The Glide: Boulder Junction’s Skating Circuit

Officials in Boulder Junction were looking for ways to boost tourism over the winter months. For the past couple of years, the town in north central Wisconsin had the cold temperatures you’d expect, but it wasn’t getting the snow that outdoor enthusiasts need to do their thing. They found an answer in Canada.

Ontario’s Arrowhead Provincial Park found success by turning a paved nature trail into a unique ice-skating path. With some apprehension, Boulder Junction decided it might work there, too.

Enter “The Glide,” a 0.8-mile skating ribbon through part of the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, which opened last winter as part of Boulder Junction’s Winter Park recreation area.

Any fears local decision-makers had about the project were quickly eased when skaters from across the region arrived in town to turn laps.

The Glide returned for its second season last month, with organizers a little wiser and a little more prepared for the influx of skating enthusiasts.

Outdoorsy types aren’t the only ones who are fans of skating ribbons. Local merchants have benefited from the influx of visitors, with a surge of activity in stores, restaurants, and coffee shops since it opened that is nearly equal to the area’s traditional snowmobile traffic.

It’s no small task to prepare The Glide and keep it in top form. It took 15 full-time volunteers three weeks to get it ready, using a 500-gallon water tank on a trailer to create the ice surface. Now, a Zamboni keeps it nice and smooth, so if you totally eat it in front of your date, that’s on you.

Winter Park also features a traditional skating rink, a sledding hill, a bonfire pit, a warming shelter, and more. It’s open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., but be mindful of the weather. They may close down due to unfavorable conditions or maintenance. You can learn more about amenities and how to get there on their website.

And if you can’t make it to Boulder Junction, don’t fret. As anybody in Arrowhead Provincial Park will tell you, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so maybe your town will have a skating loop of its own soon.