[mainehunter]

DrMud planted the seed on my Trail Jelousy thread to plan a 3 or 4 day ride here in Maine, and I think it's a great idea. The land we ride on is about 90% privately owned by forest products companies, blueberry growers and the like. No huge tracts of BLM land or National Forest land here. There are dozens of atv clubs whose members work hard to maintain landowner relations, trails, etc. Due to the dense forest and topography the majority of the riding is on old twitch trails, camp roads, and current logging roads. There will be tight, rough mucky trails, open gravel road trail, public road atv access connectors, low bogs, high ridges, etc. Not a lot of wide open vistas like out west, of course, but there will be areas with nice views. You might see moose, deer, loons, ducks, bobcat, or nothing! There are about 6000 miles of designated atv trail in Maine, so we have a lot to choose from. It would be cool to show a few of you that have never been to the north woods what it's like up here. So I am starting to gather up trail maps, contact clubs, etc. to see what might make for a great ride if some of you guys can make it up here next year. When I get 2 or 3 good options put together, I'll add to this thread with links to the clubs, lodging, etc. I am currently thinking about one of three options. A good loop here in eastern Maine which would be the most "family friendly" riding I think.Or, up in the Moosehead Lake area, or over around the western mountain area near Rangeley with the right planning there can be some more challenging sections of trail with plenty of easy riding as well. I'm already getting pretty cranked up about it! Hope we can pull it off.

 

[thetruck454]

I'm going up To Rangeley the weekend of October 21/22 with my GF and her parents, hope to get some good tough miles in.

 

[mainehunter]

I'm going up To Rangeley the weekend of October 21/22 with my GF and her parents, hope to get some good tough miles in.

Cool, keep us posted on how everything is. I have ridden snowmobile in the Bingham/Forks/Jackman area, awesome. Also up in the Greenville/Moosehead area, awesome as well. If the atv'ing in the western mountain area is as good as the snowmobiling, it should be grand.

 

[RansomP]

Man that sounds fun. I wonder how far it is from Missouri to Maine? LOL I’ll definitely be watching this thread!


Edit

Holy smokes! From Missouri to Moosehead Lake is 1687 miles!

 

[Blklab]

Man that sounds fun. I wonder how far it is from Missouri to Maine? LOL I’ll definitely be watching this thread!


Edit

Holy smokes! From Missouri to Moosehead Lake is 1687 miles!

X2 on the 1687 miles but it sounds like a good time. "it400" and I are already talking about what our next big trip will be after Taylor Park.

 

[mainehunter]

Yup, it's a pretty long poke. That's where the old Maine saying comes from " you can't get thayuh from heyah" !! Also why in all these many years, I still have yet to have the right combination of money and time off to come out there for a deer hunt! But, I hope some of you guys can make it. I'm leaning pretty hard toward either the Greenville area, or the Rangely area. I have downloaded the maps of the Moosehead Lake/Greenville trails and I am waiting for the president of the club over in Rangely to get back to me. When I figure out the best looking loop, I'll get it on the forum. I am assuming that folks will want to bring stuff with them so they can spend one or two nights at some lodging along the trail so we can make a big loop. That is what I am going to try to map out.

 

[thetruck454]

Yup, it's a pretty long poke. That's where the old Maine saying comes from " you can't get thayuh from heyah" !! Also why in all these many years, I still have yet to have the right combination of money and time off to come out there for a deer hunt! But, I hope some of you guys can make it. I'm leaning pretty hard toward either the Greenville area, or the Rangely area. I have downloaded the maps of the Moosehead Lake/Greenville trails and I am waiting for the president of the club over in Rangely to get back to me. When I figure out the best looking loop, I'll get it on the forum. I am assuming that folks will want to bring stuff with them so they can spend one or two nights at some lodging along the trail so we can make a big loop. That is what I am going to try to map out.

Could you send me the contact info for the rangeley club? Also where were you able to download the Greenville/moosehead trails from? I'm headed up to Rangeley in a couple weeks and don't have much info on the trails.

 

[mainehunter]

Could you send me the contact info for the rangeley club? Also where were you able to download the Greenville/moosehead trails from? I'm headed up to Rangeley in a couple weeks and don't have much info on the trails.

Go to atvmaine.com. They list all the member clubs with contact info, websites, etc. Many clubs have downloadable maps, some you have to call or email and have them mail to you. The club in Greenville has downloadable maps for that area. I emailed the club president over in Flagstaff for maps of that area.

