SEASONAL ROADS / ORV

SEASONAL ROADS

SEASONAL ROADS OPEN

At the November 14, 2025, Board Meeting, the Emmet County Road Commission reported that all Seasonal Roads in the county are now passable following the ice storm that impacted the area earlier this year.

List of ALL Emmet County Seasonal Roads

Seasonal roads are the unpaved trails and back roads that provide access to some seasonal homes and/or recreational activities on or near lakes, rivers, woods, and trails. Seasonal roads are not typical road beds and are often narrow, swampy, and can often be difficult to navigate. Seasonal roads are not designated to handle a lot of traffic and require slow speeds.

MAINTENANCE OF SEASONAL ROADS

Michigan has a law that describes how seasonal roads are maintained by local road commission. The statute reads that a seasonal road will not be maintained from the months of November through April. Furthermore, it reads, seasonal roads will not be open to public traffic during this time. We do not enforce any closure. Routine maintenance generally consists of grading once or twice per year, typically late spring through early fall. The Road Commission does not provide winter maintenance or plowing on Seasonal Roads. Property owners need to perform their own snow removal. "Seasonal Road" signs are placed on all roads designated as seasonal county roads.

If a seasonal road is used as an access road for commercial transport trucks, the road shall be maintained by the permit holder or user in a condition equal to or better than the road prior to use by said vehicles. The reason for this maintenance requirement is that seasonal roads are unimproved, in so far as they lack adequate base to support commercial truck traffic, and can become impassable to the public.