Cross-Country Skiing

The Berrien County Parks Commission provides cross country skiing opportunities at both Madeline Bertrand and Love Creek County Parks.  The ski trails at Love Creek are groomed for both skate style and classic diagonal stride skiing; Madeline Bertrand grooms for classic diagonal stride skiing only.  Special Night Skiing is available at Madeline Bertrand on Friday’s and Saturday’s when conditions allow.  Updated ski conditions, ski rental availability, park hours and fees are posted at:  www.berriencountyparks.org/parks and are listed under the “News Flash” heading for each park, or visit the Facebook pages for updates.   Please note that hiking, snowshoeing, sleds and dog walking are not permitted on our groomed ski trails.

Madeline Bertrand Trails

Madeline Bertrand features three miles of level to gently rolling trails through pine and oak forests and along a bluff overlooking the St. Joseph River.  For trail maps and directions, view or download a copy of our Winter Trail Guide (PDF) .

Love Creek Trails

Love Creek offers over five miles of open trails and challenging wooded slopes and turns. In addition to tracks for "traditional" skiing, many trails at Love Creek include a groomed lane for cross-country ski skating. View the Love Creek Ski Trail Map 2022 .

Fat Tire Biking and Snowshoeing

Love Creek also grooms a 3 mile fat bike trail when enough snow is present. Groomed trail fees apply. There is also a 1 mile and 1.5 mile snowshoe trail where visitors can bring their own snowshoes or rent a pair in the Nature Center (no trail fee required for snowshoeing). Download a copy of our Snowshoe and Fat bike trail map.

Ski Rental Equipment

Quality ski equipment is available in a variety of youth and adult sizes at Madeline Bertrand and Love Creek.

• The daily rental rate for youth (15 and under) is $5.
• The daily rental rate for adults is $10.
• Snowshoes are $5 for adults and youth (available at Love Creek only)

Winter Building & Ski Rental Hours

Ski equipment is available for use at Madeline Bertrand and Love Creek from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday and for all lighted night ski events. Additional days and hours may be available depending on trail conditions and current daylight hours. Check the News Flash at the top of our Home Page for current park hours. 

Equipment checkout closes 2 hours prior to the rental and/or night ski event closing time for the day.(In other words, skis must be checked out by 3:00 p.m. on days when the ski rental closes at 5 p.m. etc.)

All times are Eastern Standard Time.

Entry Fees

• The daily entry fee for Berrien County residents is $3 per vehicle.
• The daily entry fee for out-of-county residents is $5 per vehicle on weekends.

There is no "out-of-county" fee charged on non-holiday weekdays. An Annual Park Entry Permit is available for $35 - but note you can save $5 on this permit when it is purchased with one or more Annual Winter Trail Permits!

Ski Trail Fees

All skiers and fat bikers are required to obtain and display a daily ski trail pass while skiing or fat biking.

• The ski trail fee for adults is $5 per day.
• The fat bike fee is $5 per day
• The ski trail, and fat bike fees for youth (ages 15 and under) are both $4 per day.
• Annual Winter Trail Permits, which allow unlimited skiing at both Madeline Bertrand and Love Creek, and unlimited fat biking at Love Creek are available for $15 for youth and $20 for adults.

NOTE: SeasonalTrail Passes purchased through St. Patrick’s County Park in Indiana will be honored at Madeline Bertrand in Michigan for daylight skiing. Skiers must show their Seasonal Trail Pass to Madeline Bertrand staff and obtain and display a daily ski trail pass from Madeline Bertrand staff in order to ski on Bertrand trails. During the ski season only, a fence will be up between the two parks, and visitors will be required to choose a park, and enter that park to use the park's trails and facilities. The connecting trails between the two parks will remain closed during ski season.

Lighted Night Skiing

Conditions permitting, lighted night skiing is available at Madeline Bertrand on Friday and Saturday nights until 9:00 p.m. Check the News Flash at the top of our Home Page for dates and hours. A Berrien County Parks ski trail pass is required for night skiing. Always call or check the News Flash, as night ski events may be cancelled due to weather or poor trail conditions.