Date of Report: March 21, 2023
Area Report:
All official Washburn County ATV trails are considered open to year round use, with the exception of the spring closure from April 1 through the first Friday before Memorial Weekend.
Most snowmobile trails, on Washburn County Forest lands, are open for motor vehicle use under 900 pounds from December 1 through April 1. This means that ATV’s are permitted on snowmobile trails that are not on private lands, during the winter months. UTV’s are allowed on these same trails ONLY during non-groomed conditions. The Washburn County portion of the Wild Rivers Trail and the rail grade to Shell Lake are now open for UTV use during snow groomed conditions; these are the only trails open to UTV use once trail grooming is commenced. Please note that the April 1 closure is flexible, trails may close earlier depending on conditions.
Land use agreements with private landowners for snowmobile trails do not permit the use of ATV’s at any time of the year.
Area Information
For your FREE Trail Map and Visitor Guide, call 800-367-3306
or CLICK HERE for your FREE trail map!
Visit us at www.washburncounty.org for more information.
OVER 100 MILES OF SCENIC TRAILS – HOME OF THE ATV SCENIC TOUR AND HUNDREDS OF ATV-FRIENDLY BUSINESSES!
Washburn County, Wisconsin is host to over 100 miles of scenic, well-maintained ATV trails through the gorgeous, rolling hills of Washburn County. The area includes the communities of Spooner, Birchwood, Shell Lake, Minong, Stone Lake, and Long Lake. Washburn County is known for some of the best ATVing in Wisconsin. With hundreds of ATV-friendly businesses, you’ll find easy trail access from many lodging facilities in the county.
All of the county trails connect with other area trails (Sawyer, Douglas, Burnett and Barron Counties), making this the perfect location for an afternoon, a day, or even a week of ATVing. You will find easy access to lodging, dining, gas, shopping and more.
ATV Trails:
Washburn County offers over 100 miles of incredible ATV trails. All of the county trails are UTV-friendly as well! The majority of the trails are located on county land and pass through dense forests, across rivers (including the Namekagon, part of the National Park System) and through many ATV-friendly communities.
In addition to the county trail system, Washburn County is also home to two great state trails:
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Wild Rivers State Trail, a 96 mile trail that follows an abandoned railroad grade. The trail is open to ATV use from Rice Lake to the southern edge of Superior where it connects with the Tri-County Corridor. 40 miles of the Wild Rivers Trail is located in Washburn County and goes directly through the communities of Sarona, Spooner, Trego and Minong. Parking areas exist in all four communities. In addition, Minong is home to the Wild Rivers Trail ATV Campground which offers 10 RV sites and 5 Tent sites.
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Tuscobia State Trail, 74 mile trail that extends from Birchwood, through Sawyer County and ends up in Park Falls. From the Tuscobia, you can access the incredible Spider Lake Loop in Washburn County, head over to Sawyer for an afternoon of riding or make the trip over to Park Falls for a leisurely ride on the Tuscobia.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MAPS OF THE WASHBURN COUNTY TRAILS
ATV Scenic Tour:
Washburn County has a fun new way to explore the area ATV trails. The Washburn County ATV Scenic Tour is now available for ATV enthusiasts to learn about over 35 points of interest located along the 100+ mile ATV system. If you have ever been riding on a trail and wondered what river you were passing by or what the giant fish along the trail represented, you’re in luck! The tour highlights waterways, natural points of interest, quirky landmarks and historical sites such as an old homestead where remnants of the original buildings still stand.