Southern Wisconsin - Cheese Country Trail

Terminus

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All,

I just found out about this ATV trail recently. It is an ATV trail that goes 47 miles between Monroe and Mineral Springs, WI. It is only a few hours away from where I live and looks like it could be worth the trip. Also I don't have many dirt/trail options here in northern Illinois so even if it is pretty tame, it may still be worth it. My question is if any of you have ridden this trail and would it be fun on the S10? I also worry about over crowding with other ATV's. Another bonus is Monroe is not very far from the New Glarus brewery.....hmm maybe I answered my own question! ::003:: ::26::
 

Bryce

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Cant help you on the trail other than my Aunt lives very near one end in Mineral Point.

Drink a few for me. I had my dad bring me a few 12 packs of Spotted Cow last month.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 

Terminus

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Ahh yes, spotted cow. Great beer. I normally make a trip to the WI border a couple of times a year just to get some of the New Glarus beers. If you are ever there, their brewery is a great place to go. Their new brewery is on top of a hill and they have an outdoor beer garden that overlooks the valley below. Very cool.
 

WaltM

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I ride the roads up that way pretty often and they are good, so I have to image the ATV track would be good. I am not far south of the WI border.


Walt
 

holligl

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I was just looking at this trail this morning! I did watch a U-tube video and it looked like mostly ATVs, but I'm sure they would share it just fine. It does require a $15 sticker, and the DNR does pull folks over to check. It looked easy enough for the S10, the worst spots were some mud holes. I'd still like to get it in yet this fall. It would be a long day or even camp overnight. Instead today, I rode to Starved Rock and back. Gorgeous weather for Illinois mid-October.
 

Bryce

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holligl said:
I was just looking at this trail this morning! I did watch a U-tube video and it looked like mostly ATVs, but I'm sure they would share it just fine. It does require a $15 sticker, and the DNR does pull folks over to check. It looked easy enough for the S10, the worst spots were some mud holes. I'd still like to get it in yet this fall. It would be a long day or even camp overnight. Instead today, I rode to Starved Rock and back. Gorgeous weather for Illinois mid-October.
Oh ya, even Street Legal tagged/plated motorcycles need to register with the state and pay their fees to ride Off-Highway in Wi now.
New law that went into place at the beginning of the month. I'm not sure if they have out of state registration sorted out yet.

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ohm/

I'd say it's another tax grab and over reach of the State of Wisconsin, but the whole program was in conjunction with the Wisconsin Off-Highway Motorcycle Assn. http://www.wohma.com/
 

cheesewhiz

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VERY busy (Dusty) trail on the weekends.
Ridden it many times on the KLR...small sections of it on the S10.
Not a bad trail, fairly tame. It's an old railroad grade.
You will need a yearly pass from the local ATV club. $20 last time I bought one. Available at the local fuel stops along the way.
The S10 might be a bit too big for this type of trail. You'll certainly stand out!

Have fun!
 

Terminus

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Bryce said:
Oh ya, even Street Legal tagged/plated motorcycles need to register with the state and pay their fees to ride Off-Highway in Wi now.
New law that went into place at the beginning of the month. I'm not sure if they have out of state registration sorted out yet.

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ohm/

I'd say it's another tax grab and over reach of the State of Wisconsin, but the whole program was in conjunction with the Wisconsin Off-Highway Motorcycle Assn. http://www.wohma.com/
Wow, great to know! Thanks! Definitely sounds like a money grab initiative... That is like being taxed on your taxes. I will look into it more.
 

Terminus

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cheesewhiz said:
VERY busy (Dusty) trail on the weekends.
Ridden it many times on the KLR...small sections of it on the S10.
Not a bad trail, fairly tame. It's an old railroad grade.
You will need a yearly pass from the local ATV club. $20 last time I bought one. Available at the local fuel stops along the way.
The S10 might be a bit too big for this type of trail. You'll certainly stand out!

