Many state-designated snowmobile trails in Alcona County are temporarily closed due to safety challenges caused by heavy, wet snow that blanketed the area Saturday, Dec. 12.
Trees and branches, weighed down by the heavy snow, broke and fell onto trails, creating hazardous obstacles. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Huron-Manistee National Forest and the Alcona County Parks and Recreation Department have determined that riding conditions are unsafe at this time.
Snowmobile Trails No. 96 (west of Trail No. 665), 961, 962, 963, 964, 966 and 971 will remain closed until the debris is cleared, and reroutes will not be identified due to the widespread impact of the snow on trails throughout the region. It’s estimated that it will take up to two weeks for the grant sponsor, Alcona County Parks and Recreation, to safely clear the trails. Closure signs and blockades will be removed as trails are cleared and deemed safe for riding.
“We ask that snowmobilers respect the closures and allow the grant sponsors to safely clear debris from the county-wide trail system,” said Paige Perry, DNR Parks and Recreation Division trails specialist. “In the meantime, riders are encouraged to ride the region’s other snowmobile trails until Alcona County is re-opened.”
Perry also conveyed that cleanup efforts have been a collaborative effort. Alcona County Parks and Recreation is working tirelessly to clear the trails, Huron-Manistee National Forest and DNR staff have been surveying trails and the neighboring grant sponsor, Iosco County Parks and Recreation, is helping clear debris so that portions of Snowmobile Trail No. 96 can stay open.
For the latest information on trail and other facility closures, visit Michigan.gov/DNRClosures.
