ABR Active Backwoods Retreat

We go to ABR every year for anniversary and have the best time ever! Angie and Eric, do a super job of keeping the trails in great condition! We stay at the cabins and they’re the best, simple, but everything you need. We never leave without a sauna either!

ABR is a very special place. The ski trails (both classic and skate) are beautiful and well-maintained, and the hosts put every effort into making sure that guests have a good experience. I have stayed in several of the rustic cabins. Pics here are from Cherry Meadow. The cabins provide a special retreat while you can ski or snowshoe. This one does also host a porcupine who lives below the cabin, so you are also getting a wilderness experience! But no critters inside the cabin.
The snowshoe trails don’t get as much use, so those are great for folks that enjoy blazing the trail, especially after snowfall. But it’s great to have access to so many kinds of ways to enjoy being in this winter wonderland.
Despite the very long drive from my home, I make the ABR a regular part of my winter, and if you enjoy snow, kind people, and being outdoors, you might too!

Always a joy and amazing skiing every time we head there. With this years snow I've been at ABR a lot, not that I'm complaining because the classic trails are amazing. For sure a must go to if you can, the staff is great, grooming is excellent and trails are a blast to ski on! Can't wait for my next stop up there!

It was amazing! Everyone should stop by for a visit. Couples can rent cozy little shacks on the tracks. There are also large houses on the tracks as well. They can rent you all the gear you need. The staff is very nice. The trails get groomed multiple times a day, especially if the snow keeps falling. They have about 70 kilometers of track! Go go go! Next time I'll plan a longer visit. Great pass prices too!

Amazing! Such a beautiful retreat and really was a winter wonderland. Looking forward to coming back. We felt so lucky to have found this place. Definitely worth the visit. They do an incredible job taking care of the trails and the cabins.

I've gone up to ABR four times now and I can never get over how awesome of a place it is. The first time I went up (Jan 2020... Feels like yesterday!), the group I was with lost our keys, and Eric went out of his way and helped us find them on a trail in the dark! This time around I stayed in a rustic cabin. Although we had to socially distance, the hospitality was exceptional, and the trails were meticulously groomed once again. I can't wait to visit again.

Great place to go snowshoeing at any level. The trails are well maintained, marked and have maps placed at each intersection. The owners are friendly and helpful. We went on a day that it was snowing all day and made for a quite and peaceful hike in fresh powder. We even had a novice with us snowshoeing. He can not wait to go next year and bring his wife along.

ABR is absolutely beautiful! The pictures don't do it justice. Some of our group went skiing and said the conditions were the best they've ever experienced. My son and I went snow shoeing and he declared it an epic show shoeing experience. It feels like you're in a snow globe out here. Highly recommended!

Meticulously groomed. Varried terrain. Consistent snow. This is a XC ski destination. It has something for everyone from beginner to expert. Don't have skis? Rentals are available. They also rent back country (rustic cabins) for the adventurish.

If you are a XC skier you need to visit ABR. Beautiful trails of all skill levels, including some truly easy trails for beginners. We drove 5 hours to get there and it was worth every mile. Staff working were super helpful and friendly.

This was my third time cross country skiing and first time with hills. It was really difficult the first day to go down the hill without falling the second day was better. It's a good place to ski with friends and stay at quaint cottages that are only heated with a cast iron stove. Would be somewhat dangerous with small children. Both on the runs and with the hot stove constantly running. The runs are very well maintained and the atmosphere of the woods is magical. Even though I fell down a lot, I would go again! absolutely!

Love this place! The snow loves to fall here and the grooming is the best anywhere. It is beautiful and the owners are great people. I am happy they have formed a foundation to keep this tradition alive. Thanks for year after year of expert grooming and hospitality

Phenomenal skiing and incredibly well-maintained trails, heating huts, and facilities. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. I am an intermediate skier who has skied regularly during the last three seasons. I started with Hemlock and then did River, followed by Popple Flats and Tamarack Two Tracks and Sunset. All were well-maintained and provided their own challenges.
Make sure to bring plenty of your own water as there is no available running water on the premises.

Great snow, grooming and trails. Recommend a stay in their rustic cabins for a ski out your door experience. And the sauna in the evening if a must!!

World class trail system, snow quality, and grooming. Amenities are fantastic— warming huts out on the trails and rentable primitive cabins if you want to overnight. Plus the friendliest management around! Highly recommend!

The crew at ABR trails were so helpful in getting me set up with a new set of poles after I snapped one during my warm up the night before a race. They made sure I got the right fit and were so friendly and welcoming! The trails were amazing for SISU Skifest as well. Our family will definitely be coming back in the future. Thank you so much for your help!!

One of the best places to ski in northern Wisconsin.

Awesome place to explore. We snowshoed here as we don't xc ski (yet!) and had a great time. Rentals reasonably priced. Friendly staff, warming cabins throughout the trails. Definitely recommend stopping by if you are in the area and want to hit the trails.

Awesome trails, very well packed and groomed. Got to see a porcupine in a tree which is pretty rare.

Beautiful grooming, lots and lots of trails from challenging to beginner. Very friendly staff.