Oneida/Vilas snowmobile season thrives with last two winters in rearview

The snowmobile seasons in Oneida and Vilas counties shined this winter season, the first in three years the Northwoods had an adequate amount of snow to support heavy influxes of snowmobilers.

Oneida County forestry department announced March 23 its state- and club-funded trails would close on March 24 at 8 a.m. Vilas County forestry, recreation and land department announced on March 25 a partial closure of state- and club-funded trails would take effect on March 26 at a.m.

Oneida County assistant forest director and snowmobile coordinator Eric Rady told The Lakeland Times he felt it was a solid season for trail riding. 

“When you compare it to the last couple years prior … two seasons ago we didn’t even open,” he said. “That was utterly painful. And then last season, again, another very painful snow season.”

Basically, Rady said, Oneida County snowmobile trails were opened for triple the amount of time trails were opened the previous two years combined.

“So last year, technically we were opened up twice because we (closed and) reopened and were only opened for four days the second time, so it was a total of 24 days last year, and this year, technically, we got 86 days … open,” he said. “So when you compare 86 to 0 two years ago and then 24 from last year, (this year) was pretty amazing. But now, when you compare it to the overall scheme … say the last 20 years … it’s very average as far as days open goes.”

Rady said there were six of the last 20 years where trails were opened for 100 days or more. 

He said it was “huge” for the trails to get opened before Christmas and New Years. 

“There’s a lot of people that come up from down south,” Rady said. “That’s a real big thing … big tourism dollars and things like that. So that’s really nice.”

Speaking a little bit about trail conditions, he said the base of the trails wasn’t as thick as years past. 

“Because it would snow, but then … many times, too, the following weekend it was raining basically,” Rady said. “So a lot of that rain … made that initial base harder and thicker, but it was still a very thin base overall.”

Regardless, he said he was thankful for the season the area was able to have. 

“It’s kind of like if you look back at about the last 20 years, it’s a fairly average season, but when you compare it to the last few years, it was an outstanding season,” Rady said. 

He said there weren’t many complaints this year either. 

Vilas County parks and recreation supervisor Todd Bierman, as of March 24, said there’s been discussion about closing snowmobile trails, but no decision has been made. 

The clubs in the county, he said, will make that decision. 

“It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it’s hard to say,” Bierman said to the Times on March 24. “This time of year it’s hard to get a hold of everyone.”

The March 25 announcement highlighted that “most trails” have “many areas showing bare ground and pavement.”

Trail systems said to close on March 25 included: Arbor Vitae, Conover, Eagle River, Lac du Flambeau, Manitowish Waters, Phelps and St. Germain. 

“The only systems to remain open are the Boulder Junction trail system, Land O’ Lakes trail system, Presque Isle trail system and Sayner trail system,” the announcement said.

Besides the county’s pending full trail closure, Bierman said, like Rady, this season has been “great.”

“Almost a miracle season that we needed,” he added. 

Bierman said trail conditions held up all winter. 

“The mild weather we had early on and that wet snow made a great trail base that lasted all year, and that’s what you hoped for every year and this year we got it,” he said. 

There weren’t many complaints this year in Vilas County either, Bierman said. 

The complaints he said he did receive were more with regard to children doing things they shouldn’t have been doing on snowmobiles or people ditch-banging alongside roads.

Apart from those complaints, most riders stayed on the trails, Bierman said. 

“You’re going to have certain people that are always going to complain about something and if the snowmobiles on their road and it’s not supposed to be, they’re going to be upset about it and they’re going to call in a complaint,” he said. 

Bierman noted it was a safe season for snowmobile riders too. 

“We didn’t have any fatalities in Vilas this year, which is great,” he said. 

There was one snowmobile related fatality so far this year in Oneida County on Jan. 17 in Minocqua and two in Iron County, one in Oma on Jan. 16 and another in Sherman on Jan. 27, according to a 2026 snowmobile fatal crash summary report by the Department of Natural Resources on Feb. 26. 

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].