Wisconsin Snowmobile Trails
Wisconsin Snowmobile Trails
The Best Wisconsin Snowmobile Trails
Thanks to more than 25,000 miles of immaculate Wisconsin snowmobile trails, it’s almost like the answer to the question, “where are the best places to go snowmobiling” is “the entire state.” And that’s actually a pretty accurate assessment. It’s really not surprising that snowmobiling in Wisconsin is a big deal because after all, it’s the birthplace of snowmobiling. The first snowmobile was invented by Carl Eliason in Sayner, Wisconsin in 1924 – he called it a “motor toboggan” and the Snowmobile Hall of Fame is in St. Germain, Wisconsin. Plus, from a terrain standpoint, outdoors folks wanting to ride snowmobile couldn’t ask for better than what the Badger state delivers, with trails that wind deep into woodlands and wilderness, and around and over literally thousands of lakes, then spring open with stunning, incredible landscapes. Where are the best places to snowmobile in Wisconsin? Which are the best snowmobile trails near me when I’m in Wisconsin? What areas offer the best snowmobiling? Below is a list of just a few of the most popular Wisconsin snowmobile trails, compiled by the experts at Treadworld, with location information and websites where available.
Bayfield Trails
Location: Bayfield County, northernmost county in Wisconsin
Website: https://www.bayfieldcounty.wi.gov/329/Hiking
A dream for those that live for snowmobiling, this area offers 600 miles of groomed trails and over 1000 more miles of ungroomed trails, many in the form of forest roads. Neighboring Ashland County offers an additional 194 miles of groomed trails to the east, and the Douglas County trail system has another 300 miles of trails to the west. The views are pristine all along with way, with over 400,000 acres of forest, the Lake Superior Scenic Byway, Ice Caves, Red Cliff, Moquah Barrens State Natural Area, Lake Namakagon and much more.
Boulder Junction Trails
Location: Vilas County, central northern county in Wisconsin
Website: https://boulderjct.org/snowmobiling/
Considered by many to be one of the best Wisconsin snowmobile trails, this area in the Lake Superior snow belt offers 130 miles of trails, regularly groomed by members of the Boulder Junction Snowmobile Club—spreading throughout the Northwoods and into nearby Wisconsin communities including Sayner,-Star Lake, Manitowish Waters, Winchester and Presque Isle. These trails connect with thousands more miles of trails (like Eagle River, see below) weaving throughout northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Expect outstanding woodland scenery, and once you get into the forest, you’ll have endless options for exploration.
Door County
Location: Door County, easternmost county in Wisconsin
Website: https://www.doorcounty.com/experience/snowmobiling/
With over 250 miles of snowmobile trails located on Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula region of the Great Lakes, Door County offers a series of unforgettable winter landscapes that include countryside, lakes, farmland, woods, and more – many of which you won’t see during other parts of the year because much of this snowmobile trail crosses private land that can only be accessed using the snowmobile trail during winter. The extensive trails are made possible by the generosity of Door County’s snowmobile clubs and private landowners.
You may want to start with the Ahnapee State Trail beginning in Green Bay and traveling 50 miles past the southern county line through evergreen glades, farmland, prairies and wooded areas, with the option for exploring an additional 95 miles of interconnected trails from different counties. Also, within Door County you’ll find Potawatomi State Park where you can enjoy the nearly 9 miles of snowmobiling trails up and down the Niagara Escarpment just outside of Sturgeon Bay. Then there’s Baileys Harbor to Sister Bay, offering 6,000 acres of public land passing through parts of Mud Lake State Wildlife Area (pretty much inaccessible in the muggy warmer months) on groomed snowmobile trails through fields, forests, and along the shore. You can’t help but love the stunning views of Lake Michigan.
Eagle River
Location: Vilas County, central northern county in Wisconsin
Website: https://eagleriver.org/play/snowmobile/
When it comes to rating the legendary snowmobile trails in Wisconsin, the backwoods experience provided by Eagle River is likely to be near the top. Officially registered as “The Snowmobile Capital of the World” since 1964, this area has more than 600 miles of trails weaving through Vilas and Oneida counties and the Nicolet National Forest, and around 2,000 lakes, that are groomed daily by the members of five snowmobile clubs. The wintry outdoors is valued in this area, and it’s often asserted by locals that snowmobiles outnumber cars during the winter months. Additionally, each year since 1927, on the weekend closest to New Year, Eagle River volunteer firefighters and community volunteers spend over 700 hours building a palace of ice formed by nearly 3,000 12-inch-thick ice blocks that is truly an architectural wonder to behold.
