Trail Snow Report
Rice Lake State Park
Trail conditions:
* This past Monday's 7" snowfall provided a fresh base after several 40+ degree days had really diminished the snowpack. While it was enough to create marginally good conditions in the woods for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, the open areas will degrade quickly with the return of warm temperatures. The snowmobile trail in the park is holding up fairly well but has not been groomed. The open areas were nearly bare until the recent snow. The snowmobile trail system outside the park is poor, especially as you move south. The expected warmer weather will decrease the already thin base quickly and will not be good again unless we receive at least another 6"-8" of new snow.
| Skiing |
|---|
| Conditions: fair |
| Trail groomed? no |
| Trail base: 0-2" |
| Groomed mileage: 0.0 |
| Difficulty: beginner (track) |
| Snowmobiling |
|---|
| Conditions: fair |
| Trail groomed? no |
| Trail base: 0-2" |
| Groomed mileage: 3.0 |
The trail(s):
Trails are a mixture of forest, lake shore and grasslands. A variety of wildlife may be observed throughout the park. ** Park snowmobile trails are connected to the Steele County Grant-In-Aid trail system, and are groomed by Steele County Trail Association. ** All other trails are multi-use, ungroomed trails, and are open to cross country skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing. There are approximately 3 miles of multi-use trails.
Facilities:
- A warming house is located in the boat launch area.
- Ski passes are not required because the trails are not groomed for cross country skiing.
- There is no winter camping at Rice Lake. Campgrounds are closed for the season and will reopen in the spring.
Last updated on March 09, 2018. Local snow depth is 8-10".
Getting there
8485 Rose St.
Owatonna, MN 55060
From Interstate 35, take exit 42A onto Hoffman Drive. At 4th stoplight, turn left onto Rose St. Follow Rose St. approximately 8.5 miles to park entrance.
Parking is available in the boat launch area.
Contact
Phone: (507) 414-6190
Email: [email protected]
Contact station hours vary. Please phone park office.