44 YEARS OF SERVICE TO NORTHERN OCONTO COUNTY 1968-2012
This site was updated Sunday Afternoon May 6th
Roger Steinbach Memorial Ride update on front page 5/6
WATVA (Wisconsin ATV Assn) area added to front page 5/3
First photos of 2012 season on front page 5/1
President ride report....Presidents Corner 5/6
ATV Map information posted below 4/30
Annual Meeting minutes and Flag presentation...see newsletter/minutes tab 4/30
Club events and meetings tab updated 4/26
UTV Permanent Registration info posted in UTV tab 2/28 Business Booster Tab updated 2/6/1212
Contact Club Secretary Mary Stehula at mjsteh@hotmail.com if you have any questions about club issues or events. See club apparel tab for new order form and additional items
Roger Steinbach passed away a few months ago and is sorely missed by the ATV community. Roger, his wife Kathy and his two sons (still active in Red Arrow and other clubs) were "everywhere" in the ATV sport. They were the top WATVA Trail Patrollers several times and always attended the WATVA meetings and conventions. They also helped at nearly every Red Arrow event since we took on the ATV riders about 5 years ago. On Saturday May 5th at 10AM there was a Memorial Ride starting at the Lakewood Trailhead and continuing to Animal's Bear Trail at Hwy T & 64. A commemorative trail marker was placed followed by lunch sponsored by the Hidden Bear Trail ATV Club. There were over 30 ATVs and UTVs in the ride with over 40 participants. Many others arrived by car for the presentation ceremony. Randy Harden, Terry Copein and Adam Harden of the WATVA attended and gave comments about Roger's devotion to the ATV sport and more importantly to his wife Kathy and their boys.
Roger and Kathy Steinbach at the 2009 WATVA Convention where they received Trail Patroller of the year awards
Animall's Bear Trail hosted the presentation ceremony attended by well over 60 ATV enthusiasts. A sign was placed on the trail in memory of Roger. The Hidden Bear Trail ATV Club made all the arrangements for a very nice event honoring Roger.
Six ATVers from Red Arrow led by club President John Brantmeier participated in the ride to Animals and the presentation followed by lunch.
Ten Red Arrow members and friends got out on opening day May 1st to ride about 65 miles in the Townsend area.
Some of the group who paused on Diamond Roof Road after lunch at Nine Mile Resort. A great 65 mile ride on opening day May 1st.
Red Arrow received a flag that was flown over the United States Capitol from US Senator Ron Johnson. The flag was formally presented to the club by the American Legion Post 44 of Wabeno during the annual Club meeting on Saturday April 28th.
Ron Boeldt, Commander of Sylvan Post 44, American Legion Wabeno presents a United States flag that flew over our nation's Capitol to Red Arrow. Receiving the flag are club officers John Brantmeier, Pat Harrison and Mary Stehula
The Honor Guard from Legion Post 44 was present for the flag presentation. Several Red Arrow members are Legion members and were on hand
Club member and Legion Auxiliary member Janet Bies read the poem "Your Flag and My Flag" as part of the ceremony. She is accompanied by two other Auxiliary members
The firing squad fired a single volley to honor the flag after the Pledge of Alligience and the Star Spangled Banner.
The Oconto County 2012 ATV map is availabe here or as a hard copy. Maps are available at businesses along the Nicolet Trail and by contacting the Oconto County Tourism Office at
All Oconto County ATV/UTV Trails and Routes opened on Tuesday May 1st for the season. It is important to note that not all trails in the Nicolet National Forest are legal for most UTV's. The only legal UTV in some areas is the Polaris 50 inch wide Razr. Check with Forest Service staff at the Lakewood Ranger Station. Riders are expected to know where they are riding. In the Townsend area Wildwood Trail is open to all UTV's so all Townsend trails, marked roads and routes are legal for all UTVs as well as ATVs. Check with the Forest Service in other areas as they have made additional exceptions to the rule.
You must have your UTV registered with the DNR and all ATV safety regulations apply. Most trails and routes open to ATV's will be UTV legal except as noted above. UTV drivers must be 16 years of age and have passed a DNR Safety Course. UTVs may not carry more passengers than factory installed seats allow. No aftermarket seats are permitted. See the UTV page for additional information and links for UTV use.
Oconto County has agreed to allow riding in short stretches of ditchline of County Hwy T in the Town of Townsend where town roads to not line up with each other. These legal areas will be signed by May 1st. Riding on the Hwy T roadway or in longer stretches of ditchline is not allowed and you will be subject to tickets. Be aware where you are riding.
