PHOTOS: TOURISM SAULT STE. MARIE
36 BEST NORDIC SKI GREAT ESCAPES 2022/2023
SAULT STE. MARIE Sault Ste. Marie offers some of the best skiing east of the Rockies and a true winter experience with fabulous trails, scenic vistas, glacier-scoured hills, ancient forests and — most importantly — monumental snowfalls. For Nordic skiers, Sault Ste. Marie has over 150km of groomed trails in two unique destinations. Stokely Creek Lodge has 100km of these trails, with both classic and skating trails spread over 12,000 acres amidst the spectacular Algoma Highlands. It is also consistently voted one of the top five greatest places to cross-country ski in North America. The lodge first opened in 1976. With as much as 15 feet of snow each season, it features an extensive well-marked trail system, groomed for classic and skate skiing, with six cozy warming huts. Snowshoeing has taken off in a huge way, and Stokely is blessed with more than 25 kilometres of dedicated snowshoe trails.
Rates are all-inclusive, covering Scandinavian-style lodging, home-cooked meals from the in-house chef, skiing, snowshoeing, a sledding hill (and sleds) for the kids, a sauna and more. You can book accommodations in the lodge, cabins or chalets, most with private baths. It’s worth mentioning the dining options in more detail because lodging at Stokely is a fully rounded five-star experience. For breakfast, enjoy such delights as blueberry pancakes with locally produced maple syrup. A delicious lunch of deli sandwiches or thick-crust pizza can be made to-go and enjoyed in one of the six warming huts found on the trails. When you return for dinner, perhaps indulge in a six-ounce filet mignon with blackberry merlot sauce topped off with homemade rhubarb pie. You get the picture — Stokely Creek Lodge is a true winter pleasure. Stokely is one of those rare cross-country ski-in skiout destinations, open for day skiers as well, where you ski around half a kilometre to reach the lodge while your baggage is transported for you. All parts of the extensive trail system begin right at the front door of the Lodge. You can rent skis and snowshoes, as well as arrange group
