Taking an ATV Vacation in New England
This vacation would begin in Connecticut, but since there are no public legal trails riding areas in the state of Connecticut. The only way ATV enthusiasts can enjoy trail riding here is to find a private area to ride or to break the law. Hopefully Connecticut will soon change this and allow ATVs riders the opportunity to enjoy what they have to offer on their public lands.
A New England ATV vacation will include Massachusetts where the first stop will be Pittsfield State Forest, located on the Massachusetts and New York border, outside of Pittsfield. Visitors here have the opportunity to enjoy 45 miles of trails. The next trails in Massachusetts are located at the October Mountain State Forest, located in the central Berkshires. ATVer’s will find 30 miles of trails outside of Lee, Massachusetts. Beartown State Forest is next on the ATV vacation through the New England area. Here visitors will encounter 25 miles of old logging roads that offer twists, turns, hills, rocks and roots and even some mud. The last stop in Massachusetts is Georgetown-Rowley State Forest. This is a small trail, only about 5 miles long, located close to I-95 off Route 97 in Northeastern Massachusetts. For more information, visit http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/grow.htm.
Rhode Island is much like Connecticut. There is no state funded land with ATV trails, so the only place to ride here is private land.
New Hampshire is the next state to visit after passing through Rhode Island. Here ATV enthusiasts will find many ATV trails to try their skills. Pisgah State Park, located on Route 119 west outside of Ashuelot in the Winchester area, offers 20 miles of trails that are perfect for any level of experience, from beginner to advanced. Rockingham Recreational Trail is the next place to visit. This is an 18-mile multi-use rail trail that goes from Windham Depot to Fremont. Hopkinton-Everett Reservoir, with its 18 miles of variable terrain is the next stop. This trail is located off Route 13 in Dunbarton. Follow the signs to the Stark Pond parking area, as there is no parking allowed along the road. The next trail to try out is the Sugar River Recreation Trail, which goes from Newport to Claremont is an 8-mile multi-use trail. The last location to visit in this state is Ammonoosuc Recreation Trail. This 20-mile multi-use trail travels from Littleton to Woodsville where gas and food are available. Success ATV trail is one more trail to try. This trail is a 20-mile trail located 7 miles from Berlin. For more information on these trails and more, visit http://www.nhatv.com/Maps/Maps.asp.
Vermont would be the next state on this ATV vacation in New England. Unfortunately, Vermont does not have public ATV trails, even though the government is working on it. There are, however, private lands to ride on. For more information concerning riding in this state, contact VASA (Vermont ATV Sportsman’s Association) at http://www.vtvasa.org/. This organization can answer all questions concerning riding in Vermont.
Maine is the last state to visit in New England. Maine is very ATV friendly as is evidenced by the miles of ATV trails. Crossing this state on an ATV vacation can easily be accomplished. The first stop will be 15 miles of trails known as Turner Property. This trail is located in the Turner area on Highway 4 and off Center Bridge Road on the Androscoggin River. After leaving the Turner Property Trail, the next stop is the Summerhaven Use Area, located 5 miles north of Augusta. This is a 7-mile loop, built around Tyler Pond and made up of single and double track trails. Riders here will enjoy the woods as well as two gravel pits and several side trails. The next trail to conquer is from Jay to Farmington, which is about 14 miles long. This trail is sandy and often rutted. The dense pine forest surrounding the trail adds to the enjoyment of this ride. The trailhead is located in the town of Jay. To get to it, stay on State Route 4 North until you pass the Municipal Building on the right, travel half a mile farther, then turn left on Old Jay Road just past the Knights of Columbus building. Then you will pass an auto body shop and the trail corridor, and then arrive at a small park where you can unload.
After enjoying this trail, our vacation trip heads next to Mount Blue State Park, where there are about 25 miles of ATV trails. Mount Blue State Park is located 14 miles northwest from Wilton off Maine Route 156 in Weld, Maine. This park is open year round and does charge a usage fee. The ATV trails located west of Greenville, Maine are next on the agenda. The local ATV club, Moosehead ATV Riders, maintains 43 miles of trails on the west side of Moosehead Lake along with a new connector trail from Burnham Pond Road around the backside of Squaw Mountain to Brochu Road. ATV riding is limited on Snowmobile ITS 88, located from Greenville Junction to the East Outlet from May, when the trails open, to December 15. Trailer parking is available at the Public Lands on the North Road. Traveling farther north, the next trail is the South LaGrange to Medford Trail, located northwest of Old Town, south of the Piscataquis River. This multi-use recreational trail is about 12 miles in length, is hard-packed gravel, and relatively flat. Duck Lake Unit is the next trail location. Duck Lake is located outside of Old Town, Maine. ATV enthusiasts will enjoy about 30 miles of maintained trails. Camping is also permitted here. Aroostook County Trails, located in northern Maine in the Van Buren area, are the last stop on this ATV trip through Maine. Visitors here will have the opportunity to enjoy about 75 miles of trails, plenty for any level of expertise. There are several different trails within these 75 miles. For maps of these trails in Maine, visit http://www.state.me.us/doc/parks/programs/ATV/atv_maps.html.
ATV riding in New England is very accessible in some areas and not at all in others. This is just some of the trails available. It would be best to contact each location before visiting, especially from state to state as each state has its own rules governing ATVs. Registration is required in each state, although it may vary, finding out the facts is better than getting the fine or impoundment that could occur should you get caught doing the wrong thing.
