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ATV/UTV Routes to Open in City of Marshfield April 10

Apr. 10 2023 News By Mandy Witt

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Spring brings some welcome news in the city of Marshfield! Beginning April 10th, 2023, select roads in the city of Marshfield will open for ATV/UTV use. View/download the full map here. ATVs and UTVs may operate on the specified routes (noted in dark blue) as well as the ancillary roads (noted in light blue) to either access your home or a local business.

This is big news for more than just your avid ATV or UTV rider. ATV/UTV tourism can make a major impact to a local economy.

“A study from the Wood County Planning and Zoning Department estimated the economic impact of county UTV/ATV trails and routes to be around $1500 per visiting rider,” says Matt McLean, Director, Marshfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Not only are these routes a great asset for riders, but they will help invigorate local businesses by increasing traffic from an under-tapped group of visitors and consumers.”

Need more proof? A 2011 case study of the Cheese County Trail in southern Wisconsin found that the total combined spending of all trail users exceeded $15 million during the 12-month study. 86% of that amount was from non-local trail users.

“The economic impact of making a town rider-friendly is huge and we’ve seen it work in other similar municipalities,” says Mandy Witt, co-owner, Power Pac. “A major benefit of the routes that the city approved is that they connect to mainline routes from outside the area. This gives local businesses the opportunity to access an un-tapped resource for profit – profit that will stay and be spent in this area. It’s a big step in the right direction for economic development and we applaud the city and Tom Turchi for seeing the vision.”

These new routes follow on the heels of a few very productive years for making Wood County rider-friendly for the benefit of tourism and economic development:
  • In early 2022, Wood County opened a majority of county highways to UTV and ATV use (unless a township objected or traffic levels prohibited it).
  • In 2019, nearly 75 miles of new UTV/ATV routes were opened in addition to new ATV/UTV campsites in Pittsville’s Dexter Park.
  • More than $400,000 in grants that funded route and trail maintenance was also awarded to the county.
  • In addition to these efforts, Mandy and Josh Witt, owners of Power Pac, worked with local townships to open additional routes in the towns of Lincoln and Cameron.
Power Pac will also be contributing to the funding for the required route signage for the new city routes with help from REDI Grant Wood County, and Visit Marshfield.

“We love this community, and if we have the opportunity to contribute to its growth and access to opportunity, we want to do that,” says Mandy Witt. “This increase in traffic will mean more shoppers downtown, more patrons in our restaurants and more eyes on our city. We applaud the city of Marshfield for seeing this vision and we’re excited to see the impact on our community.”
  
 

IMPORTANT  THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT  THE FULL ORDINANCE:

Like most recreational allowances, these routes are a privilege, not a right. In order to keep this privilege, riders MUST follow all rules as described in the full ordinance found here. Below are a few we pulled that are important to be aware of:
  • The speed limit is equal to the posted roadway speed limit. Please no speeding!
  • If the posted speed limit for the roadway is greater than 35 MPH the maximum allowable speed limit is 35 MPH.
  • All persons operating must have a valid driver’s license.
  • All persons under the age of 18 must wear a helmet.
  • All ATV/UTV’s are prohibited from city parks, and trails and roads within the zoo.
  • Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 must possess an ATV safety certificate.
  • Valid Wisconsin registration or trail pass, and insurance is required to operate on the City of Marshfield roadway system. A license plate must be displayed.
  • Altering of exhaust systems is prohibited, exhaust must have a functioning spark arrester.
  • The City of Marshfield prohibits the use of ATV/UTV’s between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM and these restrictions will be strictly enforced.
  • No open intoxicants are allowed in a UTV or ATV and one cannot operate a UTV or ATV while under the influence of alcohol.
  • Not mentioned in the ordinance but a best practice is to have a blinker kit installed on your UTV. Call Power Pac to order one.
 

Stop in to Power Pac on your side-by-side or ATV during opening week of the city routes (April 10 - 14) and get a discount on spring gear and casual wear to celebrate.

Reading this and not from the area? Visit Marshfield provides a list of local area restaurants, activities and more to check out while you’re here. Don’t forget a stop at Power Pac of course. 😉

City of Marshfield ATV/UTV route map can be found here.