White Pine Cross-Country Ski Trails

White Pine is west-central Wyoming’s premier ski resort -- and one of the state's few outside Jackson Hole. While far smaller than its more prestigious northern sibling, White Pine has plenty to offer skiers of all levels and disciplines.  

For those who don't want to spend $50 on a lift ticket, the combined White Pine and Kelly Park cross country ski areas provide an immense network of groomed nordic track, 100% free for anyone. Kelly Park is located just south of the White Pine Ski Resort, but this guide speaks specifically of the trails that depart right from the resort parking lot.

From the parking lot, start by backtracking just slightly down the road until you see a large signboard and map to your right leading you into a region called Surveyor Park (the easy trail by this name actually starts on the opposite side of the road). You should be able to pick up a paper map at the marquee here if you’d like.

This is the beginning of White Pine’s 12.4 miles of groomed nordic ski tracks. If that sounds like a lot of skiing, fear not. A mere 6.5-mile half-day loop, with minimal backtracking, will have you experiencing the best White Pine has to offer. 

The trails are divided into three difficulties just like the downhill runs: green circle, blue square, and black diamond. However, even the most difficult trails (Heart Attack) are somewhat easier than similarly rated trails at other ski parks. The slopes are modest and the trails are always wide, so if you do wipe-out, the consequences are relatively low. 

For those stoked on a little speed, take the Heart Attack and Flat Line trails in a counterclockwise direction for the most downhill fun. If you start from the main entrance, ski the Hummer loop into Flatline and into Heart Attack. From this direction, you’ll need to first climb the trails, then turn around and backtrack to ski them downhill. Alternatively, forgo the warm-up and jump right on Heart Attack from the north side of the White Pine parking lot.

For skiers who want to get off the groomed track and do a little scouting for views, go to the far west side of Surveyor Park via the intermediately rated Tree Loop trail. From here, it is possible to take a brief cut-across onto the unplowed, but frequently tracked by other skiers, Skyline Drive (on some maps as FS 37-740).  Ski up this road for excellent viewing opportunities of Fremont Lake from above. If you aren’t quite up for skiing as far as necessary for a natural viewpoint, cut west from the road for a brief backcountry stint up the shallow ridge for the same views. Be careful not to get too close to the edge!