Wisconsin leads all states in groomed snowmobile trails, coming in at over 25,000 miles, according to the American Council of Snowmobile Associations. Pierce County is no stranger to that number, hosting some of the state’s most scenic trails.

There are nine snowmobile clubs recognized by the county: the Bay City Bluff Busters, Beldenville Snowmobile Club, East Side Renegades, Plum Creek Ridge Runners, Prescott Sno-Bees, River Falls County Liners, Rush River Trail Riders, Snow Valley Riders and Trimbelle Hill & Valley.

Bill Paider of the Rush River Trail Riders said the trails have been around since the late 1960s and early 1970s, when people would ride across their friends’ land. Eventually, an entire trail system was developed. The trails are constantly changing by the years. As land changes ownership and/or landowners decide to allow/disallow riders onto their land, the snowmobile clubs redesign the trails and get permission to groom certain stretches of property. Each club is responsible for their own jurisdiction, working together to make a vast trail system in the area.

Ahead of the winter season, volunteers work hard to groom the trails, build bridges, clear paths and put up signs to make riding possible.

“Without volunteers doing these trails for free, we wouldn’t have any trails,” Paider said. “It’s 100% volunteerism that gets these trails going.”

Paider encouraged riders to join a club, because club membership is what keeps the trails alive. Without club membership, there would be no clubs, meaning no volunteers to set up the trails, get landowner permission and ensure the experience is a positive one for everybody.

“It’s just so beautiful to ride through our county. The hills and the valleys, and the clubhouse is a huge attraction in our county because it’s the only one in our state of its kind. I don’t know if there’s even one in the country as nice as what we have,” Paider said. “Getting to ride through the Rush River Valley and end up there, it’s just a nostalgic thing to do, and we’re super lucky to have the terrain we have.”

Paider has ridden through a lot of areas, and Pierce County is right at the top. There is wildlife, twists and turns, hills and more that many other areas in Wisconsin and Minnesota cannot compete with, he said.

For new riders, Paider advised to ensure the trails are open. To check, visit www.piercecountysnow.com/. The site also includes other information on the conditions and things to note before starting the ride.

“Realistically, it’s all about safety. If you go out with the groomer, and you can’t groom it because there’s not enough snow to fill in big waterways, or ditches or portions of the trail that need snow to be passable… there’s a pretty big danger to that,” Paider said.

The nine clubs all need to work together to determine whether or not the trails can be opened, as sometimes the snow or terrain can be in different conditions in one area of the county than another. They also factor in the fact that they do not want the landowners that offer up their land to regret doing so because trails were opened when there was not enough snow to protect it.

“With the snowmobiles being so much more powerful nowadays, you need a lot more snow to maintain the trail,” Paider said.

Riding the trails when they are closed leaves riders subject to fines.

Other tips Paider gave to new riders is to know where you are headed before you go, bring a map if you are unsure and ensure you have enough gas in the tank. He said to make sure you have the correct snowmobile for the terrain and dress for the conditions in case of a breakdown.