Qué hacer
Raquetas y esquí de fondo en la zona alta desde tu base de montaña en Duck Creek.
De un vistazo
Duck Creek Village se encuentra en la zona alta de Markagunt Plateau, así que el invierno cambia por completo el ritmo del viaje. Los bosques, praderas y caminos que en verano sirven para caminatas y ATV pueden convertirse en rutas de esquí de fondo, raquetas de nieve y paseos tranquilos cuando hay suficiente nieve.
This is the non-motorized side of winter at Duck Creek: where to ski or snowshoe, the honest winter distance from the front door, who grooms what, where dogs are welcome and when the snow is deep enough. Sleds have their own snowmobile guide, the drive up has the winter driving page, and the whole season is on the winter guide. Before you commit a morning, read the live snow report and road conditions and look at the cams.
Three corrections to the old version of this page. Cedar Breaks in winter is reached from our side at the plowed Highway 14 junction lot, fifteen minutes west. Brian Head is an hour and a quarter away in winter by Mammoth Creek Road when that road is passable, and a 61-mile, 1 hour 35 minute drive by Cedar City and Parowan when it is not. And the Navajo Lake road is unplowed; in winter it is a groomed snowmobile route.
Usa estas opciones para planear, no como reporte en vivo. Confirma acceso, cierres, preparación de rutas y reglas antes de salir.
Rutas acondicionadas de fondo, raquetas
Área no motorizada de Dixie National Forest con rutas acondicionadas para esquí de fondo y rutas marcadas para raquetas o uso múltiple. Sigue las reglas publicadas porque los usos están separados. No hay alquiler en el lugar.
Raquetas, esquí, acceso invernal
Cuando la SR-148 cierra (aproximadamente de mediados de noviembre a finales de mayo), el estacionamiento despejado en el cruce con Highway 14 es el punto de partida invernal desde Duck Creek. Point Supreme queda a 3.5 millas (5.6 km) por el camino nevado; la tarifa de entrada del NPS de 25 dólares por vehículo también aplica en invierno.
Caminata guiada, raquetas y bastones incluidos
Desde el primer fin de semana de enero, los rangers guían caminatas con raquetas los viernes y sábados a las 10:30, 12:30 y 2:30: alrededor de 1.5 horas y 1 milla ida y vuelta, con punto de encuentro en la North View visitor contact station junto a Highway 143. Inscripción en Eventbrite a través de nps.gov/cebr; aplica la tarifa de entrada de 25 dólares por vehículo. Depende de la nieve.
Raquetas, caminatas de invierno
Caminos, praderas y bordes de bosque cercanos pueden funcionar para una salida corta cuando las condiciones son seguras.
Día de nieve con servicios
Buena opción si el grupo quiere servicios cercanos o combinar un día de esquí alpino con una estancia tranquila en Duck Creek. El atajo de verano por la SR-148 a través de Cedar Breaks está cerrado en invierno, así que calcula 61 millas y alrededor de 1 hora 35 minutos por Cedar City y Parowan. Brian Head Sports y el Giant Steps Lodge alquilan equipo.
Camino sin arar, preparado para motos de nieve
El camino al lago no se ara en invierno: es una ruta de motos de nieve de 10.9 millas. Quienes van con raquetas pueden usar el primer tramo desde Highway 14, pero lo comparten con las motos: camina por la orilla y apártate cuando oigas un motor.
The same six places on one table, so you can match a morning to a group.
