Trail Detail

Pincushion Mountain Trails
Grand Marais, MN
25.0k
Skating/Classic
Yes
No
218-387-1276
[ NWS ]
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Notes

Well designed trail 2 miles north of Grand Marais. Dependable classical and skating grooming by dedicated ski club. Gentle rolling beginner and intermediate terrain through birch, aspen and pine forest with expert options. Nice overlooks of North Shore far below. Separate snowshoe trail. Public warming building. 1.6 K lighted xc trail on each night.
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Trail Reports

2025-2026 season
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Reports 22 to 31 of 64    Month: Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan | Dec | Nov
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Afternoon
Firsthand: Classic 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
Trails have set up beautifully. Solid classic track and the downhills either in or out of the track were great fun. The wind has had little impact on the course, a bit of powder in the track in a few places easy to ski through. Overall the conditions were excellent.
Photos:
(Jim Smith)
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Night
Grooming 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
New snow last 24 hours: 2 inches. New snow last seven days: 30 inches. Trail base: 16 inches. The full system was groomed for skate and classic techniques. Continuing soft conditions and high winds overnight will result in blown-in tracks, a scoured deck, and drifting, especially on exposed segments. Skiing should still be excellent, nonetheless.
Photos:
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)
Friday, February 20, 2026
Afternoon
Firsthand: Classic 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
The stuff dreams are made of. Tracks and skate deck set up incredibly well considering the 20"+ snow event this week. I was especially surprised by the firmness of the deck. A little bit of punch through along the tracks but who cares when the snow is this amazing.
Photos:
(Josh Wenck)
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Evening
Grooming 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
New snow last seven days: 25-28". Trail base: 16". Grooming of classic tracks and skate deck for the whole system was finished after the big blizzard. All hail the mighty PistenBully 100 snowcat that converted knee-deep snow and hundreds of drifts into a beautiful ski trail. Skiing is excellent.
Photos:
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Evening
Grooming 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
New Snow Last 24 hours: 24" - 28". Trail Base: 16". Surface Conditions: soft. Comments: We completed the first pass of grooming after the biggest snow event in many years. The classic track is good, but the skate deck is soft and narrow. Grooming plans: Grooming will continue Thursday and Friday. Skiing is good and will steadily improve.
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)
Friday, February 13, 2026
Evening
Grooming 
[ Trails Open: Most, Good skis ]
New snow last 24 hours: 0. New snow last seven days: 0. Trail base: 9-10 inches. We reset tracks and skate deck on West and East Overlook, Lower and Upper Snowman, B&B and Pincushion loops. We tilled the icy crust from a thaw/freeze today and left good corduroy and deep set tracks. Great conditions for Pincushion Festival this weekend.
Photos:
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)
Monday, February 9, 2026
Afternoon
Firsthand: Classic 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
Fantastic conditions with temps in the high 20s. A lot of people, including almost 100 SkiSparks youth skiers, skied the system over the weekend, but the grooming held up nearly perfectly, with nice deep tracks and a firm, smooth skate deck. The only hazards were several piles of wolf scat. Sublime skiing.
(Bill Hansen)
Friday, February 6, 2026
Afternoon
Firsthand: Classic 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
Beautiful bluebird day at Pincushion! Tracks are deep and firm and skate deck is solid with forgiving and consistent corduroy. I highly recommend finding your way to the Canyon Curves loop. Lots of sweet little hills and tight turns. You can get there from the upper section of Pincushion loop or a downhill connector from the B&B loop.
Photos:
(Josh Wenck)
Friday, February 6, 2026
Afternoon
Firsthand: Classic 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
With the new snow and expert grooming by the groomers, Pincushion was better than ever for both classic and skate. It's always a thrill skiing all the hills on North Advanced and our favorite loop Ole Hyvaa!
Photos:
(Bill Lundberg)
Friday, February 6, 2026
Morning
Grooming 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
New snow last 36 hours: one inch. New snow last seven days: 2.5 inches. Trail base: 10-12 inches. Comments: All trails groomed for skate and classic techniques, offering perfect corduroy and tracks. Scott Beattie, founder of Pincushion B&B in Grand Marais and retired nordic groomer in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, enjoyed a ride-along during this morning's grooming.
Photos:
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)

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