Where can I ride my ATV or UTV in Hayward or Sawyer County over Winter?
- You can ride your ATV/UTV in Sawyer County over winter-with a few exceptions.
- Some trails close to UTV use once snowmobile grooming begins
- ATVs are allowed on ATV trails even during snowmobile grooming
- ATV Road routes are open to get riders to open trails, frozen lakes, and businesses
- Read the rest of this page for a deeper dive!
Status as of 5/16/25: I won’t be reporting on winter use until winter hits again! As of now, all trails in Sawyer Co, and road routes, are open for use, other than Trail 31 north of the Tuscobia in Birchwood opens for use Memorial Day weekend.
Winter ATV/UTV Riding in Sawyer County – Overview
Yes! Sawyer County does offer some great winter ATV and UTV trail riding for year-round enthusiasts! Other than the seasonal trail closures listed below, and UTV restrictions on county land once snowmobile grooming starts- there are plenty of off-road trails to ride, roads to get there, and welcoming businesses by trail, road, or frozen water, to visit!
Poor snowmobile seasons over the last two winters have extended trail riding opportunities for UTVers deep into winter- and who knows what will happen in the future, so be sure to check back often for updates!
Come and Ride in Sawyer County but pay attention to these exceptions and tips:
- Several trails are subject to regular seasonal trail closures (see below)
- You can ride all trails that you could ride during summer/fall until snowmobile grooming begins (except seasonal closures).
- Once snowmobile grooming begins, UTVs or side-by-sides, are not allowed on Sawyer County Forestry trails (dark green areas on Alliance map, trails in Seeley Hills are in the County Forest)
- CALL or CONFIRM UTV trail status- before you drive here for your winter UTV adventure, as snow grooming can begin suddenly.
- Lodging and ATV Access- make sure your lodging choice has the ATV/UTV access you need based on what trails are open and verify that you will be on a legal route if you wish to ride right from your lodging.
- ATVs 900lbs and under, can ride our ATV trails during winter, even when snowmobile grooming is going on.
- Only ride ATV trails that are shown on our Alliance map- you cannot ride on ‘snowmobile only’ trails.
- It’s common courtesy to NOT ride immediately on the staked lake snowmobile trails, especially during warmer weather/slushy conditions.
Here is where you can ride UTVs in Sawyer County after snowmobile grooming begins:
- The Tuscobia Trail and 9-mile loop (Trails 10 & 11)
- Forest roads that are marked on the Alliance map for ATV/UTV use
- LCO trails (pink on our Alliance map), but LCO doesn’t have a clear winter-use policy, so permission to ride LCO trails can change suddenly and without warning or notice.
- Chequamegon Forest trails (light green on our Alliance map).
- All approved ATV road routes- which can get you to almost all destinations, and to most lakes if you choose to ride on frozen water.
SAWYER COUNTY ALLIANCE ATV MAP
Information current as of March 3, 2025
Seasonal ATV Trail Closures in Sawyer County (these are shown on our Alliance map)
Tuscobia Trail (#10): Closed in Sawyer County from Nov-15 to Dec-15. After that, the Tuscobia opens to both ATV/UTV use all winter. Please note that in Price County, the Tuscobia Trail is closed from Nov-15 to Apr-15 each year.
Flambeau River State Forest trails (#1, #25, #36): Closed to ATV/UTV used from Nov-15 to May-15. Flambeau Forest is located in the SE corner of Sawyer County, and is orange colored on our Alliance ATV map.
Trail 21/Route 203 Combo: This trail and route combo heading north from Moose Lake to the Namekagon area is closed from Oct 23 to May 1 each year. The portion of County Hwy S that closes with this route/trail combo is located only in the Spider Lake Township– for just a short distance immediately south of Hwy 77 (approx. 1/2 mile) – the rest of County Hwy S is open to year-round ATV/UTV traffic.
Trail 31 North of Tuscobia Trail (#10) in Birchwood area: This trail closes on the third Sunday of October to Memorial Day weekend each year.
Late winter ATV/UTV riders – be aware of Annual spring thaw trail closure dates:
standard Spring thaw trail closures in Sawyer County
- County Forest (dark green on Alliance map): closed April 1 to May 15
- Chequamegon Forest (light green on Alliance map): closed March 15- May 1
- Flambeau River State Forest (light orange on Alliance map): closed entire winter to ATV/UTV use- November 15 to May 15
- LCO Trails: no known policy to address spring thaw
- These dates can change due to weather and trail conditions – watch for updates.
Where can I find more info on Winter ATV and UTV Use?
Feel free to call or text me (texting might work best) if you have questions:
Cathy 715-558-8966, or email at cathy@sawyercountytrails.com
The Driving Force website is dedicated to providing updated info on both this page, and new posts in our Driving Force Article Library when information on Winter ATV/UTV use changes. I hope you will stop back here often!
Updates and news will be posted on The Driving Force Facebook page.
Check out our Sawyer County Snowmobile & ATV Alliance Facebook page. This is where we (Alliance) will first post critical news/updates.
Hayward Lakes Visitors & Convention Bureau, downtown Hayward, has a lot of information for ATV riders, maps, and they keep updated on motorized sports use in Sawyer County.
Here is a printable Winter Use ATV/UTV flyer: