ATVers and UTVers can find great riding in Vilas County all year round—almost all county highways are open to ATV and UTV traffic year-round and some sections of the county’s designated ATV/UTV routes remain open in the winter, offering scenic views and hours of adventure when there’s less snow on the ground in Wisconsin’s Northwoods.
Here’s a look at the county highways, road routes, and other modified trails riders can explore in the winter.
Note: Not all ATV/UTV routes and trails that are open in summer are open in winter. ATVs and UTVs are not allowed to use snowmobile trails (with minor exceptions listed below) in the winter.
County highways that are open to ATV/UTV traffic year-round are Highways A, B, C, E, G, H (town of Boulder Junction only), J, K, M, N, O, P, S, and W. Note that county highways in the town of Lac du Flambeau are not open to ATV/UTV traffic.
ATV and UTV travel is illegal on numbered highways (17, 32, 45, 47, 51, 70, and State Highway 155) with some exceptions:
- State Highway 17 from County Highway E to Deerskin Road (Phelps)
- State Highway 70 from State Highway 155 to Parkway Drive (St. Germain)
- State Highway 155 from State Highway 70 to Birchwood Drive (St. Germain)
- State Highway 155 from County Highway N to Plum Lake Drive (Plum Lake)
In addition to the above county highways, the following local road routes are open to ATVs and UTVs in Vilas County in the winter:
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- Arbor Vitae: All paved roads (no dirt roads)
- Cloverland: All town roads
- Conover: All town roads
- Eagle River: All city streets
- Land O’ Lakes: No town roads open to ATV/UTV traffic in winter
- Lincoln: All town roads
- Phelps: All town roads
- Presque Isle: All town roads
- St. Germain: All paved town roads (no dirt roads)
- Washington: All town roads
ATVs and UTVs are allowed only on these sections of Vilas County’s snowmobile trails:
- Conover: County Highway K West to County Highway K East; County Highway K West to the Energy Mart Gas Station
- Eagle River: Division Street on the snowmobile trail to Trackside
- Lincoln: Bloom Road to Meta Lake Road
- Phelps: Deerskin Road to State Highway 17 (Convenience Center)
ATVs and UTVs are NOT PERMITTED on any other Vilas County snowmobile trail than those listed above.
For more information about Vilas County’s ATV trails, contact the Vilas County Parks & Recreation Department.
Exploring Vilas County’s trails? Don’t forget to download the free Map It Vilas County trails app, which lets users find trails by activity, amenities, and more, and can also be used as a navigational aid (even without a cell signal).