Have fun!
Thanks cheesewhiz. I figured it might be a bit crowed on weekends. I wonder if late in the season would be as bad though. It might be worth a drive anyway. I will need to verify how many stickers and certifications I need though. It sounds like I need to pay and register my bike with the State and pay for a trail sticker!!..... ::010::
 

Terminus

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Bryce said:
Oh ya, even Street Legal tagged/plated motorcycles need to register with the state and pay their fees to ride Off-Highway in Wi now.
New law that went into place at the beginning of the month. I'm not sure if they have out of state registration sorted out yet.

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ohm/

I'd say it's another tax grab and over reach of the State of Wisconsin, but the whole program was in conjunction with the Wisconsin Off-Highway Motorcycle Assn. http://www.wohma.com/
Ok, I am reading more on this issue and find this hilarious. Here is the State's definition of a OHM: "Definition of an off-highway vehicle
An "off−highway motorcycle" means a 2−wheeled motor vehicle that is straddled by the operator, that is equipped with handlebars and that is designed for use off a highway, regardless of whether it is also designed for use on a highway."

So do I have to call Yamaha's engineers now and ask them if they designed the S10 for use off a highway? What a ridiculous way of defining this. How do they even enforce this or prove it? ::009::
 

Terminus

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Ok. I am really glad I reached out to you guys. I just called the DNR and confirmed that basically any motorcycle driven off road needs to be registered. That fee is $30 yearly. Plus the $15 trail fee. I think this is really not worth it unfortunately. I will just stick to their pavement and not pay anything more. Maybe I will change my mind, but that really does not sound attractive to me.

Thanks to all of you for the valuable info. It would have sucked to drive all the way up there and get pulled over. I am sure the DNR would have been very nice and gave me a ticket for way more than $30....
 

magic

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Welcome to Wisconsin! I would call a DNR field office, there is one in Janesville and Madison. They might be able to answer your questions about registration and stickers. After all they are the ones that would enforce this. I ride off road on the fireroads near Mountain, Suring and Lakewood quite often and I don't have any stickers. I do stay off the designated ATV trails though. I usually have these trails all to myself.
 

Terminus

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magic said:
Welcome to Wisconsin! I would call a DNR field office, there is one in Janesville and Madison. They might be able to answer your questions about registration and stickers. After all they are the ones that would enforce this. I ride off road on the fireroads near Mountain, Suring and Lakewood quite often and I don't have any stickers. I do stay off the designated ATV trails though. I usually have these trails all to myself.
Thanks magic. I might give one of the local office a call. From my understanding though all motorcycles being driven off road must be registered. They define off road as a road or trail being open to the public. So even if it is not designated as a DNR trail it would be enforced. This goes for privately owned trails open to the public as well. After reading the Wisconsin Off-Highway Motorcycle Assn. website I understand why they were lobbying for this. It does protect the rights for motocyclists to ride, but unfortunately any time there are more laws there is more confusion and penalties and fines if you don't follow them. I guess if i fork over the $30 it would make me go north to Wisconsin more which is always a good thing. ;D
 

Britt

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I've been warned about speed traps on the trail. The speed limit is fairly low and LEO's actually sit with radar guns and will ticket you. I haven't gotten around to trying it myself.


I have a few places in Illinois that I ride to when I want to get off pavement. You aren't terribly far from Steward, IL. If you find it on Google Maps (basically near Route 30 and I 39/51), it's almost nothing on the map, but has miles and miles of gravel farm roads to the south. Some of them end up turning into 2 dirt tire tracks through grass - but they are public roads that show up with names on my Garmin. I've had lots of enjoyable miles out there with little to no other vehicles. Plus, there are no fees to ride there! :D







 

Britt

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For us Illinois riders looking to get off pavement, another area with lots of low-traffic unpaved roads is Freeport, IL. I've had a couple of great days of riding out there.





 

Terminus

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Thanks Britt. I have found quite a few gravel roads out that way too. The problem is they are nicer than the paved road I live on most of the time! ;D It looks like you actually found some two tracks. That would at least make it interesting. I will have to check this area out in greater detail.

::26::
 

Britt

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Yes, it got interesting in a few spots. My buddy lost it on this muddy uphill 2 track when his tires caught the edge of that rut.



When it was dry, I got through it easily on my big old Caponord.


Another place to get dirty nearby. There is a bunch of this type of thing over there if you spend a few hours exploring...

 
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