Elm Creek Winter Recreation Area

Location

The Winter Recreation Area in Elm Creek Park Reserve features a lighted tubing hill with lifts and snowmaking, a beginner-level downhill ski and snowboard hill, and almost 18K of cross-country ski trails.

After the action, winter sports enthusiasts can warm their toes and grab a hot cocoa in the chalet. A blend of modern and rustic, the chalet provides equipment rental, concessions, public seating and a fireplace. In the summer, hikers, bikers, and others use the chalet as a stopping point before hitting the trails.

The winter sports season typically begins in early December and goes through mid-March, weather permitting.

Tubing: If you like sledding, you’ll love snow tubing. Ride a moving sidewalk up a hill 10-stories high and then soar back down on a specially designed inner tube. Once you get to the bottom, do it all over again. There are steeper chutes for the more daring and easier chutes for those looking for a more laid-back ride. All of the tubing lanes are designed for safety and fun. All you need are warm winter clothes — Three Rivers supplies the rest.

Snow tubers must be at least 4 years old or 36-inches tall. A waiver is required.

The tubing hill is the perfect place for a group outing. For groups of 30 or more, reservations are recommended to make sure there are enough tubes available. Call the Elm Creek Chalet 763-694-7894 at least two weeks in advance for availability and pricing.

Sledding hill: Remember the thrill of an afternoon at the local sledding hill? Even when your cheeks turned rosy and your toes went numb, you wanted just one more trip down the hill. Just bundle up and grab a sled, or rent one, for hours of exhilarating fun!

Cross-country skiing: Peacefully explore the park while getting a great, low-impact workout! Elm Creek offers 18.3K of groomed cross-country ski trails, including 5.8K with lights and 2.5K with snowmaking.

The entrance to the Elm Creek Chalet parking lot is located at GPS coordinates 45.138562, -93.437058 aka 45°08'18.8"N 93°26'13.4"W.

The sign at the Chalet may have the Winter Recreation Area former name, “Douglas F. Bryant Recreation Area.”