Rangers Warn Low Snow Driving Vehicles onto Groomed Snowmobile Trails, Causing Damage

State law enforcement officers called for safety in Utah’s outdoors Monday, saying the lack of snow has led drivers to take their cars and SUVs onto groomed snowmobiling trails, creating unexpected hazards.

PARK CITY, Red signs that read "no wheeled vehicle over 800 lbs." were posted near multiple trail entrances Monday at the Soapstone Complex off the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway after rangers and officers observed automobiles entering areas normally reserved for snowmobiles. Ranger Riese Lutz said, that was one area of concern recently, along with other snowmobiling hotspots in Wasatch County.

Officials attribute the behavior to unusually low snow this winter, which has left some routes with thin cover and exposed tread. The presence of cars and SUVs on groomed corridors interrupts normal trail use and, according to the public messaging issued, creates conditions that snowmobile operators and other winter recreationists may not expect.

The immediate implications are practical and local. Groomed snowmobile trails are designed and maintained for tracked vehicles; they have set widths, packed surfaces and patrol patterns that assume snowmobile traffic. When wheeled vehicles enter those corridors, safety risks rise for riders and for drivers unfamiliar with winter trail etiquette. The reported placement of weight-restriction signs at the Soapstone Complex is an attempt to limit further incursions while conditions remain marginal.

The reporting available did not include counts of incidents, citations, injuries or assessments of trail damage. No specific state agency beyond the general reference to state law enforcement officers was named in the public advisory, and the fragments of reporting did not identify which agency installed the posted signs or detailed any enforcement plan. Local and state managers of Mirror Lake Scenic Byway access and Soapstone Complex facilities were not quoted with follow-up information in the material reviewed.

For Summit County residents and visitors, the situation highlights a care point for winter travel and recreation: posted trail restrictions and ranger advisories reflect current conditions that can change rapidly when snowpack is thin. Snowmobile operators should be alert for nonstandard hazards on packed routes, and drivers should avoid entering groomed corridors, especially where signage restricts wheeled vehicles to under 800 lbs.

Reporting to date indicates this issue circulated across local outlets around Feb. 9–10, 2026. Further confirmation is needed on agency responsibility for the signs, any enforcement actions taken, and whether trail grooming operations have been altered in response. In the near term, heed posted warnings at Soapstone and along the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, give snowmobile trails a wide berth, and contact local public-safety offices or county officials for the latest trail-condition updates.