Wisconsin's Black River begins in the northern part of the state near the town of Chelsea and flows nearly 200 miles before emptying into the Mississippi River. Halfway down its length, the town of Black River Falls sits in the heart of an area known as Wisconsin's Black River Country. The area is a recreational paradise for all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts, offering a trail system through county and state forests as well as convenient ATV access routes, loading and unloading ramps, and campgrounds along the trail system.

Black River State Forest

More than 150 miles of ATV-suitable trails wind through the Black River State Forest (dnr.wi.gov). The trail system connects to Jackson County's trail system in several locations. There are no boundary markers, so you will need to use your map-reading skills or make sure you are in compliance with Jackson County's more stringent ATV regulations. Additional trails connect to Clark County's trail system, giving you easy access to county campgrounds, fuel, lodging and restaurants. The open seasons for the ATV trail systems in the two counties and state forest overlap but don't always coincide so be sure you know which forest you are riding in during closure dates. The forest has three campgrounds, but ATVs must be kept on trailers in the parking lots.

Clark County Trails

Ride over more than 135 miles of trail in Clark County's 133,000-acres of forest. The trails open for the spring to autumn season on May 1 after trails have hardened following the spring melt. Enjoy summer picnics and autumn leaves as late as Oct. 31. Then the trails close until Dec. 15 when freezing temperatures have hardened the ground. Additional miles of multi-use trail shared by snowmobiles and cross-country skiers open at this time. The county has five campgrounds accessible by ATVs, including Wild Rock Park and Campground and Rock Dam Park and Campground (wi-clarkcounty.civicplus.com). Loading and unloading ramps are available at ATV parking lots.

Jackson County Trails

Enjoy sandy rolling hills on more than 100 miles of ATV trails in Jackson County Forest, which abuts the Black River State Forest. You can enjoy riding the Ott Memorial Trail, which slices through the Black River State Forest en route to Crawford Hills County Park, or the Oak Ridge and Bell Mound trails. ATV connector routes in Black River Falls, Millston and Pray allow you to access the trail system directly from your accommodations without having to load your ATV on a trailer to transport it to the trails. The connector routes provide access to fuel, food and lodging when you are out on the trails. Jackson County ATV trails are open May 15 through Oct. 15 and Dec. 15 through March 15. Two county parks have campsites designated for ATVs. East Arbutus County Park (co.jackson.wi.us) has 187 total campsites, of which 38 are ATV sites and 26 of those have electricity. The park includes showers, a swimming beach, boat launch, picnic and play areas. Crawford Hills County Park's (co.jackson.wi.us) 25 rustic campsites have water, pit toilets and a loading ramp.

UTVs

Utility terrain vehicles, also known as side-by-side ATVs, are allowed to travel on ATV trails throughout Wisconsin provided they are properly registered with the state and the trail has not been restricted to prohibit UTV travel. UTVs are wider and heavier than ATVs and are more likely to cause trail damage. UTVs are limited to operating from May through October in Jackson County. UTV riders must follow the same rules as ATV riders, including registration, licensing and trail etiquette.

About the Author

Indulging her passion for vacation vagary through the written word on a full-time basis since 2010, travel funster Jodi Thornton-O'Connell guides readers to the unexpected, quirky, and awe-inspiring.

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