chicagosledder
New member
When do the trails close for Michigan and Wisconsin? Im looking at putting a trip together late March
Michigan and Wisconsin season end dates
- Thread starter chicagosledder
- Start date
We had this discussion in another thread, at least concerning U.P. trails......officially they close Mar 31......but that only applies to trails that are on private land......public land based trails can be used as long as there is snow....they do quit grooming on Mar 31st though.......
You can always ride in the woods if you are so inclined......but it can be difficult to get from point A to point B without usable trails. Here in the central U.P. the greatest majority of the trail system is on public land.
You can always ride in the woods if you are so inclined......but it can be difficult to get from point A to point B without usable trails. Here in the central U.P. the greatest majority of the trail system is on public land.
dj2muchjunk
New member
Slim chance that Wi. will many if any trails open in late march. Too many farm fields, maple syrup operations etc.
chicagosledder
New member
thanks appreciate it
March 12th qualifies as "mid-March" in my book. It's been a good year!
pwolfy2003
Member
Officially March 31st in Wi.
It is my understanding that trails can stay opened after March 31st, but WI DNR will not reimburse for grooming after that date. So if you can groom open trails after March 31, the club has to foot the bill.
But do we every really need to worry about that.
I talked with our club president tonight, he got the same info that I did on this subject. It is our understanding, in Marathon County, that trails can remain open after March 31st if you want to groom for free. As far as easements go, I believe we have one year easements, not that they end at a certain date.
There isn't anyone around here that's going to groom for free, so I guess March 31st is the magic date.
Very good riding in Vilas NOW probably still close March 31 but looking very good for another weekend maybe 2. I have seen people riding on March 31 weekend in the past but not in last 5 years or so. This year super late start but conditions have been very good all of Feb down a little in early March & right back up to excellent with recent storm but the sun could mess things up just have to see. Good problem to have.
My friend if they had one year easements then all of Vilas county would have ATV trails an easement gives them the right to cross private property and I don't know about you but I would never grant year round use? Trust me when I say the easements end March 31st at midnight I have read and signed many along with the right to use the land the state also supplies insurance for the landowners for liability should anyone get injured or die on the property and cover damage to the property. The insurance ends at midnight March 31st I don't think the state would be willing to pay for insurance year round? But if they would THAT WOULD be GREAT! It is people like you that feel they have the right to trespass year round on private property snowmobile trails that are causing us to LOOSE TRAILS and making it harder to get easements signed every year! [
QUOTE=jr37;323197]I talked with our club president tonight, he got the same info that I did on this subject. It is our understanding, in Marathon County, that trails can remain open after March 31st if you want to groom for free. As far as easements go, I believe we have one year easements, not that they end at a certain date.
There isn't anyone around here that's going to groom for free, so I guess March 31st is the magic date.[/QUOTE]
an easement gives them the right to cross private property and I don't know about you but I would never grant year round use? Trust me when I say the easements end March 31st at midnight I have read and signed many along with the right to use the land the state also supplies insurance for the landowners for liability should anyone get injured or die on the property and cover damage to the property. The insurance ends at midnight March 31st I don't think the state would be willing to pay for insurance year round? But if they would THAT WOULD be GREAT! It is people like you that feel they have the right to trespass year round on private property snowmobile trails that are causing us to LOOSE TRAILS and making it harder to get easements signed every year! [QUOTE=jr37;323197]I talked with our club president tonight, he got the same info that I did on this subject. It is our understanding, in Marathon County, that trails can remain open after March 31st if you want to groom for free. As far as easements go, I believe we have one year easements, not that they end at a certain date.
There isn't anyone around here that's going to groom for free, so I guess March 31st is the magic date.[/QUOTE]
Here in Forest County, Wi we have surpassed grooming funds for two weeks already. We are still grooming and will as long as we can. Our only real out of pocket cost is fuel. To stop grooming would hurt our local tourism and damage our reputation. I'm a groomer for LMT club.
We also have surpassed our funding, but everyone is eligible for supplement money through March 31st.
radsrh, I now have double checked with our county snowmobile coordinator to verify my FACTS. We here in Marathon County have no magic season ending date for trail easments. These easements are for snowmobile trails ONLY, that does not mean a trail can be present after the season ends. There will not be a year-round easement for ATVs, SNOWMOBILE trail only. We also are covered by insurance year-round, so insurance does not end at midnight March 31st. And as I said before, any open trails after March 31st are groomed for free, not eligible for any funding at all.
I don't appreciate being told that it is people like me that get trails closed. I have been a club member my entire life, I have been working on trails since I was old enough to tag along with my dad, I am involved in my club (past president), and I am involved on a county level (board of directors of our county snowmobile council). I am not a problem here, just trying to get some facts straight for all my fellow sledders. Have a great day!
radsrh, I now have double checked with our county snowmobile coordinator to verify my FACTS. We here in Marathon County have no magic season ending date for trail easments. These easements are for snowmobile trails ONLY, that does not mean a trail can be present after the season ends. There will not be a year-round easement for ATVs, SNOWMOBILE trail only. We also are covered by insurance year-round, so insurance does not end at midnight March 31st. And as I said before, any open trails after March 31st are groomed for free, not eligible for any funding at all.
I don't appreciate being told that it is people like me that get trails closed.
I have been a club member my entire life, I have been working on trails since I was old enough to tag along with my dad, I am involved in my club (past president), and I am involved on a county level (board of directors of our county snowmobile council). I am not a problem here, just trying to get some facts straight for all my fellow sledders. Have a great day!We also have surpassed our funding, but everyone is eligible for supplement money through March 31st.
radsrh, I now have double checked with our county snowmobile coordinator to verify my FACTS. We here in Marathon County have no magic season ending date for trail easments. These easements are for snowmobile trails ONLY, that does not mean a trail can be present after the season ends. There will not be a year-round easement for ATVs, SNOWMOBILE trail only. We also are covered by insurance year-round, so insurance does not end at midnight March 31st. And as I said before, any open trails after March 31st are groomed for free, not eligible for any funding at all.
I don't appreciate being told that it is people like me that get trails closed.
I do apologize for any misunderstanding. I guess a blanket statement for all of Wisconsin is the wrong way to ask a question. If your county is different that is the first time I have heard of that for down there.
I do know for a hard cold fact that Vilas county is closed at midnight on March 31st regardless of how much snow is still on the trails.
I also know as John stated that Keweenaw county in MI is closed at midnight on March 31st regardless if landowners close gates or not. The easements in Vilas and Keweenaw do expire at that date and time and the insurance for landowners also expires at that time. I am sensitive on the subject only because I have had MANY people for years going through my land in the middle of summer on anything from Big 4X4’s in early early spring leaving behind RUTs deep enough to swallow my full size pick up, to ATV’s to bikes, to on foot and on horseback. This continued after the land was posted, and AFTER the trail was gated not only by riding around the gates, then you block that path and they….. Who ever cut the gates down to go through.
I find it funny to have an easement that is in effect year round EVEN if it states it is for snowmobile use only? I would think that in the past or future there would be more then one smart a** that would put wheels on the front of there sled, kinda like the kitty cats or 120’s with there training wheels and expect to run the trails in the middle of July??? If the wording in the easement only states for snowmobile use and does not have set start and end dates like they do up here then by reading it correctly one would be able to run a snowmobile year round on any trail in your county???
dj2muchjunk
New member
Once a trail is closed ANY vehicle on it is trespassing and subject to a fine. Hope that helps.