Happy Locals

Tourism is our thing.

ATV tourist riders gassing up machines at Kwik Trip in Hayward, WI

We want ATVers to come ride in Sawyer County!
We also want ATVers to help us keep our ATV routes open
SLOW down through neighborhoods – Happy locals = routes stay open
Don’t be the one who closes a hard-earned ATV route
Read the rest of this page for a deeper dive!

Sawyer County – Great place to visit and explore our beautiful off-road ATV trails!

Sawyer County, and its county seat Hayward, along with Birchwood, Winter, Stone Lake and all our other communities, depend on the revenue from a healthy tourism industry. Our businesses and economy rely on the money spent here by visitors seeking outdoor adventure through fishing and watersports, snowmobiling and ATVing, hunting, and silent sports activities.

Our local Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau , Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce, the Winter Chamber of Commerce, Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Alliance, along with other organizations, passionately promote our area as a top recreation destination in Wisconsin.

large group of ATV riders at night with all their lights on

Small group of UTV riders stopped on trail and smiling

Snowmobiling and ATVing brings in a substantial and sustaining revenue for our community. Snowmobile season is short and intense- business owners, although exhausted by the time late March hits, relish in the huge influx of income from this generous riding population.

ATVing has grown rapidly and has become the mainstay for many businesses, especially during the shoulder seasons here – during 2023, ATV activity generated an astounding 4.2 billion in revenue across Wisconsin! Visit the Wisconsin Office of Outdoor Recreation to read the 2023 economic impact report on ATVing.

The Down Side of vibrant tourism

Being a tourist destination doesn’t mean that the local, year-round population enjoys living in the midst of almost constant tourist activity. Locals endure increased traffic, long lines at the stores and gas stations, unwelcome behavior from exuberant vacation rental guests, excessive noise, and increased gas and grocery prices due to our tourism.

Most take it in stride and realize the importance of our visitors, others grumble a bit here and there, but a few look for the slightest transgressions from tourists, to complain heartily about. There are also some folks who just do not like motorized sports.

The balancing act

Don’t get me wrong – we want riders to come here, and we want riders to have a great riding experience- but we also want them to consider the people who live here and ride respectfully- if they don’t, we can lose valuable trails and ATV routes.

Our ATV trail systems are connected by road routes, many which go through residential neighborhoods. Folks along these roads, already tired of the constant ATV traffic, can reach the boiling point quickly when inconsiderate riders blow past their homes at breakneck speed, music just a’ blaring. We have some roads that are dangerously close to shut down because of this repeat activity.

Route closures can cut off convenient ATV access to large blocks of businesses and trail systems. These routes took us months and even years, many town/county meetings and negotiations, and hundreds of volunteer hours, to get open in the first place – and we want to keep them open!

Here is my ‘short list’ list of critical crap to knock off when riding here:

ATVers – SLOW DOWN in our neighborhoods! DO NOT rip through our neighborhood roads like you’re going to be late for something. Slow down, turn the music down, enjoy the view, smile and wave at the residents – speeding past homes is the #1 complaint.
Ride respectfully – Treat our trails and routes like it’s your own property. Take your spin outs, power turns, and shitties home, this isn’t the place for it!
County road routes – the ATV speed limit is the same as the traffic speed limit unless signed otherwise. If you are not comfortable, or your machine is not capable of, going the posted traffic speed- choose a different way to reach your destination. You are a hazard if you are slowly creeping along on a high-speed road.
Group road riding – spread out so other traffic can pass you!

So….the bottom line is – come here and have a great time riding! You will love our trails, and our welcoming business stops, but please, help keep our locals happy so we can all enjoy the hard-earned privilege of riding our trails and routes in the future!

See you on the trail, Cathy