there are no trails cant go anywhere anymore legally there is a railroad bed in fort that i live by and its locked up with gates and the only reason is because the man that owns it wants the state of maine to give him grant money for it thats the reason he bot it my question is what to do? there really is no other way to get into town i don't know much history about this rail bed i just know i need to do something or else im not going to be able to leave my driveway.

 

I'm guessing you're talking about just riding out of your driveway and to a place to ride. Many people here have that same dilemma. Any places you can trailer the atv to and ride?

 

Well i ride my atv everyday during the summer and i live 2 miles from being able to go anywhere but i use to just go down the rail bed (the only trail into town) but now i cant along with many other people and i would hate to trailer my atv just a few miles every day just because i cant use the rail road bed and when i leave my house i leave for the day so i dont really want to trailer it every day there has to be something i could do.

 

i just want to add all of northern maine people can leave there driveway and right onto a trail but now this guy has stopped me from doing this because hes looking to make some money.

 

So have you approached the person that owns the land, and asked if you could possibly cut through?

 

yes many times and he said no because he's liable if someone gets hurt ive offered to sign a waver so there was no liability and it was still no hes not a nice person at all.

 

The Maine Department in charge of ATVs can be called at 1-207-287-8000. I think they can tell you best what you might be able to do.

 

well call later today and see what they say.

 

Not 100% on this, but I'm pretty sure unless he does something to make a dangerous situation, he isn't responsible if someone gets hurt doing something stupid. Maine has pretty good laws that protect landowners from people suing them of their own stupidity. I'm not sure they he can own that rail bed either.

 

I have land in VT where a snowmobile/ATV trail goes through. If the landowner bought the land with a right of way going through it, I don't think he can close the right of way. I would think a rail bed would be considered a right of way. On the flip side it's pretty aggravating to go on the trail that goes through your property and find trash and areas where people have gone off trail and tore things up.