Michigan’s ORV season is sputtering at its start with wet, chilly conditions on the west side and dangerously damaged trails up north. But the state’s thousands of miles of trails are clearing out for avid riders.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is making headway in clearing hundreds of trail miles impacted by ice storm damage in Northern Michigan.
The DNR has been able to safely clear 269 miles of trail in the storm-affected area so far. There are still 1,112 miles of trail closed for storm cleanup as of April 17.
As trails clear, the DNR is updating its interactive ORV trail map, here.
RELATED: Want to help aid ice storm cleanup? DNR sets up volunteer network
All motorized and nonmotorized trails in the 12-county disaster area remain closed with the exception of Mackinac County in the Upper Peninsula.
Those U.P. trails reopened on April 17, said Ami Van Antwerp, DNR communications specialist.
More than 50 temporary trail closures and reroutes were still listed on April 17.
The DNR is planning a phased reopening over the next few weeks as it works with local agencies and the Michigan Army National Guard to clear fallen trees and debris.
“Please be patient and look for new opportunities to ride in areas that are open. We are working diligently to assess trails and to develop a plan to reopen,” said Greg Kinser, DNR Lower Peninsula Trails Coordinator.
Along Lake Michigan, ORV riders can trade in dirt for sand and cruise down Silver Lake Sand Dunes instead.
The state park is home to one of Michigan’s six scramble sites and the only sand dune riding opportunity east of the Mississippi River, according to the DNR.
RELATED: ORV season is here. What to know before cruising Silver Lake Sand Dunes
Heading into the season, ORV licenses and permits were both up compared to last year, according to DNR data.
Year-to-date, 16.9% more ORV licenses and 5.6% more ORV trail permits were sold from October to March.
Those sales happened Oct. 1 2024 to March 31, 2025, mostly before the storm knocked much of Northern Michigan from March 28-30.
Last year’s full season was also on the rise, although only marginally. Compared to 2023, ORV license and permit sales were up about 3% each.
Last year’s sales of over 308,000 licenses inched closer to 2021’s high of more than 313,000 licenses.
After 2021, license sales dipped just below the 300,000 mark for several years.
Even so, ORV riders have become a dominant force on the trails as weak, warm winters chip away at Michigan’s snowmobiling community.
Michigan’s return to winter gave snowmobiling permits a big boost this year.
From October 1 to March 31, there were 150,201 trail permits sold, according to Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
That represents a 59.9% increase from last year’s below average turnout of less than 100,000 permits.
RELATED: Michigan’s return to winter boosted snowmobiling permits by 60%
An ORV license is $26.25 and is required to ride eligible county roads, frozen surface of public waters, state forest roads (open to ORV use) and eligible national forest roads.
A $10 ORV trail permit, is required in addition to your ORV license when operating on state-designated ORV trails and scramble areas.
The ORV license and the ORV trail permit are both valid for one year, which begins April 1 and ends March 31 of the following year.
Fees generated through the sale of ORV licenses and trail permits are reinvested back into the ORV system. Funds help pay for trail brushing, signage, maintenance, bridge and culvert construction, maintenance of trailhead amenities among other expenditures, according to the DNR.
Licenses and trail permits can be purchased online and mailed to you, here.
Or purchase in-person at a DNR station or retailer, which can be found here.
Find more details about what vehicle types are permitted and the paperwork needed, here. Need a visual? Check out a flow chart from the DNR, here.
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