Cross-country Skiing Near Traverse City: Champion Hill

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about skiing at Reindeer Run Nordic Center near Empire. I called it one of the best-kept Nordic secrets in the Traverse City area. Well, here’s another off-the-beaten-path treasure: Champion Hill Nordic Trails, just off U.S. 31 on Marshall Road in Honor. In the summer, the Nordic center is a golf course, but come winter, the rolling greens are groomed and tracked for skating and classic skiing.

And when I say rolling I mean it. This is no griddle-flat golf course skiing.Sunday, Champion Hill hosted a Michigan Cup Race and my son skied in it. From the top of the knoll near the clubhouse I could see the kids climbing and tucking so I knew this was good terrain. But I got my own taste after the race when my husband and I took off to skate a couple of k. The trails, groomed beautifully, wound up down and around small knolls dotted with pine trees. After a K or so they started to climb—and I started to sweat. It never got painful, just felt like a good workout. The last 1/2 K was all downhill on a nice wide swath—I pointed my skis straight down and never worried that I’d get too close to a tree.

Champion Hill Nordic Trails is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cozy clubhouse is stocked with ski rentals and snacks. Trail passes are $9 adults; $8 seniors over 60; $7 ages 9-17; free 8 and under; $25 family pass. 231-882-9200, championhill.com.