Cozy Cabins & Snowy Trails: Your Winter Adventure Awaits
Do you hear that? It sounds like the soft hush of falling snow is headed this way. Winter doesn’t have to mean being cooped up indoors! In fact, winter is the perfect time to experience your favorite places in a new and exciting way. Sierra Club has dozens of snow-filled, winter wonderland adventures waiting for you. From skiing Crater Lake’s rim to snowshoeing through quiet New Hampshire forests or joining Quebec’s Winter Carnival, our trips combine breathtaking landscapes, cozy lodges, and new friendships that will last a lifetime.
Why join a Sierra Club winter trip?
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A chance to learn new skills like snowshoeing, ski touring, or winter camping
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Opportunities to connect with nature, in the quiet stillness of winter
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Rustic lodging and fireside camaraderie after a day of fun in the snow
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Community-focused, small-group travel; make new friends while exploring the great outdoors
Spaces for winter expeditions fill fast. Don’t let the season melt away without booking your trip! |
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January 11-16, 2026
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Ski or snowshoe at your own pace
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Enjoy guided instruction on groomed/backcountry trails
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Savor good company, delicious meals, evening programs
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February 1-6, 2026
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Ski the Rim Drive and more at Crater Lake
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Enjoy dazzling winter scenery
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Stay in warm, comfortable, spacious mountain cabins
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February 9-17, 2026
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Ski and snowshoe in forested parks with expert guides
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Experience Old Québec during Winter Carnival
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See the only Ice Hotel in North America, Hôtel de Glace
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February 22-March 1, 2026
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Search for the northern lights in the Arctic Circle
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Hiking, dog sled trip, and soaks in natural hot springs
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Experience the famous World Ice Art Championships
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Whole generations of children in communities of color and low-income families are growing up without access to the benefits of getting outdoors. Youth spend more than 50 hours a week on electronic media and just minutes a day playing outside. When asked about the barriers to spending time outdoors, America’s youth cite lack of nearby access and lack of transportation as some of the top reasons. America’s kids are suffering from a childhood obesity crisis resulting in shorter life expectancies than their parents for the first time in history. Communities of color and low-income communities are more likely to suffer from health disparities and are the least likely to have access to open spaces where they can improve their health and wellness.
To break these barriers, the Sierra Club’s Inspiring Connections Outdoors program works to reduce barriers to entry by providing gear, transportation, trip fees, and training to ensure that all people have opportunities to explore, enjoy, and advocate for nature.
This important program is always in need of volunteers. Join us and help introduce kids to the great outdoors! |
Leader Feature: Mark ChangWhen the snow falls, many hikers hang up their boots...but not Mark Chang. A lifelong adventurer, Mark first fell in love with backpacking as a college student in Southern California in the 1970s. Eager to extend his time in the mountains year-round, he turned to backcountry skiing, teaching himself on a pair of Trucker skis during the heyday of the U.S. telemark revival. For an immigrant from Hong Kong, the strange new world of vast wildernesses landscapes, wild peaks, and endless white expanses was exhilarating—and it sparked a passion that has defined his life ever since. |
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By the 1980s, Mark was leading ski trips for his local Sierra Club Chapters, but when he joined our ranks in 2017, he noticed a surprising gap: while Sierra Club offered countless hiking and backpacking trips, there were almost no winter outings. “Sierra Club Outings’ purpose does not hibernate in winter,” he says. Determined to change that, he began building ski-based itineraries that would bring participants deeper into snow-covered wildlands.
Most of Mark’s ski trips have been lodge-based, which he appreciates because they open the experience to more people. Participants can explore untracked, ungroomed terrain by day and return at night to a warm bed and hearty meals. Compared to strenuous backpacking trips that require carrying heavy loads and hiking many miles at elevation, ski trips often feel more accessible while still delivering a sense of adventure and discovery. This balance allows people of varied backgrounds and abilities to enjoy the wild beauty of winter.
For Mark, the reward is not only in the crisp air and quiet beauty of winter landscapes, but in showing others that wilderness isn’t just a summer pursuit. “There are winter wildlands that are worthwhile to protect,” he says. Whether breaking trail through untracked snow or sitting together by a lodge fire after a long day, he sees ski trips as a way to deepen Sierra Club’s mission: to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet—in every season.
Join Mark Chang on a ski trip this year
Interested in becoming a leader? |
Dispatches from around the Sierra Club |
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