Minocqua announces temporary snowmobile routes

MINOCQUA, Wis. — The town of Minocqua announced temporary snowmobile routes Monday to allow riders to avoid unsafe ice conditions on area lakes.

The routes are designed to allow visitors staying within town limits to access the snowmobile trails.

Visitors staying at the Aqua Aire Motel, AmericInn and Best Western Plus Concord Inn can reach the Bearskin Trail by using Torpy Park and Lakeshore Drive. Once on the trail, riders can either go south on the Bearskin Trail or north to Doctor Pink Drive to access the trails on 70 West.

Visitors staying at The Waters of Minocqua, Beacons of Minocqua and Nitschke’s Northern Resort can use the southern access roads of Northern Road and Kawaga Road to access the Bearskin Trail.

These routes are only temporary until the lake ice is deemed safe to travel on, according to a spokeswoman for the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce, and only these routes should be used.

Using other roads, sidewalks, as well as other public/private property could lead to law enforcement action.

Maps of the routes are at the front desks of the various establishments and can also be picked up at the Visitors Center.

Minocqua also opened two park-and-ride lots for snowmobilers to help with trail access while unsafe ice conditions remain.

The two lots are Parking Lot C behind the Minocqua Post Office and Lot Q at the Minocqua Park Complex.

All Oneida County lake trails remain closed and should be considered unsafe until the local snowmobile clubs mark them safe.

For more information on snowmobiling in Minocqua, visit minocqua.org.

—Richard Jenkins