Sandwiched between the Minneapolis/St. Paul Twin Cities Metropolitan Area and the Minnesota border with Wisconsin, Washington County has long been an area of notable transitions.
From the true suburban feel on its west side through some central farm fields to the touristy and quaint river towns on the east, the county is rather diverse and gifted with an interesting landscape.
But as its population has doubled since 1990 to now include more than 280,000 residents, keeping its snowmobile trail system together in an era of massive subdivision sprawl is ultra challenging.
Thank heavens for the Washington County Star Trail Snowmobile Alliance! The 50-year-old club has done an amazing job of keeping the county’s 140-mile groomed network as intact as possible. That gives residents and visitors alike a chance to enjoy Minnesota’s great outdoors in the winter while exploring the county’s many hidden gems.
Learn more from the answers to our questions provided by club member Andy Michels. To have your club considered for exposure in the magazine (like this article that was first published in the October 2024 issue of Snow Goer), fill out our information form at https://tinyurl.com/GreatSnowClub . And if you don’t currently belong to a great club like this one? It’s time to step up and join one!
What are the best in-season club activities that make membership fun?
“Our clubs host a few events throughout the year including a couple vintage shows/rides – our largest is the ‘Dust ’em Off.’ Then we also have a grassroots backyard fun event called Beatercross.”
What is your club’s best off-season event or activity?
“Many members gather for boat rides and we also do motorcycle rides together throughout the year – especially locally to support snowmobile-friendly businesses.”
What’s your club’s best means for finding new members in recent years?
“New activities attract young riders. For example, when we added Beatercross, it brought on 30 to 40 members immediately to the club.”
How do you make new members or prospective new members feel welcomed in your club?
“By keeping them involved in club rides and activities. Once you meet the folks who ride, you go out of your way to meet them outside of the clubhouse. Most of us are gearheads year-round, so we form friendships that last throughout the year.”
One interesting thing that our club does for the good of the sport and the community is…
“Our work with our chartable gambling arm extends beyond snowmobiling. We aim to include local charities and folks in the community who need help. We volunteer in the summer for several non-club related activities to ensure awareness of the fact that snowmobiling is an active ingredient to our community.”
Overall, the thing that makes our club great is…
“We are the last gateway on the northeast side of the Twin Cities. From our club, anyone can access any trail in the state. Even though we’re located just 20 miles from downtown St. Paul, our members can leave on multi-state rides right from their homes. We are a club that fights for the trails by working with developers, cities, counties, road committees and others. We have relationships intact and we spread that message to ensure our sport stays alive in this area.”
INFO
Washington County Star Trail Snowmobile Alliance
Stillwater, Minnesota
Established: 1973
Total members: 175
Miles of trails maintained: 178
Contact: Startrail.org or Washington County Star Trail Snowmobile Association on Facebook
