Eagle River Snowmobile Trails Guide

Short answer: Eagle River is in Vilas County, Wisconsin, in the Northwoods. The county tourism site calls it the Snowmobile Capital of the World and says its Sno-Eagles Snowmobile Club grooms more than 100 miles of trails around town. Vilas County as a whole lists more than 500 miles of snowmobile trails, and the trails connect all 12 of its communities. You ride groomed trails that are mostly run by volunteer clubs.

What you need: a registered snowmobile and a Wisconsin snowmobile trail pass on the windshield. The Wisconsin DNR lists three fees: $10 for a Wisconsin-registered sled owned by a member of an AWSC-affiliated club, $30 for a Wisconsin-registered sled otherwise, and $50 for a sled registered in another state or country. Passes are valid for one season and expire June 30.

When: the sources we read give no fixed opening date. The Vilas County trail system closed at midnight on March 31, 2026 last season, according to the Eagle River chamber trail page. Opening and closing depend on snow, so check trail status before you load the trailer.

Lakes: some trails cross lakes. Ice is not checked for you. No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Where Eagle River is

Eagle River is the county seat of Vilas County, per Vilas County tourism. The county sits in northern Wisconsin along the Michigan border. Vilas County lists 1,300 or more lakes and more than 240,000 acres of public land.

From Eagle River, the county's day trip guide says you can ride Trail #17 to Phelps, Corridor #13 to Conover, or Trail #7/70 west to St. Germain. It also says you can ride into Oneida County to the south or Forest County to the east. The same guide describes a round trip from Phelps to Three Lakes and back north through Eagle River and Conover, and a 100-mile loop from Phelps through Iron River and Watersmeet in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Land O' Lakes.

Trail system size

The numbers below come from tourism and club pages. Treat them as the sources' own claims.

The chamber also describes the Eagle River "500" as over 500 miles of the best groomed trails. That is the chamber's own wording, not a measured figure.

Who grooms the trails

Volunteer clubs do. The WI DNR says clubs talk to landowners to get permission to cross private property, brush and clear trails, put up signs in the fall, take them down in the spring, and spend many hours grooming. Snowmobile trail aid grants, which reimburse the clubs for some expenses, are funded by snowmobile registrations, trail pass revenue and some gas tax.

The Eagle River chamber lists the 11 Vilas County Snowmobile Alliance clubs, including the Eagle River Sno-Eagles, Conover Sno-Buddies, Phelps Snowmobile Club, Land O' Lakes Frosty Club and St. Germain Bo-Boen. You can join Sno-Eagles through the chamber's trail conditions page.

Wisconsin trail pass

Source: WI DNR, Snowmobile Trail Pass page.

1. $10: Wisconsin-registered snowmobile, owner is a member of a Wisconsin club affiliated with and recognized by AWSC. Order through the AWSC website.
2. $30: Wisconsin-registered snowmobile, owner is not an AWSC club member. Order at GoWild.WI.gov or any DNR sales agent.
3. $50: snowmobile registered in or being registered in another state, province or country. Order at GoWild.WI.gov or a sales agent.

Passes are shipped by U.S. Mail and are affixed to the windshield. A temporary trail use receipt is issued when you order, and it lets you ride until the pass arrives. The DNR says to allow up to 21 days for delivery. Fees are non-refundable.

The DNR lists exemptions. One is riding exclusively on private property, on a route, or on frozen water that is not a marked trail or corridor. Even then, the sled must still be registered. Fees can change, so read the DNR page before you buy.

Trail status resources

• Eagle River Area Chamber of Commerce trail conditions page (eagleriver.org/trailconditions). It lists Vilas County trails with last groomed date, snow depth and notes. The Sno-Eagles trail conditions phone line shown on the chamber site is 715-479-5185.
• Groomer Tracking Systems (GTS). The chamber says it shows trails groomed in the last 24, 48 and 96 hours. The GTS app is linked from the chamber page.
• Vilas County Snow Report (vilaswi.com/reports/winter). It links to snowmobile trail pages for each community and to the free Map It Vilas County trails app.
• Emergency numbers. The chamber says the Map It app includes the brown 3-digit emergency numbers posted on trails. Call 911 and give that number.

The chamber page posts a trail alert at the top for closures. Read it first.

Lake crossings and ice danger on trails

Some Vilas County trails cross lakes. The county clubs page says Conover trails cross North and South Twin Lakes, Buckabaton Lake and Twin Lake "when conditions are safe," and that Lac du Flambeau trails cross Fence Lake and Squirrel Lake "conditions permitting."

On the Eagle River chamber conditions table, Catfish Lake and Eagle Lake are listed as "lake trails not maintained by club." Read that plainly. If a lake trail is not maintained by a club, no one may be checking the ice for you.

The WI DNR says there is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice. It says you cannot judge ice by one factor such as appearance, age, thickness, temperature or snow cover. It also says ice strength can vary in different areas of the same body of water. The DNR does not monitor local ice conditions or thickness.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Thickness reference

The WI DNR page gives no thickness chart. The figures below are the Minnesota DNR guidelines for new, clear ice only. They are a reference, not a Wisconsin rule.

• Under 4 inches: stay off.
• 4 inches: on foot.
• 5 to 7 inches: snowmobile or small ATV.

Minnesota DNR says to double those numbers for white ice, which is formed when snow melts and refreezes on lake ice and is about half as strong. It also says ice can be two feet thick in one place and one inch thick a few yards away.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Safety on the trail

1. Wear a helmet and ride sober. The WI DNR says so on its regulations page.
2. Take a snowmobile safety course. The DNR runs a safety class program.
3. Stay on marked trail. Much of the Wisconsin system crosses private land by landowner permission, per the DNR.
4. Do not travel in areas you do not know, at night, or in reduced visibility (WI DNR ice safety).
5. Avoid inlets, outlets and narrows, where current can thin ice (WI DNR).
6. Carry ice claws or picks, a cellphone in a waterproof bag, a life jacket and a rope (WI DNR).
7. If you break through, do not take off your winter clothing. The DNR says heavy clothes can trap air and help with warmth and flotation. Go back the way you came, get your arms on unbroken ice, kick and dig in, then lie flat and roll away from the hole.
8. Tell someone your route and return time. Do not go alone.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

FAQ

Where are the Eagle River snowmobile trails?

In and around Eagle River, the county seat of Vilas County in northern Wisconsin. Sno-Eagles grooms more than 100 miles near town, and the trails connect to Phelps, Conover, St. Germain and beyond.

Do I need a trail pass to ride in Wisconsin?

The Eagle River chamber lists the trail fee as required on Sno-Eagles trails. The WI DNR sells passes at $10 (AWSC club member), $30 (standard) and $50 (out of state), with listed exemptions. Check the DNR page for the current fee.

How do I check Eagle River trail conditions?

Use the Eagle River chamber trail conditions page, the Groomer Tracking Systems map or app, and the Vilas County snow report. Local clubs post closures and last groomed dates.

When does the season run?

We found no fixed official dates. Last season Vilas County posted that its trail system would close at midnight on March 31, 2026. Open dates depend on snow and trail status.

Is it safe to cross lakes on the trails?

Not automatically. Some lake trails are not maintained by a club, and the DNR says no ice is 100 percent safe. Check the ice yourself, and use the Minnesota DNR figures above only as a reference.