ATV clubs resume trail riding as spring conditions improve in Otter Tail County
Spring riding returned May 1, but some Otter Tail County trails may still open late as thaw, flooding and maintenance slow the rollout around Perham and New York Mills.
ATV clubs are back on the trails in the Perham and New York Mills area as spring conditions improve, but riders are not getting a full green light everywhere at once. The Minnesota off-highway vehicle riding season opened May 1, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said some trails may open later than normal because of late spring thaw, flooding or trail maintenance work.
Otter Tail County saw the same thaw-driven caution on its roads. Spring highway weight restrictions ended May 1, 2026, although the signs remain in place until they are removed. For riders, that matters because trail access often depends on the same weather pattern that softens roads and delays work on trail surfaces, ditches and approaches.
Minnesota has more than 3,000 miles of grant-in-aid and DNR-managed off-highway vehicle trails, and ATV Minnesota says the state also has over 2,500 miles of designated State ATV Trails. The group represents 70 member clubs and thousands of members, and it says most trails are built and maintained by clubs through the DNR grant-in-aid system. Woods & Wheels ATV Club appears on ATV Minnesota’s member-club list and is tied to northwest Minnesota, giving the Perham area a direct local link to the broader trail network.
Riders need to know the rules before heading out. ATV Minnesota says an ATV must be registered, or the rider must have a trail pass, to ride on state or grant-in-aid trails. The DNR also requires ATV safety training for riders born after July 1, 1987. Anyone under 16 must complete the hands-on part of the safety training.
The return of traffic also sends riders back through the towns that sit near the trails, including Perham and New York Mills, where gas stations, restaurants and other small businesses stand to pick up the first wave of spring travel. That local traffic matters in a county where trail access, road conditions and small-town service stops are closely tied together.
The DNR has also set June 13-14, 2026, as statewide no-registration ATV ride days, another sign that the season is moving into full swing across Minnesota and across the routes that feed Otter Tail County.
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