6 Must-Experience Wisconsin ATV Trails

Rev your engines, get your adrenaline pumping and see the woods of Wisconsin from an all-terrain vehicle. Wisconsin’s ATV and UTV trails offer spectacular views of natural scenery, matched only by the spectacular thrills you’ll experience whether you ride for a day or for a week. Go off-road in a side-by-side or four-wheeler by day, then explore plenty of lodging, dining and after-ride activities for your overnight excursions with your crew.

Ride, stay, play, eat and repeat. Wisconsin has everything an ATV and UTV lover could want or need. 

Chippewa County ATV Trail

Like challenging hills and valleys on your ride? Head for Chippewa County in Northwest Wisconsin. Massive retreating glaciers carved an ATV-lovers paradise here. The Chippewa County ATV Trail cuts through a scattered string of 33,000 acres of county forestland that makes for heart-pumping adventures. What this 19-plus-mile Wisconsin ATV trail lacks in length, it makes up for in grit. Steep climbs and dramatic drops make it a Wisconsin ATV trail favorite.

Places to Stay and Dine Near the Chippewa County ATV Trail:

• Pine Drive Cabins - Holcombe
• Mallard Resort - Chippewa Falls
• Loopy’s Grill & Saloon - Chippewa Falls
• Dylan’s Dairy - Cornell

Kewaunee County Riverview ATV Park

Just south of Door County, the Riverview ATV Park offers 20 miles of trails for riders of all abilities. When you're done riding for the day, this historic community on the shores of Lake Michigan offers plenty to see and do. Forty buildings here are on the National Historic Register and the community's maritime past can be explored at the Kewaunee Historical Society Museum in the original 1875 jail building.

Places to Stay and Dine Near the Riverview ATV Park:

• Coho Motel & Suites - Kewaunee
• Harbor Lights Lodge - Kewaunee
• Billy’s On Main - Luxemburg
• Waterfront Bar and Grill - Kewaunee

Cheese Country Trail System

ATV through the Driftless Area of Wisconsin on the Cheese Country Trail System, which rises and falls rhythmically through Iowa, Lafayette and Green counties. Though much of Wisconsin was flattened by massive glaciers during the Ice Age, this region escaped that grinding action and remains a ripple of breathtaking ridges and valleys. Built on an abandoned railroad line, this Wisconsin ATV trail extends south and east for 47 miles and includes a 440-foot trestle that spans the Pecatonica River. When you've worked up an appetite, menus in this neck of the woods feature an abundance of cheese-filled dishes.

Places to Stay and Dine Near the Cheese Country Trail System:

• Gasthaus Motel - Monroe
• Pecatonica River Trails Park - Darlington
• Cruise Inn Bar & Grill - Mineral Point
• Luna Maya - Monroe

Iron County ATV Trails

Several clubs and local government officials have partnered to create an impressive 250-mile network of ATV trails in Iron County, with riders even welcome to share trails with snowmobilers in the winter. Riders will see gorgeous Northwoods nature scenes, lakes and even waterfalls. The trail system is so well-developed that you can visit nearly every major town in the county on an ATV, with plenty of opportunities along the way for food, gas and lodging.

Places to Stay and Dine Near the Iron County ATV Trails:

• Silver Street Motel - Hurley
• Dawghouse - Hurley
• Dawn's Never In - Hurley

Washburn County ATV Scenic Tour

More than 100 miles of trails and 35 points of interest await Wisconsin ATV riders in Washburn County. Here, you don’t have to wonder what river you’re crossing or what the massive fish posted on the trail represents–the signs will explain everything. The Washburn County ATV Scenic Tour takes the mystery out of history, informing riders of notable homesteads, landscape features and many other fun facts to know and tell.

Places to Stay and Dine Near the Washburn County ATV Trails:

• Wild River Trail Inn - Minong
• Birchwood Motel - Birchwood
• Tony's Riverside - Spooner
• Spider Lake Saloon - Birchwood

Tuscobia State Trail 

The 70+ miles of Tuscobia’s ATV trails are a can’t-miss for riders. It's one of the longest rails-to-trails routes in the state, taking you through Wisconsin’s scenic Blue Hills. Picture tree-lined corridors with bald eagles soaring overhead and water views crossing multiple rivers. The entire route runs from Park Falls, passes through the Flambeau River State Forest, then through southern Sawyer County with several communities along the way, ending in Birchwood. A couple of campsites make perfect stopovers for swapping stories under the stars and a good night’s rest.

Places to Stay and Dine Near the Tuscobia Trail:

• Oxbow Resort - Park Falls
• Smith Lake County Park & Campground - Park Falls
• Ojibwa Park Campsites - Ojibwa
• Bottom’s Up Sports Bar & Grill - Winter

Just make sure to check trail conditions before you head out, because they can and do change quickly. For information on ATV and UTV registration, trail maps and trail systems by county, trail passes and other helpful ATV / UTV riding resources, visit the Wisconsin ATV/UTV Association (WATVA) website.

For even more ATV and UTV trails check out our directory. Or if you're looking to get started, here's our beginner's guide to riding all-terrain vehicles in Wisconsin.