(WWJ) While many Michiganders may lament the cold and snow every winter, others relish the opportunity to bust out their snowmobiles.
Now the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is giving Michiganders the chance to do it for free as it debuts its free snowmobiling weekend.
This allow Michigan snowmobilers to operate their machines Feb. 11-12 without the requirement of a snowmobile registration or trail permit, which usually costs $82.
The Michigan Legislature approved bills requiring the DNR to offer the weekend, saying it will “allow experienced riders to bring along friends new to the sport who may get hooked on the experience for a lifetime.”
Of course, many Michiganders will have to travel north to find a decent amount of snow.
But DNR officials in the Upper Peninsula say there is plenty of snow on the trails up there.
Snowmobiling is popular in Michigan with about 130,000 to 140,000 trail permits sold every year.
"Free Snowmobiling Weekend is a great opportunity for those that haven’t dusted off their snowmobiles to jump on the trails," said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “It’s also a great time for out-of-state visitors to come explore thousands of miles of trails."
Michigan also offers Free ORV and Free Fishing weekends each year.
DNR officials say during these weekends the requirement of a license, registration or trail permit is suspended, but operators and anglers must still adhere to all regulations and rules governing these activities.
More information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including trail maps can be found at Michigan.gov/Snowmobiling.
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