9 Things to Know About WinMan: Summer Edition

Like any trail system, the more you know, the more you can let loose and have fun. WinMan Trails is no different. Our staff got together and put together the 9 things you should know when visiting our trail system in the summer.

1. We Offer Something for Everyone

As our trail system has evolved and grown in popularity, we have worked on making this a place the entire family can enjoy together.

Mountain Biking

The most popular activity at WinMan year-over-year is mountain biking. With our rolling topography and diverse forests, you’re able to quickly escape into nature and have a blast doing so.

One of the most unique features of WinMan Trails is almost all our trails feature multiple riding options. Utilizing “A/B features” (see #7 below for more details) we provide purpose built riding options for various skill levels.

This allows better riders a chance to challenge themselves while still allowing beginner level riders an opportunity to have fun. With our intentional design, you can progress and challenge yourself as your abilities and confidence improves as a rider. Giving riders a great opportunity to work on becoming better at whatever is important to them.

We also offer more challenging trails such as Red Trail, High Five, and LAMBO Spur that are feature rich with drops, gaps, and jumps.

PRO TIP: Looking for a fun way to quickly become a better rider? Try one of our instructional mountain biking clinics offered throughout the summer by visiting our events page.

In the future we will continue to build and construct trails that are rideable by the entire family. However, we will also be adding more challenging features and trails for advanced riders. This allows our system to grow in both directions – opening the sport to more riders while challenging those who want it.

Hiking and Trail Running

Not a biker? We provide other opportunities to escape into nature too.

Easier hiking options can be found by sticking to our ski trails. These trails are wide and feature gradual uphill and downhill sections.

They are great for a leisurely stroll and work well for young families seeking outdoor adventures with small children or even while pushing their jogging stroller. They’re also excellent training grounds for cross-country runners to incorporate hill work into their routine with the ability to run for miles, fully uninterrupted.

If you want something a little more challenging, our snowshoe trails are excellent. They provide some more up and down with a steeper grade. They are also more narrow and give you a greater sense of being surrounded by nature.

PRO TIP: Make plans to visit in late-September through October to experience the changing colors of our diverse forests.

Heart of Vilas County Paved Trails

Did you know you can access over 50 miles of beautifully built and maintained paved trail right from our parking lot?

This spectacular trail, recognized as a National Recreation Trail, winds through the Northern Highland American Legion Forest and along crystal clear lakes and rivers. The trail system features smooth pavement suitable for all types of riders – from flat-to-rolling terrain, manageable hills, and multiple scenic bridges.

Along the trail are many scenic rest areas with picnic spots and restrooms. You will also find swimming spots for a quick cool down in the summer months.

So, explore the paved trails, while your family or friends, enjoy the off-road trails at WinMan. Then afterwards, meet up for a beer or glass of wine at the WinMan Bar open Friday through Monday from 10-5.

2. All Mountain Bike Trails are One-Way Singletrack

Let’s start by clarifying what we mean.

One-way is exactly as it sounds: one direction. Unlike some trail systems you may be familiar with, our entire system moves in just one direction.

Singletrack primarily refers to the width of the trails. Rather than incorporating multi-use hiking trails or logging roads, our trails have all been purpose built for mountain biking.

So what does this all mean for the riding experience?

• Even when the parking lot is full, you will see very few (if any) riders out on the trails. With everyone moving in one direction it minimizes rider interactions on the trails.
• You never have to ride with the fear that a biker will be coming towards you. This freedom of focusing on what you are doing, and having the most enjoyable experience you can, is very freeing.
• It allows us to design our trails specifically for movement in one direction. This may sound simple, but a jump, drop or berm, are best when they are designed to go in one direction. Trail systems that rely on two-way traffic are not afforded this luxury and must make compromises in their design.
• Navigating our system is more intuitive. In conjunction with our well signed and mapped trails, moving in one direction is more intuitive for the rider. Head over to our Mountain Biking page to learn more about our specific trails and to download a map.

3. All Our Trails Are Sport Specific

At WinMan, we’ve got summer covered with two distinct trail systems: mountain biking and hiking/trail running.

