Getting Oriented
Black River State Forest sits in the western half of Jackson County, in central Wisconsin, just off I-94 near Black River Falls. Two forks of the Black River cut through the forest's 68,000 acres of pine and oak woods, with sandstone bluffs rising along Castle Mound and other outcrops. The state forest's 34 miles of ATV trail sit inside a much larger network: DNR trails connect directly to the Jackson County Forest system and, beyond that, to Clark County's trails. The line between state and county land isn't signed on the ground, so riders experience it as one continuous system.
Trail Overview
Surface is sandy and rolling, and crews groom the trails periodically. All trails are two-way: DNR asks riders to keep right and avoid cutting inside corners. Dual-sport motorcycles registered with the DNR as off-highway motorcycles can run the ATV trails; standard off-road (non-street-legal) motorcycles are limited to a separate 31-mile single-track system in Crawford Hills, reached from a trailhead 13 miles west of Black River Falls off Highway 54. Machines that can't be legally registered as ATVs aren't allowed on the system at all.
Jackson County's portion of the connected network runs more than 100 miles; Clark County adds another 135. A signed spur extends the trail into Black River Falls itself, connecting to four motels along with restaurants, taverns, and fuel stops.
Points of Interest
- Castle Mound: a sandstone outcrop with pine forest and short hiking trails, near a trail access point on East 7th Street
- The Black River's east and west forks, which the ATV network crosses and parallels through several stretches of the forest
- Crawford Hills County Park: trailhead for the single-track motorcycle loop and a staging area for the system's western access point
Where to Camp
Black River State Forest runs its own campgrounds inside the property, including one at Castle Mound. Crawford Hills County Campground, at the western edge of the trail network, is another option near the Crawford Hills access point and single-track trailhead.
Tips for a Safe and Enjoyable Trip
- Wisconsin ATV/UTV registration is required, and out-of-state riders need a Wisconsin trail pass ($35, per the Black River Falls Area Chamber of Commerce); dual-sport motorcycles need DNR off-highway motorcycle registration plus a Jackson County use sticker ($20) to ride county-linked trail.
- Spark arrestors are mandatory and must be in working order; a poorly maintained one can start a fire. Machines must also meet a 96-decibel sound limit under an approved SAE test.
- Riders under 18 must wear a helmet. DNR recommends full protective gear, including goggles and boots, for everyone.
- Blue emergency posts sit at half-mile intervals along the trails, marked with a segment number and a mileage marker. Read both numbers to a dispatcher (for example, "Trail 94, mile 1.5") to speed up a response.
- Trails run May 15 through the last Sunday in October for both ATVs and UTVs, then reopen December 15 through March 15 for ATVs only.
- Stay out of wet areas, ditches, and lowlands, and stick to designated trails. Riding off-trail is a citable offense.
Fuel and Water
No fuel or water services are documented inside the state forest itself. A signed trail spur reaches Black River Falls, where riders can fuel up, eat, and resupply without leaving the trail system.
Nearby
Castle Mound offers short hiking trails and a sandstone overlook within the state forest. Black River Falls has more than 450 hotel rooms plus campgrounds, taverns, restaurants, breweries, and a casino, much of it reachable directly by trail. Clark County's Knobby Ridge Motorcycle Trail system, six miles of single-track eight miles west of Neillsville, is a further motorcycle-specific option for riders continuing north.
