Seems like the last two years there has been a push to reduce OHRV riding here in southern NH. It seemed to have started when contractors built houses near the state trails in windham. For a rider that would be heaven, but unfortunately the people who bought them arent. so because they bought these new expensive homes and obviously didnt check the local before they did, they quickly decided to go before the town and complain about the noise and have been trying to get rid of the riding all together. Just this past year, the windham depot controversey, swung to their favor and now limmits have been put to the number of people who can park and ride at the depot.

Next the town of salem was reviewing an ordance to ban snowmobiles and atvs from the frozen lakes and ponds. Fortunately that didnt seem to fly but because of a person (only one person) who just recently moved to one of the lakes was unhappy about the noise decided to put forth the suggestion for the ordance. I mean really, when you live on a lake, your bound to get noise... its all about recreation, thats why people move to be on lakes...

Last year, I was told that riding the side of rt 111 is no longer going to be allowed. People, including myself, have been riding 111 for over 15 years and had never once been told not to ride there, infact, it was the contrary. I used to talk to some of the police all the time at the gas stations off of 111, some of them were riders themselves. again, new homes right near the highway are to blame. People dont want to here the noise. (but they buy a house with a highway in its back yard... go figure) Never the less, that is what was told to me by the police.

Now yesterday I read in the local paper that the NHDOT is looking to claim and or reclaim the old rail road beds from the methuen/salem line and go all the way up to concord for a bicycle trail. sounds good till you remember, the same beds they are looking to claim are the ones already being used as the legal state trails for southern NH. I know they are looking to go north to south and the state trails go east and west but quite a bit of those trails overlap and based on the projections, they overlap alot.

lastly, the state raised its fee for OHRV registration by double of last years rates, now they plan to reduce the area to ride.

So, that is a brief history of the impending doom of riding in southern NH.

If anyone lives in the hudson to kingston, derry to salem areas, cotact the NHDOT and tell them that you dont want what little riding area we have left taken away.


thanks!

(sorry, I had to vent)

 

Where abouts in Southern NH do you live and ride? I live in Hudson, NH

 

Man, that really sucks. But welcome to the club. This is just a localized situation in your area; it's happening all over the country. Especially in the northeast. I'm in the same situation, they want to take our money to build bike trails. I am really sick of those damn mountian bikers!!! I've been trying to get a group of ATV'ers together and open some public land to us here in MD.

I believe the solution to your problem is the solution to everyone's problem...ATV'ers need to get organized!!! For some reason, (and I still haven't figured it out) ATV'ers just don't seem to have the desire/energy/whatever to band together. When I see riders along the road I stop and tell them about what I'm trying to do and all I ever hear is why it won't happen...S@it...I can't even get riders in the area to e-mail me.

I have heard some success in Minnesota with the ATVAM. They seem to heep thier riding areas open, based on what I've read on the boards. If they can do it in thier state, there is no reason we can't do it in another local area or on a national level.

Don't take this lying down!! Get other riders involved, take the lead and get the ATV'ers, Dirt Bikers, Snow Mobilers and whoever else you find to get together and fight back. Join the ATVA and get others to do the same. They have resources available to members to combat this very thing; but they're not going to do it for just one rider.

Lead, Follow or get the hell out of the way

 

Be gald you havce or had legal place to ride .here in Nj nowhere to ride at all. Just have to run from cops .So join the club .
NJ S&^ks

 

Did they end up closing the depot, theres also this place a little north called hopkington that iam gonna try out.

 

No they havent I drove by yesterday with the family there was about 50 or so truck/trailers there. So I guess so far so good. That trail is very heavily used.

 

I agree about the need to band together for what we believe in (keeping areas open to ATV's). We have had problems down our way for many years with finding trails to ride, state parks closing for ORV's, power lines being off-limits because of development...railroad beds closing because of them being turned into bike paths..the list goes on and on! I was considering registering my ATV in NH. so that we could hopefully have more places to ride but it seems you guys up north are having the same problems.

 

Hopkington resevior is good, not alot of real fast stuff, 1 sand pit a couple of one lane tracks sutable for racing (not passing). The rest is technical lots of roots and rocks, good for a 4x4, but I used to ride my Quadracer there. Its currently closed for mud season, it should open by June 1st. Rockingham trail SU#KS, rail bed with woops the whole way, short of going to get a forearm workout I don't like it.

 

Im in amherst, new hampshire and the only place i can ride is at my friends house where' we are blazing miles of trails in his 70 acres of land and their neighbors, but sandpits are becoming scarce.

 

I have one suggestion and I hope this helps to anyone reading this....Join an ATV club that uses some of the funds it receives from members to have representation at public meetings and at a state level on the use of areas for ORV usage.One person alone will be fighting a tough battle with all the "tree huggers" but as a group..."strength in numbers"!!