County Highways now open to year-round ATV/UTV travel

Last week, it was announced that all county highways in Vilas County, with the exception of Lac du Flambeau, are open to year-round all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility task vehicles (UTVs).

At the Jan. 28 Vilas County Board of Supervisors meeting, before a contentious crowd who came out to voice support or opposition to the ordinance amendment, a resolution was brought forward and passed in a 10-9 vote to open all county highways for year-round travel.

Open county highways include highways A, B, C, E, G, H (only in the Town of Boulder Junction), J, K, M, N, O, P, S and W. However, highways numbered 17, 32, 45, 47, 51, 70 and State Highway 155 are not open to ATV/UTV travel.

To help remember these differences, the Vilas County Forestry, Recreation and Land Department explained that a simple way to remember this rule is that lettered roads are legal while numbered roads, with some exceptions, are illegal to travel on with an ATV or UTV. The exceptions are State Highway 17 in Phelps from County Highway E to Deerskin Road, State Highway 70 in St. Germain from State Highway 155 to Parkway Drive, State Highway 155 in St. Germain from State Highway 70 to Birchwood Drive, and State Highway 155 in Plum Lake, from County Highway N to Plum Lake Drive.

The department also wishes for the public to note that not all town roads are open to ATV/UTV travel, and that individuals should check with local towns or ATV clubs in that area for more information.

The department reminds riders to obey all traffic laws when traveling on these county highways, which includes staying to the right and traveling in the direction of traffic, staying on paved portions of these roads, riding single-file, and remembering that the speed limit for ATV/UTVs is 35 MPH.

For additional safety, riders are advised to have headlights on after dark and to dim headlights when traffic approaches from the opposite direction, and not to use off-road lights when on road routes.

For more information, contact Parks and Recreation Supervisor Todd Bierman at 715-479-5160.