 

[mainegrizz660]

I am game been a while since i met any of GC members

 

[mainehunter]

Well, I'm not a computer whiz, as many of you have probably deduced from some of my wacky posts. I just tried to copy and paste, nope, and then tried to drag and drop the maps I have downloaded, nope, this thing says the file is too large. Don't bother to try to explain how to do it, you might as well speak Japanese to me, I would have the same chance of understanding it, Ha, Ha!! So, as I work on this, I'll just post the contacts so anyone that wants to can go to them directly.

 

[mainehunter]

Correction, I meant atvmaine.org

 

[mainehunter]

Maine ATV Trails
An amazing network of trails makes it possible for ATV riders to travel throughout much of Maine. Trails include multi-use and multi-use rail trails through scenic recreation and wildlife areas. Be on the lookout for other trail users and wildlife on the trail. Check out our Trail Maps and Club pages to get started on Maine Trails.

Trail Maps

State ATV Trail Map - to request a copy to be mailed to you:
Call (207) 287-2751
In your message please provide:
Your Name
Postal Address
Phone Number

 

[mainehunter]

Rangeley Maine ATV Trail Riding - Rangeley-Maine.com


This is a great resource. Read the whole thing and you will find great descriptions of the entire area, instructions on contacts to purchase maps, lodging, etc.

 

[rick]

I used to ride Maine every year, Bingham,forks, jack an,Greenville. Then I started riding New Hampshere and been riding there ever since. I liked Maine but NH had better trails and less dirt roads and you are truly in the mountains. The trails are marked very well, you can't get lost. Maine atving is out in the middle of nowhere and the trail signs are terrible. Definitely bring extra gas. Gas stations are far and few in between. If you're not the lead guy you have to ride way back or wear a dust mask. Definitely outer skins for intake.if you live in Maine and haven't checked out the great white north NH you should check it out. I live in RI .

 

[mainehunter]

Could you send me the contact info for the rangeley club? Also where were you able to download the Greenville/moosehead trails from? I'm headed up to Rangeley in a couple weeks and don't have much info on the trails.

Rangeley Maine ATV Trail Riding - Rangeley-Maine.com

 

[mainehunter]

Could you send me the contact info for the rangeley club? Also where were you able to download the Greenville/moosehead trails from? I'm headed up to Rangeley in a couple weeks and don't have much info on the trails.

Moosehead ATV Riders

This is the club that has downloadable maps for the area from Moosehead Lake over towards Jackman and The Forks.

 

[mainehunter]

I am game been a while since i met any of GC members

Awesome. Have you ridden either the Moosehead or Rangeley area? Which one would you pick if you wanted to show some of our friends from away the best time? I'm thinking that the Rangeley trails have the most views from up on ridges, but I may be mistaken.

 

[mainehunter]

I used to ride Maine every year, Bingham,forks, jack an,Greenville. Then I started riding New Hampshere and been riding there ever since. I liked Maine but NH had better trails and less dirt roads and you are truly in the mountains. The trails are marked very well, you can't get lost. Maine atving is out in the middle of nowhere and the trail signs are terrible. Definitely bring extra gas. Gas stations are far and few in between. If you're not the lead guy you have to ride way back or wear a dust mask. Definitely outer skins for intake.if you live in Maine and haven't checked out the great white north NH you should check it out. I live in RI .

There is a lot of dirt logging road riding here. Reason being, the logging companies have made a spider web of tote roads here for a 100 years or more. Since most of the land belongs to them, and they have already spent millions on making the roads, they are not real keen on us trying to cut new "trails" to ride on. Besides, the amount of work, time and expense of cutting trail in this rocky, boggy, dense forest is way more than most people are up for. With some planning and a little luck, you can usually ride not long after some rain which of course helps with the dust(except for this summer, no rain!). All of the signage on the trails are done by volunteers in the clubs. Most of them have families and work full time jobs, so if the signage gets a little aged sometimes, well you just have to be self-sufficient. It's much more helpful and engenders better feeling all around to state the positives about you're own riding area instead of the negatives about someone else's home area.

 

[mainegrizz660]

Awesome. Have you ridden either the Moosehead or Rangeley area? Which one would you pick if you wanted to show some of our friends from away the best time? I'm thinking that the Rangeley trails have the most views from up on ridges, but I may be mistaken.

i havet riden that north i always ride in waterboro but def would like to go north

 

[rick]

Didn't mean to come across so negative. I like Maine and rode it extensively for several years. I enjoyed jackman and the forks the best.it was a little more mixed riding-there. I can only suggest you plan a trip to Errol ,NH. It's central to some very long loops and about 70% Atv trails with a few dirt roads and tar. You ride in some pretty high elevations with some great picturesque stops . A closer weekend trip is Gorham/Berlin ,NH . Puts you on 100 miles of mountain trails and a long scenic trail out to Errol.(Success Trail).