| Area | From the inn | Grooming | Who it suits | Dogs | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Hollow Winter Recreation Area | 4 mi west, about 10 min | Classic track by the Nordic club; skate lane when snow allows | Nordic skiers of any level; snowshoers on yellow trails | Aspen, Boulder and Pebble trails only | None (club takes donations) |
| Cedar Breaks desde el lado de Duck Creek | SR-14/SR-148 lot, about 15 min | Ski track on the closed road when snow allows; sleds on the marked route | Fit skiers and snowshoers; 7 mi round trip to the rim | Leashed, paved road and overlooks only (NPS pet rule) | $25 per vehicle |
| Caminatas con raquetas guiadas por rangers en Cedar Breaks | Brian Head side, 1 hr 15 to 1 hr 35 | Ranger-led, 1 mi round trip, gear provided | Families and first-time snowshoers | No | $25 per vehicle; tour free with registration |
| Duck Creek Village Snow Walks | From the front door | None; packed roads and an unplowed lake road | Anyone with snowshoes or spikes and an hour | Yes, leashed | None |
| Brian Head Area | 1 hr 15 by Mammoth Creek Road when passable, else 61.2 mi and 1 hr 35 | Resort trails; Town Trail around Bristlecone Pond | Guests who want rentals, lifts and a town in one day | Check with the resort and the town | None for trails; resort prices rentals |
| Navajo Lake Road | Junction 7 mi west; unplowed beyond | Groomed as a 10.9 mi snowmobile trail; no ski track | Snowshoers who accept sled traffic | Yes, kept clear of the sleds | None |
Winter distances; the summer shortcut over Highway 148 is gated. Grooming depends on snow depth and volunteer time.
The trails climb gently from the lot to two overlooks on the plateau rim, one above Navajo Lake at 9,600 feet and one over the lava field, then fan out into ski-only loops named for the rock under them: Claron, Basalt and Dolomite, with the Hollow and Sinkhole trails as the spine. The Pebble Loop beside the lot is where first-timers spend their first half hour; the Boulder Trail to the Navajo Lake Overlook is the best short outing for skiers and snowshoers alike.
Grooming is classic track, with a skate lane when the base allows, set by the Nordic club roughly weekly and reported on its website each time. The club grooms about 11 of its 16 marked miles; the Forest Service brochure counts 23, so treat the outer loops as bonus terrain. The ground is rolling, not steep, but you are skiing near 10,000 feet. The marker colours do the explaining, and our Deer Hollow guide has the full trail list.
Lleva tus propios esquís de fondo o raquetas: no hay alquiler en Duck Creek Village ni en Deer Hollow. Si necesitas alquilar, hazlo en Cedar City (al pie de Highway 14) o en Brian Head Sports y el Giant Steps Lodge en Brian Head, y confirma inventario y horarios antes de viajar. Para alquiler motorizado, consulta la guía de motos de nieve.
La temporada depende de nieve, tormentas, preparación de rutas y acceso, no solo del calendario. El invierno medio suele ser la ventana más natural; inicio y final de temporada son más variables.
Two NRCS SNOTEL stations bracket the village and our snow report reads both live. Midway Valley, at 9,830 feet, sits at about Deer Hollow elevation and is the one that matters for skiing; Harris Flat, at 7,800 feet, tells you what the lower highway is doing. The median first measurable snow is October 15 at Midway Valley and November 16 at Harris Flat. The typical season peak at Midway Valley is about 82 inches on the ground, and last winter the station recorded roughly 130 inches of new snow.
An October dusting is not a ski season. The Nordic club starts grooming when the base will hold a track, usually in the second half of December, and the pack is at its best from late December to mid March. By late March the open meadows go soft by noon and grooming stops, though shaded loops and the Cedar Breaks road often hold snow into April. Ranger tours wait until January for the same reason, and in a thin year the park cancels its snow programmes outright.
Midway Valley (9,830 ft) and Harris Flat (7,800 ft) are the two NRCS SNOTEL stations that bracket the village; first-snow medians and the typical peak are computed from their archives. Brian Head in winter: 61.2 mi, about 1 hr 35 min; Cedar Breaks road closes around mid-November and reopens mid to late May.
Qué llevar
Pack it the night before. The best skiing is in the first two hours of the morning, and the Deer Hollow lot fills on January weekends.
None of these trails are technical. What catches people is the setting. In mid-December the sun sets at 5:14 PM, and a lot that was bright at two is in deep shadow by four with the temperature falling fast. The air at 9,500 feet is thin enough that the Forest Service puts an altitude warning in its own Deer Hollow brochure: keep the first outing short and drink more water than you want to.
