The Dun-Good Riders formed in 2001 when individual clubs from Dunbar and Goodman, Wis., combined forces. The two clubs at that time each had history that went back 30 years.

Reabe, who is from Pembine, has been with the Dun-Good Riders since 2006 and has been president for the past five years.

He volunteers countless hours every year in a variety of tasks.

“I do a little bit of everything — grooming, helping with maintenance, trail work, putting up signs,” Reabe said. “Then there is rounding up volunteers, running maps and raffle tickets to business. There is always something.”

THE DUN-GOOD RIDERS’ club shed, where they store equipment for maintaining the ATV and snowmobile trails in their part of Marinette County, is at W11568 Highway 8 in Dunbar, Wis. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

An all-volunteer, non-profit organization with more than 230 members, many of them riders who come from all over the state and beyond to use the Dunbar and Goodman trail system, Reabe said they are fortunate to have a large number of active members. On average 30 people attend the Dun-Good Riders monthly meetings and 15 volunteer their time grooming the trails.

The club does year-round grooming and maintenance on about 70 miles of trails.

“We are fortunate a majority of our property is public land,” Reabe said. “We do have 12 private property owners that do provide us access to their property, which in comparison clubs down south will have as many as 300.”

Reabe said having so few private landowners makes things easier for the club because every year a new agreement has to be confirmed with each landowner for use of their property. He said it is important for landowners to be educated on their rights and make sure that they are comfortable.

“It costs a lot of money to cut a new trail in when you lose that private landowner and need to reroute a trail. It is easily anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000, depending on how far you have to go,” Reabe said. “Relationships with the private landowners are very critical.”

BRAD REABE OF the Dun-Good Riders stands next to the trail groomer at the club shed in Dunbar, Wis. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

It is equally important, he added, to have really strong relationships with area businesses such as bars and restaurants, as they are also advocates for the clubs.

While receiving money from business sponsors and membership dues, a majority of the funding the Dun-Good Riders operates on comes from their agreement with the State of Wisconsin to maintain the trails, money they only receive if they are out and actually grooming. The club billed $43,000 two years ago, but last year’s scant winter — in which the trails were open for a total of 10 days — only brought in $6,000.

While it is important for people to know that clubs like the Dun-Good Riders receive money from the state, the trails cost the average taxpayer nothing, he said. Money for the care of trails is generated through ATV and snowmobile registrations and trail passes.

During the summer trails are typically groomed twice a week and may be groomed more often in the winter. In addition to grooming, the club is also responsible for placing signage along the trails, a job that Reabe said is crucial for the safety of riders.

Club members also encourage safe operation of snowmobiles and ATVs by talking with riders when they are out on the trails.

THE DUN-GOOD RIDERS’ trail groomer in action in January 2023, when conditions were good in Marinette County. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

In addition to trail grooming and maintenance, Dun-Good Riders is a social club. In the winter, meetings take place at various business sponsors that often organize fundraisers for the club.

The next fundraiser will be a brat fry Feb. 1 at the 8-Hi Club in Goodman.

For more information on the Dun-Good Riders or to become a member, go to https://www.dungood.org or email Reabe at president@dungood.org. Cost is $30 a year for a snowmobile membership, $50 a year for the ATV membership and $60 for a combination membership.

Check the Dun-Good Riders Facebook page for trail updates and other club news at https://www.facebook.com/dungoodriders.