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Gillett has called itself the ATV Capital of the World for more than a decade, and the claim rests on one thing other trail towns cannot easily copy: the Nicolet State Trail starts here. The Gillett ATV trails begin in a city park with free trailer parking and showers, run up ordinary city streets to the diner and the bar, and connect to a state trail that heads north through the Nicolet National Forest to the Michigan line. If you are bringing a machine up for a weekend, this is how the town works for riders.
Riding is the main event, but it pays to know what else Gillett has between rides, from the river outfitter in Pulcifer to the weekend museum on Main Street.
Where to park and start
The park covers about 17 acres in the middle of town, so there is room for long rigs. It sits just east of WI-22 and south of WI-32, so whichever highway you come in on, the lot is a couple of turns away. Park, gear up, and you are on the trail without riding a single mile of highway.
Fair week in August is the exception, because Zippel Park is also the Oconto County fairgrounds and the whole site turns over to the fair. If your weekend lands on fair week at Zippel Park, expect the lot to work differently and plan your parking before you arrive.
Riding in town
City streets in Gillett are open to ATVs and UTVs, so you can ride from the trailhead to lunch, to the bar and back without loading up. That is the practical heart of the ATV Capital idea. You do not need a second vehicle in town, and nobody looks twice at a side-by-side parked on Main Street.
State highways are a different matter: Wisconsin treats ATV routes and trails as designated, so stick to marked routes when you leave town and cross highways only where signed. UTV riders are required by Wisconsin law to wear seatbelts. Ride town streets at town speed. People here live on these streets, and the welcome lasts as long as riders keep it quiet and slow.
For snacks, water and deli sandwiches before a long ride, the grocery at Pat's Market on N McKenzie Ave is a block from the park, open from 7 on weekdays and 8 on Saturdays.
The Nicolet State Trail north
The Nicolet State Trail is a county-operated trail that runs more than 89 miles from Gillett to the Michigan state line, through Oconto, Forest and Florence counties. It follows a rail corridor built in the late 1800s to haul timber out of the northern forests, which is why it runs straight and level for long stretches. Locals call it “the grade.”
The Oconto County section runs about 30 miles north from Gillett through Suring, Mountain, Lakewood and Townsend. Suring has trail parking next to its Village Hall near WI-32, and from around Mountain the trail parallels WI-32 all the way into Forest County. Forest County adds about 35 miles past Wabeno, Laona and Cavour, and Florence County carries the last 15-plus miles past Tipler to the state line.
Along the way it crosses the Popple and Pine rivers, both state-designated wild rivers, and a rehabilitated trestle over the Brule River at the top end. Over the border, a spur connects to Michigan's 107-mile State Line Trail.
The surface is cinder, crushed stone and gravel. Be honest with yourself about the Gillett end: riders who have walked or biked it describe the first stretch as torn up by heavy ATV traffic, and in practice the trail is used mostly by motorized riders. It is a working ATV corridor. Expect dust in a dry August and ruts after rain.
No state trail pass is required on the Nicolet State Trail, but every ATV and UTV has to carry current Wisconsin DNR registration. Off-highway motorcycles are not allowed on the trail in Oconto or Florence counties.
When the trails are open
In Oconto County, ATVs are allowed on the Nicolet State Trail from May 1 through October 31, or as posted. The county's own policy is a little wider, running from the last Saturday in April to the first Sunday in November, and it posts the actual opening once the trails dry out. A wet spring can push opening back. Check the county trail report before you hook up the trailer.
Further north the rules change by county: Forest County opens the trail to ATVs when it is posted open, and Florence County allows them most of the year, closing during the spring thaw, roughly mid-March to mid-May. If you plan a long run north, check all three counties, because the trail can be open at one end and closed at the other.
A first ride north from Gillett
The easiest first outing is the run up the state trail to Suring, about 8 miles north-northwest in a straight line, where the trail passes trail parking beside the Village Hall. It is long enough to get a feel for the grade and short enough to turn around if the trail is rough or the weather turns. Riders with a full tank and a full day keep going toward Mountain, where the trail starts running beside WI-32 into the national forest.
Before you go, check four things: the county trail report, your DNR registration sticker, a paper map, and fuel. The trail runs through long wooded stretches between towns, and the gas stops are in the towns, not on the trail.