Each trail system is designed with its own unique path, ensuring minimal overlap and creating an optimal experience for all our adventurers. Here’s why our independent trail systems make WinMan your perfect summer escape: 

1. Bikers and hikers can each enjoy their trails without worrying about unexpected encounters. This means bikers can tackle the trails with gusto, while hikers can immerse themselves in the tranquil beauty of our forests. 
2. With sport-specific signage, there’s no confusion – just straightforward guidance tailored to your chosen adventure. This clarity enhances your experience, letting you focus on the trail ahead. 
3. Our expansive 1,300-acre property feels even more serene when visitors are naturally dispersed across different trails. This thoughtful design reduces crowding, offering everyone a slice of solitude in nature. 

Come experience the thrill and tranquility of WinMan this summer.  

4. Amenities

If you’ve ever visited WinMan Trails you already know. Our combination of wild-ness and comfort is truly amazing. If you are visiting for the first time know that we have just about everything you need on site to have an enjoyable visit.

Chalet

The chalet is open everyday from 7 AM – 9 PM. Featuring walls of windows you can enjoy comfortable breezes while avoiding the sun and bugs that like to call the Northwoods home. The chalet features:

• Restrooms
• Changing rooms
• Microwave and sink for food preparation
• Comfortable lounge seating
• Tables and benches for relaxing, playing a game, or enjoying lunch
• Free Starlink Wi-fi (we may just have the best remote working location in the Northwoods)
• Vending machine with food and snacks to keep you fueled and riding all day

Bike Wash

Our 4-station bike wash ensures your ride is clean of debris prior to leaving WinMan. Featuring a stone patio and hooks to hang your bike so that you can reach every nook and cranny.

The bike wash station also features an outdoor changing room so that you can be just as clean as your bike before visiting one of our great local restaurants after your ride.

PRO TIP: Did you know that washing your bike after a ride also helps reduce movement of invasive species? We do our best to remove any known invasive species on our trails but we certainly aren’t perfect. By washing your bike before and after your ride, you can help eliminate the transfer of an invasive species to other trail systems.

Gathering Spaces

In addition to the indoor gathering spaces of our chalet, we offer several options outside in WinMan Park.

• We have multiple picnic tables with umbrellas as well as a large, shaded seating and picnic area.
• We offer comfortable Adirondack chairs and custom-built benches to take a load off after a day on the trails. Hammock village features 3 hammocks and even more lounge seating under the canopies of the trees.
• Our kids nature playspace is a great choice for little adventurers with a slide, tunnels, and multiple surfaces to climb up and down to stimulate their imagination.
• Finally, we offer 2 fire pits, one of which is situated at our amphitheater seating wall. This is a great space for larger groups to gather, and capture that always necessary, group photo shot before leaving the trails.

WinMan Bar and Apparel Shop

Perhaps our most popular addition in the last few years was not a trail…but our bar. Let’s be honest, a hard day on the trails is always better when you can share a cold drink with some friends at the end.

We carry a variety of local craft beer, wine, and cocktails. We also have a large variety of non-alcoholic drinks to refuel and reenergize.

While you’re grabbing a drink, be sure to pick up some WinMan swag. We have some amazing shirts, hats, water bottles, sweatshirts, socks and more. Represent WinMan out in the wild and feel good about your purchase knowing 100% of the all the profits go directly into our trail building projects each year.

The Bar and Apparel Shop is open Friday through Monday from 10-5 during our peak summer season. You can also find all our apparel online which can be shipped directly to you or picked up for free from the Shop during normal hours.

5. We Allow Class 1 e-MTB on All Mountain Bike Trails

Let’s start by explaining what we mean.

Class 1 e-MTB are bikes that utilize a motor to assist with pedaling. This class is defined as being pedal-assist only, with no throttle, and having a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph (Wisconsin E-Bike Legislation).

E-Bikes are a great addition to the sport of mountain biking. They provide access to our trails, and into nature, for individuals new to the sport who may have not built up the necessary endurance. They also allow older riders to continue with the sport much longer than they would have otherwise.

In the end, trails are about having fun, challenging yourself, and getting out into nature. E-Bikes allow you to do all of that in spades.

6. You Can Ride at WinMan Even After it Rains

We have magic soil. It’s as simple as that.

Once the frost fully leaves the ground and the trails dry out from the spring melt, the vast majority of our trails never close again until winter. We do have a few trails (Gene Machine and LAMBO Spur in particular) which are more susceptible to closure, but otherwise the trails tolerate rain exceptionally well.

In the event we do need to close the trails for a period of time, we will post that on the trail conditions portion of our website. Another useful tool is our weather station located at the main trailhead (there is always a link at the the top of our website). It will provide you the most up-to-date information, including recent rainfall amounts so you can better plan your visit.

Our soil conditions are unique to the region because our trail system is built in the Winger Moraines. Millions of years ago the glaciers stopped in what is now WinMan Trails, leaving behind hills, ridges, and valleys for us to build trail on.

As the glacier melted about 10,000 years ago, the majority of sand was carried to the south helping create the beautiful lakes and shorelines of our region. What was left was just enough sand to make our trails drain beautifully along with plenty of clay, silt, rocks, and boulders.

FUN FACT: We are situated along the continental divide where rainwater that falls on the northern portion of our trails drains into Lake Superior and rainwater that falls on the southern portion drains into the Mississippi River.

This soil and rock combination allows us to build trail that is packed, fast and flowy but is also able to quickly shed water.

The result is some amazing trail that can be ridden all summer long even after it rains. What this really means is that when you can plan your visit, you can feel confident knowing that our trails will be open and ready for you!

7. Our Trails Feature A/B Options

Providing trails that are challenging and fun for experienced riders, while also approachable and safe for new riders, is something we really focus on. We accomplish this balance by providing what are called A/B features.

With all our trails being purpose built for mountain bike, we take the time and effort to give different riding options on the same trail.

• This allows mom to take the drop or rock feature while her kid rips along on the dirt trail.
• It allows experienced riders to introduce their friends to the sport of mountain biking by riding the same trail, and both still having a blast.
• It allows riders to progressively challenge themselves and always work on becoming better.
• It even allows entire families (like the one pictured above) to enjoy the trails together and all leave happy.

You can find out more by reading our full article on A/B features here.

8. WinMan Trails is 100% Supported by You

That’s right. We only exist, and continue to thrive, thanks to the generosity of our users and the community.

WinMan Trails is affectionately referred to as “a family trail system that got way out of control.” What began on a small parcel of privately owned land has grown into the 45+ mile trail system we enjoy today.

I encourage you to read the full Story of WinMan to appreciate all the time, dedication, and hard work so many individuals have put in to get us to where we are today.

In an effort to help fund our annual operating expenses, we’ve launched several programs and fundraising initiatives over the last 3 years.

Money raised goes towards everything that is needed to build and maintain our trails. From fuel to run equipment, to workers comp insurance for employees, to utilities for the chalet and shop. We encourage you to learn more about all the ways you can support WinMan.

9. Dog Friendly

Last but not least – all our trails are dog friendly! We know that your 4-legged friends want to get outside as much as you do. That is why all our summer trails are dog friendly.

A few ground rules so that everyone is safe and happy when visiting our trails.

1. We ask that your dog stay leashed while in the parking lot area. It is as much for their safety as it is for our other visitors.
2. Once you are on the trails, we allow dogs to be off-leash. We do remind visitors that our trails intersect at points. If your dog is apt to chase a passing mountain biker for instance, you may want to leave them on leash.
3. There is no poop fairy! We provide mutt-mitts at the main trailhead for your use and we ask that you please clean up after your dog and dispose of the bags properly once you return to the trailhead.

You can find even more detailed information by visiting our Dog Policy page. Thank you for helping us keep WinMan safe and dog friendly for everyone!

Even More….

Believe it or not, WinMan Trails has even more to offer than what we listed here. We have a progressive Skills Park and Pump Track at the main trailhead and we host events throughout the year like our Summer Kick-Off party Memorial Day weekend and our Jr. MTB Clinic in August. Plus so much more.

We invite you to explore our website – and our trails – to learn more about what we have to offer. If you ever have any questions, email us at [email protected].     

If you’re curious about visiting WinMan in the winter, check out our companion article: 9 Things to Know Before Visiting WinMan in the Winter.