A lack of significant snow the past few winters has outdoor enthusiasts turning from snowmobile to four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles for sport, much to the dismay of some winter trail users.

ATV registrations in Wisconsin have surpassed snowmobile registrations in the past three years and the four-wheeled sport is growing steadily, said Dennis Catlin, sales manager at Appleton Powersports, which sells both ATVs and snowmobiles.

“Snowmobile registration have just flatlined,” Catlin said. “Snowmobile registrations in Wisconsin have always dominated in numbers until two years ago when ATV registrations finally caught up with snowmobiles. In the two years since ATVs now outnumber snowmobiles by 80,000.”

The state Department of Natural Resources began registering ATVs in 1986, and by the end of 1987 there were more than 25,000 registered ATVs. By the end of 2003 that number grew to more than 192,000.

Today there are more than 300,000 registered ATVs in the state compared with about 280,000 snowmobiles.

“Because of a lack of snow in recent winters there have been some years when you could only ride snowmobiles in Outagamie County for one week in a season,” said Dan Hoppe of Kaukauna, president of The Dusty Trails ATC Club, which takes care of the Dusty Trails ATV trail system in Oconto County.


“I ride both ATVs and snowmobiles and love them both, but if my doctor said I had to give up one it would be snowmobiles.”

Hoppe said the lack of snow forces snowmobile enthusiasts to head to far northern Wisconsin to ride their sleds.

“That means you have to buy a snowmobile trailer and pay for lodging expenses and gas. People who ride snowmobiles are just frustrated with the lack of snow,” he said.

Hoppe said the sport of ATV riding is growing quickly. The Dusty Trails group is about 800 strong.

“There are naturally some people opposed to ATVs, but 98 percent of ATV users are good, responsible people. It’s the other 2 percent you read about in the news,” he said.

Hoppe said the Dusty Trails trail system is open to ATVs from May 1 through Oct. 31. It is closed to ATVs the remainder of the year. Snowmobilers can use portions of the trail in the winter, he said.

ATVs generally are not allowed on snowmobile trails except in northern Wisconsin.

“In Outagamie County we have mostly privately owned farmland. In north Wisconsin you have more public land,” Hoppe said.

Hoppe said business owners in areas with snowmobiles are building support to allow ATV users on the trails to ease financial crunches during winters with inadequate snow.

“Businesses in Oconto County and other counties are just begging some years for people to come in their business and spend $20. They don’t care how they (customers) got there,” Hoppe said. “Snowmobile and ATV clubs are starting to work hand-in-hand, realizing unless you stand together you will fall together.”

ATVs are not allowed on the Wiouwash State Trail that winds through Outagamie and Winnebago counties.

In Fond du Lac County, a public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday to discuss a petition expected to be filed by an ATV user that would allow ATVs all year on a county-owned recreational trail south of the city, said county Parks and Planning Director Sam Tobias.

Tobias said the county has three rural recreation trails used by snowmobilers — the Wild Goose State Park Trail to Waupun, the Eisenbahn State Park Trail from Eden to West Bend and the Mascoutin Valley State Park Trail in Fond du Lac and Winnebago counties.

“It’s not that local government doesn’t want them (ATV users). It is all property owners that don’t want them,” Tobias said. “There are a lot of people who run and walk on those trails who don’t want to compete with ATVs.”

Tobias said Fond du Lac County spent more than $500,000 in the last 20 years to develop its 300 miles of recreation trails.

“If we put ATVs on them, even for a couple of years, that investment is going to be gone. Who is going to pay to replace them?” he said.

A 2004 economic impact study of ATV use by the state Department of Tourism based on 2003 figures estimated ATV users recorded more than $295 million in spending related to their sport. The spending ranged from motor fuel, transportation and lodging to gaming entertainment and general shopping.

The estimate included more than $34 million spent by nonresident visitors from surrounding states.

Catlin said he expects ATVs sales to continue a strong growth rate regardless of snow conditions.

“Snowmobiles are almost strictly for entertainment use,” Catlin said. “ATVs can do other work for owners whether it be dragging deer from the woods, mounting a plow to plow snow or going out ice fishing on a lake.”

Catlin said depreciation is another big factor in the growing popularity of ATVs.

“Depreciation is considerable with a snowmobile while ATVs tend to hold their value better,” Catlin said.

Steve Wideman can be reached at 920-993-1000, ext. 302, or at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .