Things to Do
Groomed Nordic loops four miles from the inn, a snow-covered highway to the Cedar Breaks rim, ranger-led snowshoe walks, and flat village walks you can do in an hour.
At a glance
The inn sits at 8,400 feet on a plateau that holds snow from December into March, and the closest groomed cross-country skiing is ten minutes up the highway. Nothing here needs a lift ticket. It does need your own skis or snowshoes, because nowhere in the village rents them, and a plan that respects how early the light goes.
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.
Six places, from the groomed loops ten minutes away to the resort an hour and a half off, with winter distances.
Groomed classic and skate track, snowshoe trails
The place to go first: 1,300 acres closed to snowmobiles, a plowed lot on Highway 14 at 9,510 feet, and loops groomed by the volunteer Cedar Mountain Nordic Ski Club from mid-December to late March. Blue trails are skis only, yellow take snowshoes too, purple is for skiers with dogs. No fee, no rentals, no warming hut.
Ski or snowshoe the closed highway to the rim
Highway 148 gates shut around mid-November until mid or late May, and the plowing stops at the junction lot. From there Point Supreme is 3.5 miles each way on the snow-covered road: a ski track when snow allows, snowshoers free to roam beside it, snowmobiles held to the marked route. Seven miles round trip at 10,000 feet; the $25 vehicle fee applies.
Guided walk, snowshoes and poles provided
From the first weekend of January, rangers lead walks on Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30, 12:30 and 2:30: about 1.5 hours, a mile round trip, gear supplied, meeting at the North View visitor contact station off Highway 143. Register on Eventbrite through nps.gov/cebr. Snowpack-dependent; in December 2025 the park cancelled snowmobile access for lack of snow.
Flat snowshoe walks from the inn
No driving needed. The village side roads pack down into easy snowshoe or spike walks, the Duck Creek Pond loop is short and flat, and Aspen Mirror Lake sits about a mile from Highway 14 up an unplowed road that takes snowshoes well after a storm. An hour out and back.
Rentals, resort trails and the Town Trail
The nearest rental counter and ski town. The resort lists snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, Brian Head Sports and the Giant Steps Lodge rent gear, and the Town Trail circles Bristlecone Pond. In summer it is 23.5 miles over Cedar Breaks; in winter the drive goes by Cedar City and up Parowan Canyon, a Class II traction road.
Unplowed road, groomed for snowmobiles
The lake road is not plowed. It is groomed as the 10.9-mile Navajo Lake snowmobile trail, so the first stretch from Highway 14 is a wide, flat snowshoe walk on the understanding that sleds own it: walk the edge, step off for engines, keep dogs close. A fallback, not a destination.
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 from the Duck Creek side | 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 |
| Ranger-led snowshoe tours at 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 |
| Aspen Mirror Lake and the village 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 | 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, for snowshoers who accept sled traffic | 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.
Plainly, because the old version of this page did not say it: there is no cross-country ski or snowshoe rental in Duck Creek Village and none at the Deer Hollow trailhead. If you arrive without gear you are driving to get it.
The two places that rent are at opposite ends of the mountain. Cedar City, at the bottom of Highway 14, has outdoor stores that rent snowshoes and Nordic skis and is on the way for most guests: pick gear up on the drive in, drop it on the drive out. Brian Head has Brian Head Sports and the counter in the Giant Steps Lodge, fine on the day you are going there anyway and a poor 61-mile errand. Confirm stock and hours first; weekends go early. Snowmobiles are the exception: village outfitters rent them in season, see our snowmobile page and snowmobile lodging. For skis and snowshoes, bring them from home; our cabins have room to dry them overnight.
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.
What to bring
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.
The five-minute check before you drive
Snowpack can make a route excellent one week and bare the next. Five live checks, in order:
The Pebble Loop at Deer Hollow or a village snow walk, then the Boulder Trail to the overlook. Short, flat, car in sight.
Deer Hollow's blue loops are yours. Respect the set track and save the Cedar Breaks road for a long day.
Yellow trails at Deer Hollow, the Cedar Breaks road from the Highway 14 lot, Aspen Mirror Lake, or a ranger tour. Stay out of the ski track.
The seven-mile round trip to Point Supreme and anything off the marked trails ask for navigation, weather judgement and the discipline to turn around.
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
We live in the village, ski Deer Hollow through the season and drive Highway 14 through the storms. Deer Hollow mileage, marker colours and rules come from the Forest Service and the Cedar Mountain Nordic Ski Club; Cedar Breaks access, tour times and fees from the National Park Service; Brian Head distances from an OSRM route; snowpack from the two NRCS SNOTEL stations that bracket the village. Grooming, tours and roads change weekly, so check the live sources below first.
Live snow depth and the 48-year record for Duck Creek Village, from two SNOTEL stations minutes away.
See page Deer Hollow Winter Recreation Area, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and winter scenery around Duck Creek Village
See winter activities
The climb up Highway 14, chains and 4WD, snow depths, daylight, and storm-day calls
Plan this Snow, skiing, snowmobiles, and cabin time in the high country
See itineraryWinter-ready rooms and cabins with trailer parking near the Markagunt groomed trails.
See snowmobile lodgingBoutique hotel rooms with breakfast included, air conditioning, and simpler park-focused stays.
See roomsCabins for longer stays, extra space, kitchens, and select pet-friendly trips.
See cabinsBook a room or cabin at Duck Creek Village Inn: Deer Hollow four miles up the road, the Cedar Breaks winter lot fifteen minutes on, and a dry place to hang the gear.