Iron County including Hurley Snow Trails
Location: Iron County, a northern county in Wisconsin
Website: https://ironcountywi.com/recreation/atv-trails/
Iron County’s five trail systems are known for offering some of the best snowmobiling in Wisconsin, with over 500 miles of snowmobile trails that incorporate many of the county’s historic transportation, mining and lumbering sites, up the Penokee Mountains, to Lake Superior and many other lakes and waterfalls along the way, through mainly forested land. These trails connect with trail systems in Vilas, Price and Ashland counties, along with the upper peninsula of Michigan to keep you riding all day long. Hurley Snow Trails are part of this system, an area that averages 200 inches of snow each year – but in a good year, might top 300 inches! The White Thunder Riders and the Mercer Sno-Goers work with the Iron County Forestry Department to keep nearly 300 miles of Hurley snowmobile trails groomed and in good condition. Hurley is also home to 175,000 acres of public land with snowmobiling access that makes it seem like one big snowmobiling adventure with plenty of room to break your own the trail.
Oneida County
Location: Oneida County, a central northern county in Wisconsin
Website: https://www.minocqua.org/things-to-do/winter-activities/snowmobiling/
Though located in northern Wisconsin in Oneida County, Minocqua’s official nickname is the “Island City” because it’s surrounded by over 1,300 lakes left over from the retreat of a glacier millions of years ago. Add in the over 233,000 acres of public forest land and the annual snowfall of 65 inches and you’ve got the perfect recipe for some outstanding WI snowmobile trails. A lot of them. In fact, over 1,700 miles of trails are maintained in the Minocqua area. One of the most popular trails is the 21.5-mile Bearskin State Trail which connects to many other trails so you can ride and ride and ride. If you’re up for some small town charm, start in Three Lakes, with its 132 miles of snowmobile trails. From there, snowmobilers can explore the beauty of northeastern Oneida County, including part of the Thunder Lake State Wildlife Area, along with prime natural forest land near the Headwaters Wilderness. Additionally, Three Lakes’ trails connect to nearly 200 additional miles of snowmobiling trails, including Eagle River to the north.
St. Germain
Location: Vilas County, central northern county in Wisconsin
Website: https://st-germain.com/outdoors-recreation/
This area is pretty much situated in the heart of many of Wisconsin snowmobile trails. You’ll immediately find over 100 miles of the best snowmobile trails in Wisconsin, maintained and marked by one of the state’s largest snowmobile clubs, the Bo-Boen club, working in conjunction with other clubs in the area. What’s more, these trails connect to the larger network of Northwoods snow trails, which extend over a staggering network numbering more than 1,600 miles of snowmobile trails. Not surprisingly, St. Germain also hosts the Snowmobile Hall of Fame, a resource center and museum filled with machines, memorabilia, and tributes to the masters of the sport.
That’s Only A Few…
The biggest problem with snowmobiling in Wisconsin is picking where to go, because there are a ton of options. And while you may be tempted to stick with “snowmobiling near me,” if you don’t venture into other areas of the state, you could wind up limiting yourself and your winter adventure experiences. We’ve only highlighted a few of the great Wisconsin snowmobile trails here, but there are many others. Keep in mind that it’s always a good idea to check snowmobile trail conditions before you go.
We’re Treadworld, Home of the Best Specialty Tires Anywhere
When you do decide to snowmobile outside your own backyard, one of the safest ways to transport your machines is with a snowmobile trailer. And you can count on us to provide you with the high performance tires for snowmobile trailer that will get you safely from point A to point B. Even the best snowmobile trailer is worthless if it’s not equipped with dependable tires. Here at Treadworld, we have the right trailer tires for every occasion. You can count on Rubbermaster brand trailer tires to provide the best in top quality, long-lasting, never-let-you-down reliability, manufactured with strict tolerances from top rubber compounds, triple-tested for quality before being X-rayed to be sure they’re perfect, then covered by our Ultimate Advantage Lifetime Warranty. Don’t hesitate to contact our tire experts via live chat or email with any questions you may have.
