Vilas County ATV/OHV Trails

The Black River State Forest and Jackson County Forest ATV Trail System comprises one of the largest connected OHV networks in Wisconsin — 100+ miles of trail through the Black River State Forest and Jackson County Forest in Jackson County, with an additional 135 miles of designated routes in adjacent Clark County accessible from the same system without a trailer move. The Jackson County network alone includes 92 miles of ATV and UTV trail and 31 miles of dedicated single-track motorcycle trail served by eight trailhead parking areas distributed across the county. The terrain reflects the geography of the Black River lowlands: rolling sandy-oak barrens on upland terraces, floodplain forest along the Black River and its tributaries, and some of the most productive grouse and turkey habitat in western Wisconsin. Sandy-loam soil means the trail drains quickly after rain and stays rideable longer into autumn than clay-heavy systems. Trail character spans easy-to-intermediate loops through open pine plantation to more technical wooded routes. Services in the communities of Millston, Pray, and Black River Falls support multi-day visitors; overnight camping is available at Crawford Hills County Campground within the trail system. A Wisconsin non-resident ATV/UTV trail pass and Wisconsin ATV registration sticker are required for out-of-state machines; annual passes are available online and at Black River Falls area vendors. The I-90/94 corridor passes through Black River Falls, making this one of the most highway-accessible major OHV systems in Wisconsin for riders from Minneapolis, Madison, and Chicago.

Dead Horse Run is a 63-mile ATV and UTV trail system threading through Sawyer and Ashland counties in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, running between the communities of Loretta and Clam Lake in the heart of Wisconsin's Northwoods — approximately 30 miles east of Hayward and 40 miles south of Ashland. The trail earns its name from the rugged logging-era history of this country, and the route's character reflects the original terrain: most of the system follows corridors about 14 feet wide with hard-packed, moderately rolling surfaces through a classic northern hardwood and mixed-conifer canopy of maple, oak, aspen, and birch. The cross-county routing connects two distinct communities and riding cultures, passing through habitat that supports whitetail deer, black bear, grouse, and eagles. Camp Loretta at the northern terminus serves as the primary staging area for trailered rigs, with parking large enough to accommodate multi-rig groups. The system connects to the Tuscobia State Trail to the south and the Flambeau River State Forest trail to the west, extending the rideable network beyond the 63-mile core. ATVs and UTVs up to 50 inches wide are the primary permitted class; check current width restrictions before visiting as they are periodically updated. A Wisconsin non-resident ATV/UTV trail pass is required; annual and short-term passes are available online. Primitive camping is available on national forest lands adjacent to the trail.

The Flambeau Motorized Trail System covers more than 70 miles of multi-use motorized trail in the Medford-Park Falls Ranger District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Price County, Wisconsin — roughly 40 miles west of Rhinelander and 30 miles north of Medford. The trail is one of the most historically layered OHV routes in the upper Midwest: the corridor passes the Smith Rapids Covered Bridge spanning the South Fork of the Flambeau River — one of a handful of surviving wooden covered bridges in Wisconsin — and the Round Lake Logging Dam, a preserved relic of the 19th-century river-drive logging era that shaped this entire landscape. Beyond the historic character, the trail delivers consistent north-woods riding through maple, birch, aspen, and conifer forest on rolling terrain with wooden bridges over wetland crossings and occasional lake and bog overlooks. ATVs and UTVs up to 65 inches wide, off-road motorcycles, mountain bikes, and equestrian users all share the corridor — a true multi-use system with designated motor and non-motor sections on certain segments. Trail surfaces are hard-packed gravel and packed earth with seasonal soft spots after rain. A $5 day-use fee applies at developed trailheads; a Wisconsin non-resident trail pass is required. Primitive camping is available throughout the surrounding national forest. The Flambeau Hills State Forest trail system connects at the southern end, extending the rideable network significantly for riders based at the Park Falls or Phillips area trailheads.

Langlade County's ATV and OHV trail system is one of Wisconsin's most extensive county-managed motorized trail networks — covering more than 200 miles of designated ATV routes through the county forests, state forest connections, and township road corridors that define this north-central Wisconsin landscape centered on the city of Antigo. Langlade County sits on the Northern Highland, the glacially sculpted upland that forms the backbone of Wisconsin's northernmost counties: the characteristic landscape of kettle lakes, eskers, and drumlins, mixed northern hardwood and boreal forest of sugar maple, yellow birch, aspen, and balsam fir, and the headwaters of the Wolf and Prairie rivers that drain the county's interior. The county trail network connects community to community across Langlade's 875 square miles, passing through the county forest land that covers a substantial portion of the county and linking the smaller communities of White Lake, Elcho, Bryant, and Polar into a rideable system accessible from multiple trailheads. The terrain is moderate in character — northern Wisconsin's glacial topography produces rolling hills and the occasional steeper moraine, but nothing approaching the technical difficulty of Rocky Mountain or Appalachian OHV. The primary appeal is the scale and connectivity of the network and the lake-country scenery that characterizes this corner of Wisconsin. ATVs and UTVs are permitted on designated county routes; width restrictions apply on some segments. Wisconsin non-resident ATV/UTV trail pass required. Langlade County Parks and Forestry (715-627-6300) maintains current trail status and publishes seasonal opening and closure dates. The Nicolet National Forest borders Langlade County to the east, and county trails connect into the national forest's motorized network for riders wanting extended-range itineraries.