It’s almost a cruel joke that beloved Virginia Meissner Sno-park has won first place in the Where to GO! for cross-country skiing category this year. Despite some early snow cover that provided a few good days of nordic skiing, the sno-park has been free of snow for much of the winter. That means Central Oregon’s legion of nordic skiers have been relegated to Dutchman Sno-park and the second-place Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center. When snow does fall at Meissner, which is at an elevation of 5,400 feet, the nonprofit Meissner Nordic ski club grooms the sno-park’s 25 miles of trails on five mornings each week. Just 14 miles from downtown Bend, Meissner is hopping on weekends. The sno-park offers trails for both novice and expert nordic skiers alike. The trails, which connect upland to Swampy Lakes Sno-park, feature a corduroy lane for skate skiing and nordic tracks for classic skiing. Hang out at the main lodge and warm up by the wood-burning stove. A sno-park permit is required from Nov. 1 to April 30.

Contact: 541-316-0831 or info@meissnernordic.org

No. 2: Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center

No. 3: Swampy Lakes Sno-park

Honorable mention: Hoodoo