New Oconto County ATV maps are now available at business locations across the county especially along the Nicolet Trail. These maps show legal areas to ride your ATV. Generally speaking UTV use is also legal on any ATV trail or route except in the Nicolet National Forest as noted above. Please discard all old maps as the intersection numbers have been changed for this year in the northern part of the county and new trails and routes have been added.
As of July 1st all ATVs and UTVs must display a rear license plate as well as the two side stickers. See below and the UTV section for full details about this new requirement
Check out our business booster page for some great places to stay and dine, drink (responsibly) and have fun. Many visitors say we "have the best trails in the state". Come see for yourself. We are only 90 miles north of Appleton and Green Bay on Wisconsin Highway 32.
Example of correct display of the rear plate that will be required on the rear all ATVs and UTVs as of July 1st, 2012
Effective July 1st of this year all public use ATVs and UTVs will be required to display a plate on the rear of the machine showing the same number as the side stickers. This plate must be white in color and 4 inches in height and 7 1/4 inches wide with black letters and numbers that are a minimum of 1 1/2 inches high with a 3/16" stroke (letter width). The decal numbers stay with the machine thru its lifetime in Wisconsin so the plate will be the same each year as well. Plates can be homemade but Lakewood Motorsports in Lakewood has kits with letters and plate for $12.95 plus tax.
The Wisconsin ATV Association (WATVA) organization that has been instrumental in the development of responsible ATV and now UTV riding here in Wisconsin. We encourage anyone who rides these machines to join WATVA. Without them spending untold hours with the DNR and state legislators there would not be trail system. Check them out at the website just below. To the right is some information about several new things that WATVA has been involved in.
Sometimes we take this great resource for granted. Word is that next winter we will be able to ride directly to Michigan across the Brule River
Townsend is one of the highest elevation areas in Wisconsin and that helps us keep our snow!!! The Carter hills between us and Carter are 1,781 feet above sea level vs Oconto at 530 feet...it does make a difference. The highest range is just northwest of us in Forest County at Sugerbush Hill...that area is 1,939 feet above sea level. Kent Tower Hill in Langlade County is 1,903 feet. Information from the new Wisconsin Blue Book published recently.
Photos needed. Send your photos of Snowmobiling and ATVing in the Townsend area to jbrantmeier@athenet.net and we will consider using them on this site. We can use scenery and people having fun while on the trail. Photo credit will be given if you ask for it.
Red Arrow Snowmobile ATV Club Inc. was founded 42 years ago in 1968 during the very early days of Snowmobiling. Early club founders established a trail system utilizing old logging roads and rail spurs in the Nicolet National Forest. These trails were connected by utilizing the old railroad grade (now Nicolet State Trail) that runs south to north thru Oconto County and provided winter snowmobile access to connecting trails in Langlade County and Forest County as well as all over the state of Wisconsin. Most of those same snowmobile trails are in place today and are maintained regularly by Red Arrow.
In 2007 Red Arrow voted to add ATV trail responsibility in the Townsend area. At that time the Town of Townsend made most town roads (not Hwy 32 or County T)legal year round for ATV travel and asked the club to help with safety training and help patrol the roads for "bonehead" riders. More recently the towns of Doty, Lakewood and Riverview have allowed ATV/UTV access on some roads during the summer ATV/UTV season. The club is currently working with the National Forest Service to add additional trails in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Red Arrow welcomes all Snowmobile and ATV/UTV enthusiasts visiting our area and invites them to join our club. We understand that not everyone can be active but we need your financial support if you ride our trails. Townsend has become a year around hub for ATV/UTV and snowmobile activity. From our area you can literally ride anywhere in rural Wisconsin or the UP via snowmobile. The Nicolet State Trail thru Townsend is now legal for Snowmobiles and ATV's and UTV's (May 1st-Oct 31st) all the way from south of Gillett to the Michigan border and beyond.
Townsend is located on Hwy 32 about 90 miles north of Green Bay and the Fox Cities. You will pass thru Gillett, Suring, Chute Pond, Mountain and Lakewood as you head towards Townsend. Carter (home of the Potawatomi Carter Casino and Hotel) is located about 5 miles north of Townsend with Wabeno and Laona further north. Come visit us.....we are located right in the center of some of the best snowmobiling and ATV/UTV riding in Wisconsin.
Red Arrow Snowmobile ATV Club Inc. P. O. Box 248, Townsend, Wi. 54175
