State adds 42 miles of on-road UTV/ATV trail routes with dealership assist

alarsonJune 11, 2019

Wood County officially announced the opening of 42 miles of on-road routes and 7 miles of off-road trails for UTV/ATV use at a recent ribbon cutting ceremony in Nekoosa, Wisconsin.

“With UTV registrations approaching the 400,000 range nationally, it’s important that cities and townships accommodate for the growing trend,” said Randy Harden, Wisconsin ATV Association President. “These machines don’t make good lawn ornaments. People want somewhere to ride them and enjoy the beautiful scenery that you have in Central Wisconsin. These trails and routes are an asset and it shows great foresight from your county, townships and cities.”

Staff from Wood County cut a ribbon to officially open over 50 miles of new Wood County UTV/ATV trails and routes

The new routes are a welcome change as UTV (utility terrain vehicle) use continues to grow in central and northern Wisconsin.

“We’ve seen a steady increase in demand for our UTV lines over the last five years and this year, UTV sales surpassed motorcycles nationally,” says Josh Witt, co-owner of Power Pac. “The vehicles give access to scenic, remote locations and are just plain fun and easy to drive. The opening of more roads and trails for UTV and ATV use is a positive thing for everyone.”

Randy Harden, president of the Wisconsin ATV Association, addressed the crowd at the ribbon cutting ceremony at Ho-Chunk Gaming in Nekoosa.

The new trails and routes connect to other existing routes and mainline trails in other adjacent counties, which will bring new traffic and visitors through the area, boosting the local economy.

“Like snowmobiling, the new routes and trails will give folks an excuse to visit these areas and experience the local restaurants, bars and shopping,” said Mandy Witt, co-owner and CMO, Power Pac. “Some folks don’t realize the value of what catering to this type of tourism will do for the surrounding communities. We applaud Wood County for seeing this vision and working to continue its growth.”

Wood County, local chambers and organizations and Power Pac celebrated the opening of the new trails at a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday at Ho Chunk Casino. Power Pac of Marshfield provided demo UTVs for attendees to use to help folks experience the local trails first hand.

“We wanted to celebrate what these new routes and trails will mean for the county,” said Jason Grueneberg, director of Planning and Zoning, Wood County. “Wood County has a lot to offer folks in terms of outdoor recreation and we want to highlight that and the local businesses that help fuel this trend. Partnering with businesses like Power Pac who see the value of growth and strategic planning like this is a win-win. We need to work with multiple entities and groups to continue to show the value and open more routes each year.”