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Winter Sleigh Ride, Winter in Gaylord MI, Gaylord MI Horses, Horses Michigan, Horses Snow

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Welcome to Gaylord, Michigan!

An outdoor paradise for every season and every pursuit.

Breathe in fresh forest air and glide along pristine waterways in Gaylord, Michigan. Here, there’s enough room to roam and enough unspoiled wilderness to go around! Located in the heart of northern Michigan, Gaylord is the perfect place to gear up for adventure and unwind in nature. Bountiful forest trails, winding rivers, over 90 sparkling inland lakes, and four seasons make Gaylord the ultimate outdoor playground.

You can count on the sky letting loose an average of 148 powder-perfect inches on our up north paradise every winter. What do we do with all the magical snow? We ride sleds on it. We ski through it. We’ve even found a way to raft right through it. To sum it up, we embrace it. Gaylord is your winter wonderland, offering silent sports from cross-country skiing and snowshoeing to frosty adrenaline rushes, including downhill skiing, snowboarding and tubing. Your all outdoors paradise doesn’t go into hibernation; we make frosty fun.

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SNOWMOBILE TRAIL UPDATES

Five Really Cool Things To Do In Gaylord This Winter

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing allows you walk on top of the snow. You get a great workout and you can literally go anywhere. Once you start moving, you warm right up. Most novices actually overdress. With no leaves on the trees, you see vistas, valleys and streams that you would never see other times of the year, which is just cool.

SNOWSHOEING

Five Really Cool Things To Do In Gaylord This Winter

Take A Downhill Ski Lesson

Most non-skiers have tried downhill skiing and had a bad experience or just gotten out of it. Well, take a lesson. Both Otsego Resort and Treetops Resort have rental equipment and experienced, fun ski instructors. This is a great activity to do with a friend or two or your children.

DOWNHILL SKIING

Five Really Cool Things To Do In Gaylord This Winter

Winter Rafting

Sturgeon River Paddlesports will take you and up to 5 of your friends or family members winter rafting down the Sturgeon River! You will see parts of Northern Michigan not seen in summer, as there are no leaves on the trees. There are numerous wildlife viewings as they come to the river for water (other lakes are frozen over, so this is where they go!).

WINTER RAFTING

Five Really Cool Things To Do In Gaylord This Winter

Wine Walks & Moonlit Wanderings

Imagine walking through a snowy landscape on snowshoes, a warm drink in hand, at one of Gaylord’s beautiful resorts. Treetops Resort offers moonlit snowshoe tours, while Otsego Resort hosts a cozy winter wine walk. Both are incredible ways to experience the magic of winter in Gaylord.

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Five Really Cool Things To Do In Gaylord This Winter

Snow Tubing

This is nothing like the days of sledding down the local hill when you were a kid. Going “down the hill” has taken on a whole new meaning! The tubes are provided, the course is smooth and a lift attachment pulls you and the tube back up the hill! Pretty great, huh? Both Treetops Resort and Otsego Resort offer downhill tubing.

Snow TUBING

Why You Need to Go Winter Rafting in Gaylord

Before you shake your head and say “no way!” to winter rafting, let’s clear one thing up from the get-go: NO, YOU WILL NOT GET WET! This is a guided trip with experienced professionals calling the shots. If you’ve ever been spilled out of your kayak or canoe into the brisk waters of the Sturgeon River, we can understand your hesitation. But hear us out and keep reading because we would hate for you to go home without experiencing one of Gaylord, Michigan’s most extraordinary winter experiences.

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Gaylord may be known for its outdoor recreation opportunities, but that’s only half the charm. Shop, sip, sample, and savor the best of Gaylord’s downtown scene.

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