Outdoors report: Snow needed for trails; writers, artists invited to ‘Porkies’
IRON MOUNTAIN — Snowmobile trails in Vilas County, Wis., opened Friday with conditions reported as poor to fair, while some trails were described as “rideable” in the Upper Peninsula’s Iron County.
To the north, trails in the Munising area were reported as good to very good, according to uptravel.com.
Dickinson County trails remain closed for a lack of snow. The forecast calls for about an inch or less of snow locally this weekend.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reminds riders that two of the most common snowmobile crash contributors around the holidays are weak ice and impaired operation.
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The Michigan DNR on Thursday said it has closed a section of Snowmobile Trail UP16 in Iron and Dickinson counties due to a change in private land access.
The closure prevents a community trail connection between Crystal Falls and Sagola, the DNR said. The section of trail covers 6 miles from the Michigamme River along M-69 in Iron County to Sagola in Dickinson County.
For more, go to Michigan.gov/DNRClosures.
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Applications are being accepted for the Porcupine Mountains Artist-in-Residence Program for 2026 spring, summer and fall and 2027 winter residency periods. The Artist-in-Residence Program is open to artists and artisans whose work can be influenced by the wilderness setting of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park — also known as “the Porkies.”
The program offers writers, composers and all visual and performing artists an opportunity to experience the beauty of the Porkies and to express it through their art form. Each year a number of artists are selected for residencies lasting at least two weeks, including the use of a rustic cabin located on the Little Union River in the western U.P.
Applications are due Feb. 14 and materials can be found at the Friends of the Porkies web page at Porkies.org/Artist-in-Residence.
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During the month of December, customers who purchase a Wisconsin State Park System holiday gift package will have a chance to receive a 2026 12-month vehicle admission pass at no charge. The 12-month pass will be valid from Jan. 1, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2027.
Merchandise prices range from $1 to $40 for individual items. Gift packages are available for $45 and $100.
Find out more at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/newsroom/release/116546.
The Michigan DNR, meanwhile, has a “These Goods are Good for Michigan” program that features a collection of partners who provide revenue sharing for state parks, trails, waterways and other outdoor spaces. For more, go at https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/PUBLICATIONS/pdfs/thesegoods/.
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Michigan’s NotMISpecies webinars will return in 2026. The first webinar at 9 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday, Jan. 14, features Michael Hillary, fisheries biologist for the Michigan DNR, discussing invasive mussels.
Recorded versions of all previous webinars are available on the NotMISpecies webpage at https://www.michigan.gov/egle/outreach/webinar-series/notmispecies.





