Northern Highland – American Legion State Forest
Master Plan Variance
The Northern Highland – American Legion State Forest Master Plan was approved by the Natural Resources Board in 2005 and amended in 2017 to meet the public’s changing recreation needs. The 2017 Amendment allowed for the planning of 202 miles of designated ATV/UTV routes on DNR roads, trails and short stretches of new construction. A total of 42 miles of ATV/UTV routes were planned and approved in 2017.
This webpage serves as a resource for following the progress of planning the remaining 160 miles of ATV/UTV trails authorized in the 2017 amendment that may be planned.
Planning Update
The DNR has approved a master plan variance for the Northern Highland – American Legion State Forest related to ATV/UTV route and trail planning. The variance approves planning an additional 7 miles of ATV/UTV routes and trails on existing DNR roads and motorized trails.
Read the Approved 2023 ATV/UTV Trail and Route Variance [PDF]
Maps of the approved routes can be viewed in the variance document or using the interactive map below.
| Planning Document | Miles Planned Of The 202 Total Miles Authorized |
|---|---|
| 2017 Recreation Amendment | 42.0 |
| 2018 Variance | 9.3 |
| 2019 Variance | 19.0 |
| 2020 Variance* | 0.5 |
| 2023 Variance | 6.8 |
| Remaining Miles That May Be Planned | 123.5 |
*The 2020 Variance designates 1.4 miles of ATV/UTV routes. However, approximately 0.9 miles of this length represents a relocation of approximately the same length of route designated in 2018. This 0.9 miles remains included in the 2018 Variance for the purposes of this table to avoid double-counting of the route lengths.
The interactive web map below shows the location of proposed and approved ATV/UTV routes on DNR roads and routes on local and county roads. Local and county roads are a major contributor to the NHAL ATV/UTV route network; however, they are not owned or managed by the DNR. Zoom in to a section of trail to see its surroundings, or click on it to learn more.
ROUTE NOTES:
Planned routes are not necessarily open for ATV/UTV use. Follow all on-the-ground signs to determine if certain routes are open or closed.
Documents
The following are planning documents for Northern Highland – American Legion State Forest related to ATV/UTV Route Planning.
- 2005 Northern Highland – American Legion Master Plan [PDF]
- 2017 Amendment to the Recreation Portion of the Northern Highland – American Legion Master Plan [PDF]
- 2018 ATV/UTV Route and Trail Variance to the Northern Highland – American Legion Master Plan [PDF]
- 2019 ATV/UTV Route and Trail Variance to the Northern Highland – American Legion Master Plan [PDF]
- 2020 ATV/UTV Route and Trail Variance to the Northern Highland – American Legion Master Plan [PDF]
Contact Information
For information on ATV/UTV planning on the NHAL, contact:
Joe Fieweger
Forest Recreation Superintendent
715-385-3355 ext 119
Joseph.Fieweger@wisconsin.gov
OR
Erin Rieser
Property Planning Section Chief
608-400-6171
ErinE.Rieser@wisconsin.gov