Two snowmobile trails will be temporarily closed in the western U.P.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Parks and Recreation officials today announced two snowmobile trail closures, one in Gogebic County and one in Dickinson County:

Snowmobile Trail #11 South (Gogebic County)

This trail, which connects the communities of Wakefield, Mich., and Winchester, Wis., will be closed for the season. A reroute is not available. The trail is being closed due to logging operations on private land. The DNR and the Gogebic Range Trail Authority will work together in hopes of reopening the trail for next snowmobile season. For this season, snowmobilers are encouraged to use Snowmobile Trail #1 between Marenisco, Mich., and Presque Isle, Wis., as an alternate route.

NOTE: Snowmobile Trail #11 North between Wakefield and Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park will not be affected by this closure.

Snowmobile Trail #2 (Dickinson County)

A stretch of Snowmobile Trail #2 located between Iron Mountain and Furnee Lake is temporarily closed until mid-January 2014 due to logging operations on private land. Trail #2 is a major east-west connector route and no alternate route is available during the closure.

“The closure of Trail #2 will, unfortunately, leave snowmobilers unable to access Iron Mountain businesses until mid-January,” said DNR recreation specialist Ron Yesney. “We continue to work with the Tri-County Snowmobile Club and private landowners to avoid future trail closures and identify reroutes when possible.”

For further information regarding these closures, contact Ron Yesney at 906-228-6561.

To learn more about snowmobiling in Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling.