Up-to-date trail conditions for Washburn County including ATV, Snowmobiling, skiing, biking & more. The team at Washburn County Tourism Association update trail conditions from local reports multiple times a week to provide you the best possible information. Trails maps & other information can be found on trail listings online. See you on the trail!
Snowmobile Trails:
Effective 2/19/2026 - With the recent rain and lack of snow to follow, all Washburn County Trails will be Closed Effective Immediately, except for the Wild River Trail (Trail 35) and the Shell Lake Grade (Trail 39S). This closure will include Snowmobiles, ATVs and UTVs and will remain closed until further notice.
Please be advised that ice conditions continue to vary and traveling on any lake is never 100% safe. Washburn County Forestry does not maintain anything past the high ground point. Please use caution if you are out on any lake.
Winter ATV Use:
As a rule, all official Washburn County ATV trails are considered open to year round use unless otherwise noted, with the exception of the spring closure from April 1 through the first Friday before Memorial Weekend. Most snowmobile trails, on Washburn County Forest lands, are open for motor vehicle use under 900 pounds from December 1 through April 1. This means that ATV's are permitted on snowmobile trails that are not on private lands, during the winter months. UTV's are allowed on these same trails ONLY during non-groomed conditions. The Washburn County portion of the Wild Rivers Trail and the rail grade to Shell Lake are open for UTV use during snow groomed conditions; These are the only trails open to UTV use once trail grooming is commenced. Please note that the April 1 closure is flexible; Trails may close earlier depending on conditions. Land use agreements with private landowners for snowmobile trails do not permit the use of ATV's at any time of the year.
Winter Fat Bike Trails:
Spooner City Park: Trails have been groomed and are ready for use. Enjoy the trails in the evening with a portion of lit trails, check out the map to start planning! View Trail Map
Nordic Woods: Grooming operations have halted and will not continue until sufficient snow accumulations have been reached again. Current packed snow base is currently unknown due to the recent warm weather and rainfall we have received. Trails will remain open at this time but will not be groomed until further notice. If you do venture out please be aware that trail conditions will most likely be less than ideal, so please use caution.
Totogatic Trails: Grooming operations have halted and will not continue until sufficient snow accumulations have been reached again. Current packed snow base is currently unknown due to the recent warm weather and rainfall we have received. Trails will remain open at this time but will not be groomed until further notice. If you do venture out please be aware that trail conditions will most likely be less than ideal, so please use caution. The farther Loop, Loop C past the Adirondack Shelter, has not been groomed for this season. This section crosses a swamp and with the first Snowfall of the year back in November, the swamp did not have time to freeze. This left us no choice but to not groom it this year as we are unable to get our groomer across the swamp section. Please see Map on County Webpage under the Recreation Tab. .. View Trail Map
Hunt Hill Nature Center:2/19/2026 - All trails have between six inches and one foot of slushy snow on them. Snowshoes and walking sticks are highly recommended to walk steadily on deep snowy trails. Vole Trail and low sections of Bear Trail have deep puddles from rain and snow melt. Snowshoes are available to borrow free of charge while hiking the trails at Hunt Hill. Snowshoes are located on a rack behind the kiosk to the right of the office. A variety of sizes from youth to adult sizes are available. Please return the snowshoes to the back of the kiosk when you are finished. The Discovery Trail (Barred Owl Trail) is a family-friendly trail where you can play a game to try to spot all of the hidden items on the trail. Each month, we have a new theme and hide 10-20 items along the trail. Can you spot them all? February's Theme is hearts! View Trail Map
Spooner City Park:Trails are open for snowshoeing, please don't use snowshoes on the groomed ski trails. Check out the map to start planning! View Trail Map
Trego Nature Trail: Trails are maintained by the National Park Service and open for visitor use during daylight hours. A simple down and back trail along the Namekagon River. View Trail Map
