ATV Trail Status

**ATTENTION**

Due to the excessive amount of rain received, a washout has occurred on the Wild Rivers Trails. Just North of County Road B, on the East side shoulder, has started to wash out. The area has been barricaded and flagged to push trail traffic over to avoid these hazards. Please use caution while we will continue to monitor this issue.

Enjoy and be safe!

**ATTENTION**

We have recently had a reroute South of Spooner on Trail 39S to Shell Lake. The new section of trail is now located South of the “Y”, off of The Wild Rivers Trail (Trail 35). Signage has been placed  and Flagging is up to block off the previous 39S section of trail. Please follow the signs that will direct riders to the new trail section and we ask riders to start using this section as it will be the new permanent Trail 39S. We ask riders to please stay on the new signed trail section as this does go through private property.

Thank you for your cooperation. Have fun and be safe as you enjoy the various trails of Washburn County!

Per Washburn County Ordinance (Sec. 50-25.), when the fire danger reaches VERY HIGH or EXTREME, all trails including the Wild Rivers State Trail (35) and Shell Rail Grade (39 South) close immediately. It is the responsibility of the rider to know if the trails are open or closed due to the status of the Fire Danger.

PLEASE CHECK CURRENT FIRE DANGER HERE: https://apps.dnr.wi.gov/wisburn/#/

Washburn County has significant investments in the development and maintenance of these trails and one of the main reasons that the spring closure is used is to protect trail surfaces during periods of wet, unstable soil conditions.  Trails are frozen during winter months and the repeated traffic from groomers and snowmobiles drives frost deep into the underlying soils.  These trails generally begin to thaw in mid March and sub-surface remain soft until the thaw is complete and water can filter through the soils normally.  In a normal year, trail surfaces dry out and stabilize by mid to late May.

Springtime also brings periods of very high fire danger.  ATV/UTV activity, and increased recreational use in general, increases risk of wildfire.  Some of the largest and most devastating wildfires in Wisconsin have occurred during mid May.

The Washburn County Code of Ordinances creates closure of ATV trails through the first Friday before Memorial Weekend.  This same ordinance does grant our department the ability to open trails early if conditions permit.

We are monitoring trail conditions and fire danger daily to determine if/when we can allow for an early opener.  One rule of thumb that we, and the public can use is the amount of new leaves and vegetation in the wooded areas.  This “green up” is generally an indicator of lower fire danger and more stable soil conditions on our trails.

We receive a lot of compliments on the quality of our trail systems here.  One of the main reasons that our trails stay in good shape is our ability to close them during muddy and unstable conditions in the spring.

Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Mike Peterson – Washburn County Forest Administrator