Forest County, Wisconsin Snowmobile Trails: Current Conditions and Updates

Planning a snowmobiling trip to Forest County, Wisconsin? Stay informed about the latest trail conditions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. This article provides updates on snowmobile trails, as well as information on other winter activities in the region.

Important Notice: As of March 6, 2025, all Forest County State funded snowmobile and ATV trails are closed. Forest County Ordinance prohibits the use of ATV/UTV’s on all State funded trails in Forest County during this closure. For questions, please contact Forest County Forestry and Recreation Department.

Trail Conditions Overview

The trails have been open for about a week now. There is an icy base that is beginning to show signs of deterioration because of the warm weather we have been having. There has been some traffic that is wearing the trails also. Expect to find the high traffic areas closer to town to wear the most along with corners, and any part of the trails exposed to the sun. Obviously additional snow is the only remedy to these conditions.

The lakes are not marked as of yet, and are extremely challenging to be on as there almost no snow on them. If you do not have picks on your track, you will likely get stuck if you stop. We will start marking our lakes this Sunday. Those lakes are Squirrel, Booth, Buckskin, Amber, and Sunday Lake.

Trail Specific Information

• There is logging still going on trail 5 south in the willow region between Lamer Springs Rd and Muskellunge Rd. This trail leads to Lincoln County, which is not open.
• Price county is not open either.
• There is logging on trail 7.
• We also have a new route for trail 12 In the Willow region. It was just made this fall, and is in very poor condition. You can still ride down Flowage Rd, but we were told not to groom it as it will be plowed by the town.
• Sutton Rd is plowed, and will be plowed moving forward. Parts of Trails 10A and Trail 9 run on Sutton Road.

We had the groomers go out Monday and Tuesday, and tried to make the trails as good as possible. We will not be grooming anymore until we get more snow. Also, that trails are in rough, early season condition. Enjoy, and ride safe!

Read also: Summit County Ski Report

Snowmobile Trail Ordinance

Please remember that the Nicolet State Trail, the Wolf River State Trail, and the Valley Trail are the ONLY snowmobile trails in Forest County that are currently open for ATV and UTV use. The Forest County Snowmobile Trail Ordinance currently prohibits ATV, UTV use and motor vehicle use on all other snowmobile trails in Forest County. Snowmobile trails are “NOT” open for motor vehicle use or hunting.

Other Winter Activities in Minocqua, WI

In addition to snowmobiling, Minocqua, WI offers a variety of other winter activities. Here's a brief overview of trail conditions for other sports:

Ski Trails

Trails Warm temperatures and overnight drizzle have softened most trails. Thin spots and wind blown debris in thick pine tree areas. Trail Condition: Good.

Fat Biking Trails

Raven Trail: Open. We don't groom Raven, but fat biking is possible on the snowshoe trails. Trail Conditions: All loops rolled 12/10. Track set on Green and Blue loops. Just a few spots of thin snow cover, but overall pretty good early season conditions on these two loops. No track on Yellow or Red loops - these loops need more snow. Early Season Condition.

Stay off of the lakes. There is not a lot of snow in some spots, so ride casual. Even though the Raven Lake area trail is cool, and wide open, there are a LOT of big rocks on the side.

Read also: Trail Update: Bayfield County

Zip Trails

The Zip has set up nicely, thanks to the efforts of MJ and Timmer. 5 psi max, please!

Read also: Snowmobile Trail Updates

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