Friends of the Red Cedar Trail and Hoffman Hills
Ski Conditions
News and Events
2026 Candlelight Ski
Friday, January 30, 2026 6 to 9 PM at the Red Cedar Trail Depot (824 Hudson Road, Menomonie WI).
- Ski the Red Cedar Trail and see the beautiful ice wall
- Walk the Junction Trail
- Snowshoe at Riverside Park
Ski rentals available in advance from Stout Adventures.
Snowshoes provided free at the event by Mayo Clinic Health System.
After skiing, walking or snowshoeing on candlelit trails, warm up around a glowing bonfire with a cup of Swiss Miss hot chocolate provided by Conagra and cookies provided by Kwik Trip.
It’s a fun winter experience for the whole family!
2026 First Day Hike/Ski
Please join us on the Red Cedar Depot 1-1-2026 from 12:00 noon to 2pm for a self-guided hike/ski
- Bring your cross-country skis and binoculars
Meeting at the Depot Visitor Center/ Red Cedar State trailhead
The HIKE will take place on the Junction Trail – going north from the Visitor Center
The SKI will be on the Red Cedar Trail – going south from the Visitor Center
State trail passes will be available to purchase for skiing, and will be required the day of the event.
Watch for weather updates.
715-232-1242 for more information
Ski Season is open!
It’s looking to be an AMAZING ski season this year. We’ve earned it after a couple years of ice and mud. Buy your state trail ski passes at our Square site to support our local trails.
Remember – the Red Cedar Trail and most of Hoffman Hills are official state ski trails, closed to walking and biking once the signs are up. These are the only public ski trails in our part of the state, and our volunteer groomers do a huge amount of work to keep these trails safe and fast.
Some walkers incorrectly think that the middle “corduroy” section is for feet, but actually that is the most dangerous place to put footprints. That corduroy is for fast skate-skiers, who could crash catastrophically if they hit footprint potholes. Please keep feet and dogs off the trail when it is groomed.
Annual Meeting and Special Guest
Please join our Annual Meeting
Thursday, November 13, 7:00pm – 8:15pm
Special guest Nina Koch will speak about her involvement with the organization Tropical Wings to protect birds migrating from Wisconsin to Costa Rica.
Trail REOPENED after storm cleanup.
On July 3, 2025, our area had intense storms and flooding. This caused extensive damage on the Red Cedar Trail. There were downed trees and washouts along the entire trail.
As of July 9, The DNR cleared the trail of all the downed trees and it’s back open for the most part.
Here’s an excerpt from the DNR report:
There’s still that washout down at the 1.5 mile mark but people can kind of walk around it if they want. We’re working a temporary fix but it’s going to be a while before that gets done. There is still lots of debris and muddy spots along the trail we’ll be working to cleanup over the next couple of weeks. It literally looks a like a tornado hit the entire trail system on top of the 4”+ of rain we had that night. It’s hands down the worst storm damage I’ve seen on our trail system.National Trails Day 2025
Come and Celebrate NATIONAL TRAILS DAY at the Red Cedat State Trail
FREE fun for all! Saturday June 7, 2025 10:00 - 12:00
- SNAKE DISCOVERY at 10:15
- Crafts and Activities
- Book Bike (courtesy of Menomonie Public Library)
- FREE bike tune-up (courtesy of Simple Sports)
- Fishing Clinic (courtesy of DNR)
- Parenting and Reading resources by UW Extension of Dunn County
Depot Visitor Center 824 Hudson Road (rain-out location: Menomonie Public Library)
The website for the Friends of the Red Cedar Trail and Hoffman Hills is currently undergoing a redesign in May 2025.
Updates
Please see our facebook page for updates.
Store and Donations
Please see Our online store to buy trail passes and make donations.