A Beginner’s Guide to ATV Riding in Wisconsin

By Bryan Much
Special to TravelWisconsin.com

Have you ever wondered how much fun it would be to go trail riding on an all-terrain vehicle? ATV riding has exploded in popularity in recent years, simply because it is a blast! Maybe you’re interested but would like to give it a try before investing in an ATV of your own.

Wisconsin offers a number of opportunities for you to explore ATV trails or riding parks. Because of their smaller size, the parks are a great place to try things out, and a single machine can be easily shared with turns. Trails let you stretch your legs by covering a lot of miles of exciting terrain and scenery.

Some motorsports businesses offer ATV rentals in Wisconsin. They make it easy for you to get a full measure of riding as simple entertainment, or as a prelude to your entering the sport by buying an ATV of your own.

Here are a few places that will help you give it a try:

Parks

Dyracuse Recreational Area

Dyracuse is a 334-acre riding park with more than ten miles of trails and excellent facilities. The park is about 15 miles south of Wisconsin Rapids.

Embarrass River ATV Park & Campground

This community park located in Tigerton offers 20 miles of trails and great camping facilities. 

Power Sports Rental Network in Appleton can rent you an ATV on a trailer that you can pick up to use anywhere in the state. 

Trails

There are plenty of trails to ride in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. A convenient place to base for a trail ride is Hayward. There is plenty to do during a family getaway while having the opportunity to give ATV riding a try.

There are two rental agencies in the area – Hayward Power Sports and Runamuk Rides. You may want to try one of the multi-passenger utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) offered for rent as well.

Jackson and Clark counties offer some extensive ATV trail systems.  Between the two, you will be able to enjoy more than 200 miles of trail and connectors.

Lake Arbutus Motor Sports offers ATV and UTV rentals out of Hatfield.

Keep in mind that there are age and safety training restrictions for ATVs.  You must be 12 or older to ride, and anyone 20 years old or younger must have an ATV Safety Certificate, which you can obtain online. When asking about a rental, coordinate with the agency about protective clothing and helmets for riding.

If you’ve never given ATV riding a try, what’s stopping you? Be sure to read the DNRs tips on what to know before you go. Check out our full directory of ATV and UTV trails in Wisconsin.