Maine’s ATV trails start to open following wet weather
Many ATV clubs opened up on Memorial Day weekend reluctantly, or not at all.
Maine (WABI) - The rainy weekends in Maine this spring have put a damper on many outdoor activities.
For those looking to get out on an ATV trail, you may have to wait a little longer, depending on where you are.
As the season gets underway, some trails remain closed due to wet conditions.
“It’s a terrible start,” said Doug Dickinson, president and founder of the Maine ATV Coalition. “This has been the most sporadic, hectic, I would say, season we’ve had because of the amount of moisture we’ve had.”
Many clubs opened up on Memorial Day weekend reluctantly, or not at all.
Dickinson advises riders to be patient as clubs work to open and prepare the trails for use.
“The clubs have standards that they have to keep these trails up to now for the state. If you want the money, you have to keep the trails in a certain condition,” Dickinson said.
While riding an ATV is a great way to experience the Maine outdoors, it’s imperative you ride safely and be prepared.
“Treat these trails gingerly and take them as cautiously as you can,” he said.
He advises riders to have a plan. Always stay on marked trails. Stay alert. Never drink and ride. And understand you’re riding at your own risk.
“The clubs don’t take any responsibility for your actions on the trail,” Dickinson added. “Always ride to your conditions. If you can’t see around the corner, slow down. If you don’t know there’s a washout over the next hill, always ride like you don’t know what’s around that next corner.”
“It’s not going to do you any good if you go too early, or if you go against the landowner’s wishes, because all that is going to do is shut trails down. In the last two to three years, we’ve lost about 500 miles of trails in Maine,” explained John Raymond, public relations officer for ATV Maine.
Raymond reminds riders to obey signs on the trails.
“Some of them are out there for safety. Some of them are out there to make sure that we’re not damaging the landowner’s land,” he said. “The bottom line is, over 95% of our trails in the state of Maine are on private land. If we don’t respect private landowners, then our sport is not going to grow. It’s going to fail.”
To find out if a trail is open near you, check in with your local ATV club.
Copyright 2025 WABI. All rights reserved.
