steeper trails dangerous. You'll still need the free, self-serve San Jacinto Wilderness permit from the ranger station kiosk, and an Adventure Pass to park at Humber Park. Check the road up to Humber Park before you drive it after a storm.
Alpine Pedal Path, Big Bear Lake
This flat, paved path along the north shore sits at about 6,700 feet. In winter our guide notes that parts of it are snow-covered and not plowed along the full length, which makes it an easy snowshoe after a storm. Big Bear's wintering bald eagles are a bonus, so bring binoculars. Some access points need an Adventure Pass and others are free, so read the signs where you park.
The Morton Arboretum, Lisle
The arboretum allows snowshoeing only when there are at least four inches of snow, and it rents snowshoes once the snow is deep enough. Its East Side trails don't open for snowshoeing until mid-January. The 6-mile Big Rock loop in our guide gains about 314 feet on wood-chip trails. Timed-entry admission is required, and dogs aren't allowed except on special dog days.
Alaska, and the famous ones we left off
Several trails often recommended for winter fail our tests, and the managing agencies explain why. At Franklin Falls near Snoqualmie Pass, the Forest Service has said the Franklin Falls Sno-Park would not operate and the Denny Creek Road would not be plowed, which turns it into a much longer trip from the Asahel Curtis Sno-Park. It also warns visitors not to enter the Franklin Falls Basin because of significant avalanche risk. For Byron Glacier, our guide cites Forest Service warnings that winter travel is unsafe beneath its enormous cornices. Our guides describe Flattop's upper mountain as avalanche-prone in winter and spring. Donut Falls, covered in the Utah section above, sits below slopes with recorded avalanche activity. Cecret Lake's road is open only in summer, and in winter the basin becomes backcountry ski terrain. Mores Mountain near Boise loses vehicle access when the campground gate closes on October 1. All of these are great trails in summer.
Thunderbird Falls, north of Anchorage
The safest Alaska pick from our guides is a 1.9-mile round trip with about 328 feet of climbing through birch forest to a viewing deck facing a waterfall that often freezes. It's usually packed, so traction is often more useful than snowshoes, but after fresh snow it makes a short snowshoe. The trail runs along cliffs above Eklutna Canyon, so stay behind the railings. Moose use packed winter trails, so give them room. Parking costs $5.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best snowshoeing trails in the US for beginners?
Choose short, gentle routes without avalanche terrain. From this list, Hyland Lake's snowshoe trails, Theodore Wirth's natural trails and the Alpine Pedal Path are nearly flat. Palisade Falls, Thunderbird Falls and the Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail add a little climbing. Lonesome Lake and Mount Willard are good next steps once you're comfortable on hills.
Do I need avalanche gear for snowshoe hikes?
Not for trails like these, which avoid avalanche terrain. Avalanche gear and training matter on any route that crosses or sits below steep, open slopes. Look up your area on avalanche.org's center directory, read the forecast, and turn around if a route takes you into steep, open terrain.
Where can I rent snowshoes at these trails?
Three Rivers rents them at Richardson Nature Center for Hyland, the Minnesota DNR lists rentals at Afton, The Trailhead rents them at Theodore Wirth, and The Morton Arboretum rents them once there are four inches of snow. For the other trails, rent from a shop in town before you head out.