Most Stunning Winter Scenes in North America

Stop wishing for summer and instead embrace the beauty that North America’s winters afford. Whether challenging hikes to volcanic lakes is your vibe, or ice climbing in old apple orchards, there’s a multitude of opportunities to get outside this winter.

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January 20, 2021

By: Lucy Sherriff

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Snowshoeing

Strap on some snowshoes and take hiking to the next level. Take in the towering red hoodoos at Bryce Canyon, which is turned into a winter fairytale with a sprinkling of snow. Wrap up warm and head out at night time on a moonlit hike, led by experienced rangers. Head up Bear Lake Trailhead in Estes Park, Colorado, for a breathtaking view of the frozen bowl-shaped Emerald Lake with the 12,713-foot Hallett Peak towering over the water. Go off the beaten track by heading to Castle Rocks State Park in Southern Idaho. Known for its unique rock formations and otherworldly sunsets, visitors can snowshoe past historic ranches, ancient pictograms, snowbanks overhanging the creek and hear the calls of mountain chickadees.

Outdoor Adventures in Wisconsin

From sled dog races in Merrill, to snow tubing in Cascade Mountain Range down a 900ft chute, Wisconsin is the state to head to if you want an outdoor adventure. There’s nine miles of snowshoeing awaiting visitors in Wausau, promising incredible alpine scenic views, or ice skating along the shores of Lake Mendota on the 4000 square foot ice rink. Explore stunning ice caves at the state’s Apostle Islands, which are accessible when Lake Superior freezes over, and you can walk across the lake. The frozen lake water encrusts the base of the cliffs while needle-like icicles fringe the openings.

Ice Climbing

Push yourself to the limits this winter and defy gravity by climbing vertically up a waterfall, in a number of places across the country. Ouray Ice Park in Colorado has frozen waterfalls lining the San Juan Mountains, and boasts more than 200 routes. Keystone Canyon, Alaska, surrounded by the Chugach National Forest, draws climbers from around the world. The trek to get to the waterfalls is a magnificent experience in itself, with snow-cloaked mountains and sparkling frozen lakes. Located in an apple orchard are two ice columns which tower above the trees. The towers, at Peabody Ice Climbing in Michigan, are made by water being poured down the two towers, and fake snow being blasted at them. They’re manmade, but impressive nonetheless.

Frozen Lakes

Underneath Abraham Lake in Alberta is a unique, extraordinary phenomena: bubblies that form below the frozen surface. When the lake freezes over, methane trapped from decaying matter forms bubbles and as it rises to the surface, and becomes trapped in the ice, creating an ethereal mesmerizing effect. An extremely difficult lake to access, but well worth the hike up, Mount Douglas sits at the summit of a volcano crater in Kamishak Bay, Alaska. The 7,000ft hike up rewards adventurers with epic views and a milky blue lake that is always between 60 and 70F - just warm enough for a dip.

Aurora Borealis

No winter list would be complete without the Northern Lights. Visible from a number of places in the country, including Denali National Park in Alaska, Idaho Panhandle National Forest, and Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge in Maine. The most important thing is to have a clear sky and little or no light pollution. Wrap up warm, check the weather, and marvel at one of nature’s most beautiful natural wonders.