PRESS RELEASE

OHSC ORV Trails finally Designated.

After being maintained for ORVs for almost 10 years, Ogemaw Hills Snowmobile Trails are finally officially DNR designated ORV routes : The Ogemaw Hills ORV Route.

If you have wondered why the normally finely graded ORV trails from Frank Alley Park west to St. Helen and east to M-33, were untouched after a sketchy snow season, here is the answer.

In July 2023 the Ogemaw Hills Snowmobile Club was informed that the trails we had been maintaining for ORV use were not “DNR designated ORV trails”, and therefore not eligible for maintenance and reimbursement. After filing DNR paperwork and documentation, including maps, mileage, gps coordinates, culverts, bridges, creek crossings, and road commission permissions, the trail data went to nine DNR departments for approval in December. One section of Trail 6 that went through the Kirkland warbler nesting area had to be re-routed when the proposal hit the Fish and Wildlife department.

The 77 miles of trail from St. Helen to M-33 are now eligible for signing, brushing and grading by the Ogemaw Hills Snowmobile Club. The Club does not maintain the rest of its snowmobile trails east of M33 for ORV use because it is on Federal Forest land. We DO maintain it for snowmobiling.

Work to get the trails back into reasonable riding shape will begin VERY soon. Nothing had been done to the trail tread since July 2023 except snow grooming.

Our John Deere 7410 tractor that is used to grade the ORV trails is even sporting new tires, thanks to a grant from Yamaha’s Outdoor Access Initiative.

No word on when the trail designation will be updated on the DNR mapping system.

The Ogemaw Hills Snowmobile Club is located at the Frank Alley Park trailhead at the corner of Fairview and Rose City Roads north of West Branch.