I am wondering how other states regard the use of ATV's on snowmobile trails. It is my understanding here in NH, ATV's can run on sled trails that are gromed using state funds. I have been a snowmobiler for a long time, and I don't personally think that ATV's do any more damage to the trails than High performance sleds provided the snow is packed and firm. The problem around here is, in the eyes of the average snowmobiler ATV riders are worse than criminals. I don't even enjoy the short rides around my home in the winter, for fear of being screamed at by a bunch of angree sledders. Its that bad. I'm just wondering how it is in other states. I sold my sled for something that I could use year round, but maybe I was wrong.

 

I kive in goffstown NH and there is a place around here called Bear Brook that is only open in the winter and both atvers and snowmobeelers can use the trails it is a phat place to ride if you have 4x4 .

 

I don't think you'll find many places that have groomed trails that allow atv's on them. I agree with you that most of the time an atv does no more damage then a high performance snowmobile, and less than a deep-lug track. But on the rare occasion when they do screw up the trails, they really screw them up.

 

I agree that 4-wheelers don't do much more damage than the average sled provided that they give the trails a day or two the stiffen up after a dump of snow. I used to ride my 4-wheeler on the trails before I got into sledding. I'm now on my third sled in 5 years. Atv's are OK on the trails, it just the odd retard that isn't...

 

dude thats where i ride my quad most of the year. Theres snow on the ground for 9 months or somthing. It doesnt seem to do any extra dammage.

 

it's illegal here in PA, they will kick you off and gfet you for trespasing on the groomed sled trails!

 

There aren't too many snowmobilers who
like ATVs on THEIR trails. My 500 lb.
machine with rubber tires is going to
ruin the trail but their 600+ lb.
snowmobiles with titanium studs won't
hurt it a bit! I've got 45 HP and they
have twice that and up but I'm barred
from THEIR trails.

We should all work together on trails
but they don't like us ATVers. They've
been around longer but are smaller in
numbers. They should open their clubs
and trails to ATV riders. I think there
is plenty of room for us ALL. Maybe
someday they will realize we aren't
their enemy after all. There are way
more ATVs sold each year so we out
number them for sure. I'm thinking of
buying a sled so I can join a club and
try to get a few to see we're not so bad.

 

I forgot to relay this true story of a
land owner who allowed snowmobile trails
on his 200 acres. He was on his own
land one day with his ATV when snowmobile
riders saw him and let him have it for
being out on his ATV, on THEIR trails!
Sad tale but true, now why can't we all
just get along?

 

zeebo, I know about Bear Brook, but how do the sledders treat you ATVers. I Read the posts on Trail conditions.com, mainly because I still do some sledding up north and want to know the conditions before I make the trip, and Bear Brook has been mentioned many times. Its always the same story, the sledders are *issed off that ATV's are allowed to ride there. Around my area there isn't a legal place to ride atv's in the warm months( I know there are a ton of trails), and the state only offers 8 trail systems that are legal. I guess I'm just mad because us atvers pay the same registration fees as snowmobilers, and get only 8 crumby trails to call our own( the rockingham county trail is a perfect example), while snowmobilers get thousands of miles of groomed trails to choose from. Who's Registration money maintains those sled trails? Any one who registers an OHRV, thats who. So my money( and yours )is being spent to maintain snowmobile trails that snowmobilers want kept off limits to ATV's. I would go so far as to say there are more atv's registered here than snowmobiles these days, it seems every ones got one, and that probably 80-90% of the money from OHRV registrations goes to maintain snowmobile trails. Oh well, I'm done spouting off, and remember to use hand signals while riding on snowmobile trails. I know all the sledders do, but how come they only put up one finger when theres three more sleds behind them. I must be missing something!

 

I think this post got started because of me, for those of you who havn't herd my story, I live in Mass and after riding on an Un-groomed trail in a state park with my friend for about an hour and a half a snowmobiler came along and told me that the EPA was lookling for me and him for about 45 min. I didn't want to take the chance of getting my ATV impounded I had to leave. The trails there are closed to ATVs durring the summer so that means I pay $60 every other year to not be able to ride there at all, and all those snowmobilers can... We need clubs around here or something...