From the jumps, pikes and rails of ski slope terrain parks to backcountry snowmobile trails, there are enough outdoor activities to keep you coming back. But, make sure you check out the snowmobile trail conditions before leaving home for those sudden weather changes.

Michigan’s miles and miles of designated snowmobile trails are located throughout the state in six state forests, three national forests and many acres of privately owned lands. So, rev up those sleds and come to Michigan. Pure Michigan--one of only three states that offer a large system of interconnected snowmobile trails.

When planning a winter trip to cross country ski or snowmobile, the necessary requirements for a top destination include decent snow, accessibility to a network of trails and some sort of cozy lodging. Add to that list the option of finding all three in one convenient, affordable location, and the clear winner is Michigan State Parks. With more than 30 parks offering winter lodging facilities, ranging from rustic cabins to fully furnished lodges, it has never been easier for winter recreation enthusiasts to enjoy their outdoor pursuits while staying on or close to the trails they are using. Depending on which type of trails are being used and how many people are in a group, Michigan State Parks offer five different types of winter lodging to meet the needs of diverse types of users.

For large groups looking for all the conveniences of home, there are modern lodges located in several state parks. The modern lodges accommodate between six and 24 guests. Most are fully furnished and the kitchens equipped with appliances, dishes and cookware. Some of the lodges are equipped with linen service and beds are made before the visitor's arrival. Potential renters should check with the individual park for the included amenities and prices. The lodges also make a convenient and easily accessible base camp for cross country skiers who prefer to have electricity and heat available while still staying in the state park, close to miles of groomed trails. State park modern lodges located along snowmobile trails can be found in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Twin Lakes State Park, Tahquamenon Falls State Parkand P.J. Hoeft State Park. These three parks, along with Fayette State Historic Park and Proud Lake State Park, also offer groomed networks of cross country ski trails adjacent to or near the modern lodges.

A second alternative for cozy accommodations in winter are the camper cabins. Equipped with electricity and heat, these log cabins cost $80 per night and can sleep up to six people in two bedrooms and a living room with a futon. Visitors should plan to provide their own bedding, cookware and camp stove. Snowmobiles can be ridden directly to the brand-new camper cabin at Van Riper State Park, which is perched on the shoreline of Lake Michigamme, while the camper cabin at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is located near a snowmobile trail and cross country ski trails. Camper cabins also are available in winter at the following state parks with groomed cross country ski trails: Mitchell, Tahquamenon Falls, Port Crescent and Proud Lake.  Additionally, Holland, Waterloo, Pinckney and Tawas offer camper cabins in winter with access to ungroomed trails.

A third choice for state park winter lodging is known as the mini-cabin. These small, one-room cabins are located within established campgrounds and have electricity and heat. Mini-cabins can sleep four people on bunk beds and generally cost $35 per night during the winter months. Renters should bring their own bedding, cookware, flashlights and cookstove. Both snowmobilers and cross country skiers can easily access the mini-cabin at North Higgins Lake State Park and Fort Wilkins State Historic Park. Mini-cabins also are located at the following state parks with networks of groomed cross country ski trails: P.J. Hoeft, Ludington, McLain, Muskegon, Port Crescent and Sleeper.

For winter outdoor enthusiasts who would like to get away from it all and unplug, the rustic cabins and yurts available for winter lodging might fit the bill. Rustic cabins range in cost from $50 to $80 per night and offer lodging for groups ranging in size from two to 24 people. These cabins typically are furnished with a table, chairs, heater or woodstove (firewood is provided) and beds with mattresses. Except for Sleeper Lake State Park and Holly Recreation Area, rustic cabins do not have electricity, and renters are encouraged to bring their own cookware, bedding and lanterns. Rustic cabins are available in winter at the following state parks with groomed cross country ski trails: Cheboygan, Hartwick Pines, Porcupine Mountains, Rifle River, Sleeper and Wilderness. The rustic cabins at Sleeper State Park do have electricity. Other rustic cabins available in winter are at Bald Mountain, Brighton, Fort Custer, Harrisville, Holly, Island Lake, McLain, Ortonville, Van Riper, Waterloo and Wells. Many of these parks allow snowmobiling and all allow cross country skiing.

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and Pinckney Recreation Area offer yurts -- sturdy, weather-tight, circular tent structures -- during winter. Yurts sleep four to five on bunk beds or futons and rent for $60 per night. Heat is provided from a propane furnace or woodstove, but yurts do not have electricity. Cookware is available at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Yurts and rustic cabins are extremely popular with cross country skiers because they often are located right on the ski trails. In some of the parks where the cabins are not accessible by road, skiers will pack in their supplies and then set up a base camp to return to each evening after spending a day on the trails. Winter visitors to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park will find ski trails that are groomed and track set for skiers, and snowmobiles are allowed on designated trails in the park. Cross country skiers using the yurt at Pinckney Recreation Area will find easy access to the ungroomed Potawatomi Trail.

Again, this year, the snowmobile community is geared up for Take a Friend Snowmobiling Week, February 11-20, 2012. This ten-day event is intended to encourage avid snowmobile enthusiasts to take non-snowmobiling friends on the trails.

Check out these 2012 Michigan Snowmobile Events:

"Take a Friend Snowmobiling" Contest
January 1- March 31, 2012
Register on line and you could win a $5,000 prize. To register and get more details about this event, visit GoSnowmobiling.org events and click on the entry form link.

International Snowmobile Safety Week
January 15-21, 2012

Clean Snowmobile Challenge
March 5-10, 2012
 
For Michigan snowmobile details, visit the Michigan Snowmobile Association or our  michigan.org snowmobile links.

Remember snow days–when the schools were closed and the day was wide open? Every day is a snow day in Pure Michigan, so pull the hat down a little lower and head out to thousands of acres of the powdery white stuff. Part of the winter wonderland that is Pure Michigan.

A chance of snow? From skiing the adventurous downhill slopes to the scenic cross country skiing trails, from snowshoe adventures to snowmobile getaways, winter offers something for everyone. Welcome to the winter wonderland of Pure Michigan.

The temperatures cool down but the excitement and hospitality heat up. We have snowfests, winterfests, ice spectaculars, and winter carnivals. Need more of a reason to play a Michigan winter getaway?  Then you’ll want to view our Pure Michigan winter television ads.

You can ride all day on the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail without covering the same ground. Or make easy loops through the woods and buzz back into town for lunch. Sleds zip over a converted rail bed that stretches for 92 miles south almost to Grand Rapids. Other routes travel east to Houghton Lake, another favorite with snowmobilers. The machines also can follow a trail network north to Traverse City. It eventually leads to the Upper Peninsula.

Sledders can even park their sleds beside their door at theCadillac Sands Resort in downtown Cadillac.

For a quieter foray into the snowy outdoors, join in an Elk Viewing Ride and Gourmet Dinner at Thunder Bay Resort near Hillman. Guests board horse-drawn sleighs for the ride to Elk Antler Log Cabin, a comfortable new retreat hidden in the woods. Wool blankets tuck around laps, as Percheron draft horses pull the sleighs through the sparkling landscape.  You’re likely to see elk on a 160-acre preserve, but the real prize is a memorable dinner at the cabin, where food is cooked on a wood-fired stove.

For a complete list of Michigan snowmobile trails, click here.