Fall is the season many riders wait for: local TV has made a point of the leaf color along the Oconto County trails, and the connected trail network reaches north into Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Late September and early October, before the county closes the season, is the stretch to aim for.
Sharing the trail
The Nicolet State Trail is multi-use, and in Oconto County horses are allowed on it from mid-April through November. Walkers, cyclists and cross-country skiers use it too, and skiers do not need a trail pass either. Slow down for horses, give walkers room, and keep the noise down near houses. The trail runs past private land for long stretches, and those landowners are the reason the corridor stays open.
The wider Oconto County system
The state trail is the spine, but Oconto County has about 450 miles of interconnected ATV trail and route branching off it. The county splits into three broad areas, the Nicolet National Forest, the Oconto River Valley and the Historic Bay Shores, which is a useful way to read the trail map.
Two units get the most mention from riders who know the county: the Breed Unit, close to the Chute Pond and Bagley Rapids campgrounds, and the North Peshtigo Brook Unit, which runs past White Potato Lake, Bass Lake, Ranch Lake and Half Moon Lake. Bring a fishing license if you ride the lake units. The lakes are right there, and a detour is half the point.
Carry the current Oconto County ATV map rather than relying on a phone. The county updates routes and closures through the season, and the woods north of Suring are a long way from cell coverage.
Renting a machine in Gillett
Gillett UTV Rentals on W Park St opened in July 2022 so visitors without their own machine could ride. Its side-by-sides are modified with roll cages, helmets are required and can be rented if you did not bring one, and renters must be 25 or older. The business works mostly through its Facebook page, so confirm it is open and book ahead on summer weekends.
Trail stops for food and a drink
That location makes it the natural stop at both ends of a riding day. Order the pizza, or come in for stuffed hashbrowns and a Bloody Mary before you head north on a Saturday.
About 3 miles out of town on WI-32, two roadhouses sit almost side by side. Sandy Corners Bar & Grill does steaks and a Friday fish fry, Wednesday through Sunday, and its owner has spoken publicly about how welcoming it is to the ATV and UTV crowd.
Next door, Bramers Club 32 is the area's supper club, known for family-style chicken with all the fixings, and it opens at 4 in the afternoon on the days it serves. Club 32 takes reservations, which is worth doing on a Friday.
Back in town, there is a fire pit, pizza and karaoke at the Wildfire Trails bar next to Sleepy Hollow Motel on WI-22. Todd's 5th Wheel Saloon on E Railroad St is the late-night corner bar, open Friday and Saturday only and cash only.
Where to eat beyond the trail bars, including the diner and the barbecue stop on County VV, is covered in Gillett's restaurants and supper clubs.
Where riders stay
Nicolet Trail Campground at 310 E Washington St sits at the start of the state trail, with 20 sites, each with water and electric hookups, a fire pit and a picnic table. It has public restrooms and showers, takes pets, and offers daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal rates, with sites large enough for trucks and ATV trailers. Between the motel and the campground, Gillett has a small number of beds for a busy trail weekend, so book early or plan to stay in Shawano and trailer in.
Winter: the snowmobile trails
Once the snow sets in, the Nicolet State Trail becomes a snowmobile corridor, and Oconto County has more than 400 miles of snowmobile trail connected to it. ATVs come off the Oconto County trails for the winter, so from December the lot at Zippel Park fills with sleds and trailers instead.
Snowmobile trails crossing state land open and close with the surrounding county, and when you leave the state trail, use legally marked routes only. The Oconto County trail report is the thing to check before every trip. Warm winters happen, and the trails can stay closed for long stretches when the base is thin.
Gillett Sno & ATV Riders, the local club, maintains more than 15 miles of trail around the city in both seasons. If you ride here often, joining or donating to the club is the easiest way to keep the local trails groomed and open.
Snow usually arrives in November and the riding season peaks in January and February. The month-by-month picture, including when the snow usually arrives in Gillett, helps you pick a weekend.
Spirits of Gillett and the Wildfire Trails bar at Sleepy Hollow both sit on trail access, which is what you want at the end of a cold day.
Frequently asked questions
Published September 28, 2026
