Warm weather might be behind a rise in wheeled vehicles using snowmobile paths
Jan 19, 2026, 6:13 PM
Snowmobiling on the 50,000 acre Thousand Peaks Ranch, east of Oakley, Utah , Feb. 10, 2004. (Tom Smart, Deseret News)
(Tom Smart, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — There has been a rise in vehicles with wheels using groomed snowmobile trails, and the warm weather might be partly to blame.
Captain Chases Pili with the Utah Department of Natural Resources said it has been getting two to four reports of regular cars on these groomed trails per weekend, when, on a regular snow year, it would see around two per month.
He said usually those grooming the trails have enough snow to create a tall berm, making it obvious when a road is closed to other vehicles. But this year, the low snow might make the paths more tempting, or even confusing for those not looking for “snowmobile only” signs.
“They may be more willing, or maybe not knowing that these trail systems may be closed for snowmobile use right now,” Pili said.
It can take up to 13 hours to groom a snowmobile trail, according to Pili, and when these wheeled vehicles come through, it adds hours of repair for trail workers.
“When these snow cats are grooming these nice corduroy trails, when they have these ruts that they need to fix, it’s extremely difficult,” Pili said. “Sometimes they just focus on repairing the trail so much that they can’t get to the rest of the trail system.”
The deep ruts also pose a danger to snowmobiles, potentially causing crashes and other issues. Not to mention, drivers of wheeled vehicles caught on snowmobile trails could face heavy fines and a hefty tow fee if they get stuck.
Cody Sargent, president of the Utah Snowmobile Association, said the community is taking the damage to the trails “pretty hard.”
“We have a really limited time that we’re able to ride,” he said. “You take a bad snow year like this, that puts a damper on it, makes the year even shorter. And then when you have people go out and chew up the trails, that’s taking away from how limited time it is.”
He encourages anyone who sees a wheeled vehicle on a snowmobile trail to report it to the DNR’s UTip line at 1-800-662-3337.
While Sargent said he understands drivers of wheeled vehicles wanting to enjoy the trails, ultimately, he wants people to be respectful of them.
“We understand those people want to get out and enjoy it, but we just ask them to be respectful of us trying to enjoy the winter and help spread the word through their communities,” he said.
To stay caught up with Utah’s off highway vehicle laws, visit the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation’s website.
Contributing: Devin Oldroyd, KSL