There is no reliable cell service at Deer Hollow or on the Cedar Breaks road, so tell someone at the inn where you are going and when you will be back. The groomed loops sit on gentle ground, but the plateau edge above Navajo Lake is steeper and wind-loaded, and the Utah Avalanche Center publishes no daily forecast for southwest Utah; off the marked trails the call on terrain is yours.
Chequeos rápidos de condiciones
La planeación de invierno cerca de Duck Creek empieza con Highway 14, información de UDOT y guías oficiales recientes. La nieve puede hacer que una ruta sea excelente una semana y difícil la siguiente. No asumas que todo inicio del sendero, mirador o camino de lago de verano será accesible en auto.
Empieza con caminatas cortas, áreas marcadas y rutas con puntos fáciles para regresar.
Usa rutas acondicionadas cuando existan y respeta las huellas reservadas para esquí.
Evita pisar huellas preparadas de esquí salvo que la ruta esté marcada como uso múltiple.
Caminos forestales y acceso invernal a Cedar Breaks requieren navegación, criterio de clima y disposición para regresar.
The questions guests ask at the desk between December and March.
Yes. Deer Hollow Winter Recreation Area, 4 miles west of the village on Highway 14, has groomed classic track and a skate lane when conditions allow, set by the Cedar Mountain Nordic Ski Club from about mid-December to late March. No fee.
No. There is no cross-country ski or snowshoe rental in the village or at Deer Hollow. Rent in Cedar City on the way up Highway 14, or at Brian Head Sports or the Giant Steps Lodge in Brian Head. Snowmobiles are the exception: village outfitters rent them in season.
Yes, by the volunteer Cedar Mountain Nordic Ski Club, roughly weekly when snow allows. The club grooms about 11 of its 16 marked miles; the Forest Service map counts 23 miles in all. The club posts a report each time it grooms, so read that before you drive.
Yes. Highway 148 is gated from around mid-November to mid or late May, and the plowed lot at the Highway 14 junction, fifteen minutes west of the village, is the winter trailhead. Point Supreme is 3.5 miles each way on the snow-covered road, shared with a ski track and a marked snowmobile route. The $25 vehicle fee applies. Ranger-led tours start from the Brian Head side.
On three trails: the purple Aspen Trail, built for skiers with dogs, and the yellow Boulder and Pebble trails to the overlooks. Not on the blue ski-only loops, and waste must be packed out. Our pet-friendly cabins are ten minutes from the trailhead.
Not at Deer Hollow: the Forest Service lists no fee and the ski club grooms on donations. Cedar Breaks charges its $25 per vehicle entrance fee in winter, and the ranger snowshoe tours need a free Eventbrite registration through nps.gov/cebr. Nothing is needed for the village walks or the Navajo Lake road.
You can walk it on snowshoes, but the road is unplowed and groomed as the 10.9-mile Navajo Lake snowmobile trail, so you are sharing a wide, flat road with sleds. Walk the edge, step off for engines and keep dogs close. For a quiet ski, Deer Hollow is the answer.
October 2026
Los planes de invierno dependen de carreteras, nieve, cierres y clima. Confirma la información con fuentes oficiales antes de manejar o entrar a una ruta.
Live snow depth and the 48-year record for Duck Creek Village, from two SNOTEL stations minutes away.
Ver página Deer Hollow Winter Recreation Area, motos de nieve, esquí de fondo y paisajes invernales alrededor de Duck Creek Village
See winter activities
The climb up Highway 14, chains and 4WD, snow depths, daylight, and storm-day calls
Planificar Nieve, esquí, motos de nieve y tiempo de cabaña en la zona alta
Ver itinerarioWinter-ready rooms and cabins with trailer parking near the Markagunt groomed trails.
See snowmobile lodgingHabitaciones boutique para estancias sencillas enfocadas en los parques.
Ver habitacionesCabañas privadas con más espacio, cocina y opciones que aceptan mascotas.
Ver cabañasQuédate en Duck Creek Village Inn y arma un viaje de nieve con senderos, raquetas, esquí, descanso y una base cómoda en la montaña.
