Trail Conditions: Closed
Snow Cover: 4-5"
Date of Report: December 14, 2025
Area Report:
The Thanksgiving storm brought us a good amount of snow, but also cursed us with a significant amount of downed trees to deal with. Just like all the clubs in our area, we are so thankful for the dozens of volunteers that stepped up and helped clear the trails again. As of today, the Barnstormer trails are 95% clear.
We had our system inspected yesterday & passed! The rest of the Vilas county clubs have either had their inspections already, or have them scheduled for this upcoming week.
When do the trails open? The county alliance is meeting on Wednesday this week to discuss this. Pay attention to “Sayner Barnstormers Snowmobile Club” on Facebook for potential announcements on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
There have been numerous posts & comments on Facebook regarding the lakes. Let’s be very clear about a few things.
1. The clubs ARE NOT responsible for checking lakes and putting out markers! Lake crossings ARE NOT part of the official trail system!
2. It is local businesses that take care of marking the lakes.
3. The decision to open trails has NOTHING to do with whether the lakes are safe to cross or not.
4. Nobody should cross lakes until they are marked!
Mark your calendars for these upcoming Barnstormer events:
Wednesday, December 31 – Breakfast at Sayner Pub from 9:00 – Noon. Blessing of the sleds at 12:30 under the arch.
Saturday, January 10 – Brats on the trail at TIN #217 from 10:00 – 4:00.
Saturday, January 17 – Breakfast at Stillwaters from 8:00 – 11:00.
Saturday, February 7 – Chili dump at The Murm from 2:00 – 5:00.
Sunday, February 15 – Pizza fundraiser at Hillside Tavern from 4:00 – 8:00.
Saturday, March 14 – Drawing for Snowmobile Raffle at Sayner Pub at 5:00!
Snowmobiling Information
The Sayner Barnstormers are proud groomers of the Sayner – Star Lake Wisconsin area snowmobile trails. Our club was founded back on November 26, 1969, with 27 charter members. The Barnstormers trails stretch all the way from Hwy 70, just east of Arbor Vitae, all the way up to Old Hwy B, just west of Land O Lakes. We groom these trails with three tractors each equipped with 9-foot-6-inch grooming drags built by Sno*Boss of Eagle River and Arrowhead Groomers of St. Germain.
Snowmobiling was born here in the 1920s, when Carl Eliason, of Sayner, invented the first snowmobile in 1924 (he called it a snow machine initially). He took his first patent out on November 24, 1927. He has been featured in History Magazine, in the Modern Marvels section. You can still see some of the very first snowmobiles to ever be ridden in Sayner’s History Museum and at Eliason Lumber, both located on Hwy 155 in Sayner.
Our trails cover a variety of terrains including beautiful wooded trails, lake crossings, and some road routes. Over the years signage has improved tremendously, with the most recent addition of intersection numbers, making it easier for snowmobilers to figure out where they are. These intersection numbers were also created to assist snowmobilers and emergency crews to find each other in the unfortunate event of an accident.
Through the combined efforts of the Sayner Barnstormers and our great neighboring clubs, we feel that Vilas County has the best maintained and marked trails in the world. Our trails adjoin St Germain’s BoBoen Club, Arbor Vitae / Minocqua Cross Country Cruiser’s, Eagle River SnoEagle’s, Land O Lakes Frosty Club’s , and Boulder Junction’s trails. Other clubs in the county include the Conover Snow Buddies, Manitowish SnoSkeeters, Presque Isle SnoBunnies, Phelps, and Lac du Flambeau Northern Horseshoe.
See you on the trails and always, Please Ride Safe!!!