Public ATV Trail dismantling (Vilas: for sale, real estate, buying a house)

[Sminthian]

I'm looking into buying a house in Wisconsin and I keep finding houses that are perfectly fine...except there's a public ATV trail that runs through the middle of the property. I'm thinking of buying a house in the woods for peace and quiet, not for 120db small engines zooming past 100 ft behind my house.
I've been passing on them, and everyone else is too, the listings just stay up for months and then expire.
Has anyone ever tried to shut one of them down, and succeeded?

[Drewjdeg]

Forcing the DNR to allow ATVs on public land was one of Scott Walkers many ridiculous pet projects while he was in office.

I don’t have anything specific to add, but I will say that you may have more luck now with Evers in office.

[guidoLaMoto]

I'm no fan of ATVs out making noise and tearing up natural habitat...(One of my buddies used to have a beat up WWII vintage Jeep that had a bumper sticker "My Other Vehicle is a Pair of Hiking Boots"-- I like the attitude.)

But-- are you sure about official ATV trails running thru private property (I really doubt the "thru the middle" part-- presumably poetic license by the author)? The local govts can designate ATV Routes-- roads/highways where ATVs are allowed, and ATV Trails-- off-road, on public lands. https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/doing...s/atv-utv.aspx

Around here, the only trail established and maintained on private property is by a club with permission of the land owners (members of the club, for the most part).

I know what you mean about moving to the sticks for peace and quiet. We looked at a very nice spread when we were in the ,market, but it was right across from a shooting range. The incessant reports of guns reminded me too much of the 'hood back in Chicago. We passed on that one.

[sub]

I feel like there's gotta be more to the story.
Anyway, ATV's exist and people are going to use them.
That genie is out of the bottle. No matter how environmentally-minded someone is, if they themselves aren't willing to give up modern technology, then they shouldn't force others to give up something when they won't do the same on some equal level.
Now, If you're hard-core Amish and are communicating here via smoke signals transferred to your neighbor to post for you, then perhaps such an argument can be taken more seriously.

As for the trails, if not some orderly path maintained by the state, people will cut their own.
I think it's good that Wisconsin recognizes that people are going to do what they are going to do and at least makes an effort to keep it safe as possible and orderly.
Of course, governments should respect property rights and not force a landowner to allow a trail on their property if they don't agree to it. If that's happening, I'm with you.

[TWG1572]

Just thinking out loud here...but perhaps the current owners allowed the public trail to go through their property. Similar to how snowmobile routes are set up. So now I go to buy the place, and here is this trail. Do I have the power to close the trail? If I do, how is that going to impact how the locals see me? Or is there an actual easement in place?

I would not want to live in a house that was close to an ATV trail. And no, I'm not Amish. But I'll guarantee you there are people that would see that as a big plus.

[sub]

I peruse real estate in the Northwoods occasionally. As far as I know, I haven't come across properties where a trail actually runs through them, but perhaps they're out there.
Doesn't seem like it would be difficult to avoid that sort of thing.
While I personally wouldn't want to be right next to one, I also don't want to be the guy that moves in and tries to shut them down.

[mjstef]

ATV's and UTV's are a HUGE economic impact for us locals that live here year around and depend on ALL forms of tourists to survive. Us locals are pretty tired of people that are financially set and don't need to work trying to stick their nose in where it don't belong. Silent sports just don't pay the bills. A bicyclist expects to use a restaurant bathroom and if your lucky they order a water and split a burger. They ride on the edge of the road in Vilas County right alongside a perfectly good paved bike trail impeeding traffic on our narrow roads as they pedal along. When i bike with the wife, (i enjoy ALL sports and own ATV's , Snowmobiles, A boat, Bicycles and Kayaks) MOST of the other riders we run into are decent but theirs always a few in ANY sport that spoil things. I would suggest before you come to town and try to change things making a name for yourself that you actually speak to the businesses that stand to loose if a trail or route closes. BTW, Max DB allowed in Wisconsin is 96.......

https://lacrossetribune.com/news/loc...aaa4e0b8e.html

[mjstef]

Here is a letter to the editor in regards to a dying town, One of the last holdouts in Vilas county not allowing ATV access to town because of a few powerful 3-4 moth a year residents. Meanwhile nearly half the businesses in town are for sale...... https://www.lakelandtimes.com/letter...DBS2y71py-wVAw

[augiedogie]

Imho, the Atv's are no more nuisance than a loud truck, or a motorcycle. Our county is now legal for atv's on public roads and thats the way it should be. If they have all the legal requirements, lights, horn etc, there is no way the laws should be biased against them. They could be very helpful after a big snow storm.

[GraniteStater]

The problem with many ATV owners is that they don't stay on designated trails for ATV's only. They go onto silent sports trails and ruin them and create big erosion problems. There is no good answer because a certain percentage of the owners ruin it for everyone, and some often go onto private land as well. The only way to deter that is post your land.