Trail Conditions: Early Season
Snow Cover: 3-5”
Date of Report: January 17, 2025
Area Report:
Went out Friday morning to see how the trails were doing. Some trails had enough snow to ride on, others were getting bare in the middle. Overall, I would rate them as Fair. I got home aound 11:30am and the temp was 37 degrees. The sun did peek out for a bit. The county roads have been plowed and sanded, so the roads are bare to the shoulder. Town roads still had some snow cover on them yet.
Most lakes are marked, stay near the barrels when crossing.
North Twin Lake is marked, but has a 3′ (Yes, 3 foot) ice heave in the middle of the lake. They found about a 40′ area to safely cross so you need to stay near the barrels, and SLOW down.
Lower Buckatabon Lake was marked. There is an ice heave closer to the Deer Path end of the lake. Stay near the barrels and slow down
Pioneer Lake is marked.
News and Reports:
Trail 12 from the RR grade TIN 732 to County K TIN 731 has ruts from ATVs. There isn’t enough snow to fill the ruts. We put signs at each end of the trail for Caution Next 1 mile and Rough Trail. Use caution when traveling this area.
The Cemetery Trail from TIN 724 to TIN 725, and south to TIN 727 at Church Rd is thin for snow cover. You will find a few bare spots, There is a hill between TIN 725 and TIN 726 at Lindberg Rd that was bare from sleds going up it. The swamp area did freeze up, so it is good to go.
The temps are going to drop all day on Saturday to negative numbers. If you are riding on Saturday thru Tuesday, dress for the cold temps. Temps rise on Wednesday to a high of 18 degrees.
Snowmobile Information:
To see where the groomer is at, download the Groomer Tracker app.
To see where you are at and get latest news about trails in Vilas County, download Map It Vilas County.
Snowmobiling Information
Discover the exhilaration of a winter wonderland! There are over 70 miles of groomed snowmobile trails in Conover alone, that link up to a network of over 500 miles of trails in Vilas County. 80 miles of X-country skiing trails abound in the Nicolet National Forest.
Anyone can easily travel North into the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, or head South to watch the World Championship Snowmobile Derby. We invite everyone to join us for what is nationally recognized as some of the finest snowmobiling in the Midwest !!!
If you are going snowmobiling for a fun-filled and exciting winter adventure, then make sure to mark Conover in Wisconsin as a must-stop location. It has more than 70 miles of well-groomed and maintained snowmobile trails. While you may think that it does not sound like a lot that is not the case. These trials link you up and give you access to the 500 miles of trails that you can find in Vilas County. And if you want a little skiing action as well Conover links you with the 80 miles of skiing trails that are located in the Nicolet National forest as well. While the snowmobiling options in Conover specifically are more than adequate themselves but the main selling point of planning a snowmobiling trip to Conover is the convenience and freedom that it is going to offer you. It is going to put you in the ideal location from where you can ride your snowmobile to hundreds of adjoining trials. It is the perfect intersection for some of the country’s best trails. If you want to you can head north towards the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where you can indulge in all the winter fun that your heart desires. You can go to Lake Superior; you can take a trip to the Eben Ice Caves or you can visit the breathtaking Keweenaw. It is all up to you. If you head down towards the south from Conover, you can see the World Championship Snowmobile Derby which is hosted in Eagle River. Conover is a great spot for a winter vacation if you want to keep your options open. There is also the Conover-Phelps Trail that you need to know about. It connects both these communities and makes for a stunning snowmobile trail in the winters. It passes through wetlands and woodlands making for a very scenic ride. Towards its west end, this trail leads you towards the Conover Community Park which means that you get to experience 3 water crossings just in the first half. If you follow this route to the end it takes you to Song Hill Lane. There are plans to expand this trail all the way along County Highway K towards the downtown of Phelps. When this trial is complete it will be a total of 11 miles in length. All in all, Conover is a great spot for a snowmobiling vacation not only because of the easy access it provides to adjoining towns and trials but also because it a rich land full of lakes, rivers, and forests. The variety of landscape that it has to offer makes for a memorable snowmobiling experience in the winters.