Iron County Wisconsin - A Wisconsin Heritage Area

Iron County Wisconsin - "A Wisconsin Heritage Area"

IRON COUNTY

the "ULTIMATE ATV ADVENTURE"

FOUR SEASON ATV TRAILS & ROUTES

Largest System In Wisconsin!

Trails, Trails, Trails… Iron County’s rich history and resources are showcased by an extensive trail network. Snowmobile Trails, Mountain Bike Trails, Ski Trails, ATV Trails and Auto Trails allow you to experience the wilderness, settlements and mystic beauty of Northern Wisconsin, no matter what your mode of transportation might be. Enjoy’em!

Approximately 250 miles of ATV trails take you deep into the heart of Iron County. Along the routes and trials you will find a variety of friendly pitstops offering food, beverages, gas and lodging. During the Winter, ATV's are welcome on most Iron County Snowmobile trails.

Iron County's five Trail Systems are famous for offering some of the best riding in Wisconsin and the Midwest. The trails incorporate many of the county's historic transportation, mining and lumbering sites, as well as plenty of lakes and waterfalls in the forests. Iron County forests make up a whopping 80% of the total land in the county. The "Real Northwoods" of natural beauty and adventure is getting difficult to find these days. Here, there is a variety of natural surroundings that other areas can only envy. With our pristine waterfalls cascading through or colorful forests, the rugged Penoke Range, breathtaking skyline and vistas, blue gems of peaceful lakes and wild shorelines ~ Iron County Is Your "Ultimate ATV Adventure" Destination!

Day Trippers

Day trippers may park their vehicles/trailers at the following locations (for the day only): Oneida Sales (by the storage units) on the corner of 5th Avenue and Silver Street in Hurley; Frontier Bar & Campground on Hwy. 2 West in Saxon (small fee); Sidekick's Bar & Restaurant on Hwy. 77 in Iron Belt; Squeak's Bar & Restaurant on Hwy. 77 in Pence; Yukon Inn on Hwy. 51 in Oma; just off Railroad Street inMercer (next to trail and pine trees).

Registration

All ATV's that are registered outside of Wisconsin will be required to visibly and permanently display a Nonresident ATV trail pass on the forward half of the ATV. The trail pass costs $18 and is available at any license agent. Illinois and Michigan ATV's must be registered in Wisconsin until additional changes can be made.

Winter ATV Trails

Any snowmobile trail posted with both ATV and Snowmobile signs are open to ATV's in the winter. Also, ATV trail riding is allowed only as long as the average daily temperature is less than 30 degrees, due to the fact that ATV's have the potential to do much greater damage to the trails during warming conditions. We must have a spirit of cooperation if we are to continue to develop a multi-use trail system for our visitors. Iron County trails are closed for a few weeks during the spring breakup period. During this time, spring trail maintenance takes place.

NEWS RELEASE ~ March 9

New rules aimed at assuring All Terrain Vehicles (ATV's) in Wisconsin are complying with laws limiting excessive noise and clarifying when nonresident operators need ATV trail passes went into effect March 1.

One new rule provides law enforcement with a field-friendly stationary test procedure for testing an ATV's compliance with a noise limit that was established in 2003. That law makes it illegal for a person to manufacture, sell, rent or operate an ATV that emits noise in excess of 96 decibels.

"Some aftermarket exhaust systems on ATVs can create excessive or unusual noise and are illegal. That noise generates complaints from the public, closes trails and creates a bad image for all ATV operators," said Gary Eddy, Department of Natural Resources ATV and snowmobile administrator. "These new rules will help protect the future of the ATV program in Wisconsin."

The rule that goes into effect March 1 authorizes a test procedure that has been adopted by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) as a means to measure ATV noise levels using a nationally consistent method. In brief, stationary ATV exhaust noise is measured at 20 inches away with the ATV throttled up to half the machine's maximum RPM's.

The other rule change affects the non-resident ATV trail pass. A 2003 law created a non-resident ATV trail pass that needs to be displayed on ATVs not registered in Wisconsin. Current law requires an ATV to be registered in Wisconsin unless the ATV is registered in another state and has not been in Wisconsin longer than 15 consecutive days. However, some states do not have a registration program.

"Some nonresident owners were confused about whether they needed Wisconsin registration, a non-resident trail pass or both," said Eddy.

"This new rule clears up that confusion by providing an exemption for an out of state ATV from registration if the ATV displays a nonresident decal and if it is not in Wisconsin for a period of more than 15 consecutive days."

With the new rule, out of state ATV owners need only purchase a non-resident trail pass to ride Wisconsin trails. If the ATV is kept in Wisconsin for more than 15 consecutive days, then the ATV must be registered in Wisconsin. ATV trail passes are $18 and are valid from July 1 to June 30.

For A Detailed Map Email Jenni at: jenni@ironcountywi.com

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