BARABOO -- A Sauk County all-terrain vehicle club that recently completed the only public trail system in the county now is seeking uniform rules so that things like hours of operation and speed limits are consistent countywide.
There are 38 all-terrain vehicle ordinances between municipalities in Sauk County, authorizing seven different hours of operation and four different speed limits, according to Robert Spencer, the president of Baraboo Bluffs ATV and UTV Club. The club is advocating for countywide regulations.
"The problem with ATVs is that each township or municipality needs to have its own ordinance to allow ATVs on the roadways," he said. So, while nearly all county highways and city streets in Sauk County have opened for all-terrain vehicle use, the inconsistencies in rules from one municipality to another is confusing for riders and law enforcement.
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The club has worked on the Hogsback Trail since 2023 and opened the last portion of the seven-mile system this May. The trail is marked with five different colored signs for different terrain levels.
Hogsback Trail is the only public trail system in Sauk County, as other all-terrain vehicle routes are either county highways or dirt trails on public lands that connect such highways.
A map of the trail is available online and can be downloaded upon arrival at the entrance along Hogsback Road in the town of Excelsior. The trail, while fully connected, is divided into five segments, the Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and White loops.
Spencer, who also represents District 21 on the Sauk County Board, said his club is hoping for 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. riding time throughout the county, as well as a 45 mph maximum speed limit unless a lower limit is posted.
All municipalities would have to approve an ordinance with the same rules before it could be adopted by the county, he said.
Currently, all-terrain vehicles are allowed to travel state roads if they connect one ATV route to another via a stretch of 1,000 feet or less and can travel at a top speed of 35 miles per hour.
Raising the speed limit to 45 mph would lessen conflict with motor vehicle traffic on such roads, which often have a speed limit of 55, and would eliminate "dead ends" between ATV routes that currently end at intersections with state highways because of the change in speed limit, Spencer said.
"It's been an effort, but the townships and municipalities have all been very receptive on this," he said.
Spencer also wants ATV operators to obtain licenses from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, similar to motorcycles and motor vehicles. Currently, a driver's license is not required, but operators must take a safety course with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources prior to use.
Unlike county roads, Hogsback Trail is open strictly from sunrise to sunset, Spencer said, adding that operation on the dirt trail can be dangerous at night.
The club finished the last phase of construction, the White Loop, which has the most uneven terrain along the trail, in May. The trail is open from April to October.
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