NWSJ 3-47.indd

Northwoods Sporting Journal
Page 32
The Trail
Rider
by Rod Fraser,
Hyde Park, MA
ATV season is in full swing
and everyone one should be out
on the trails with their friends and
family “tearing it up.” I encourage
everyone to ride safely and slow
down on the trails, especially the
newcomers. ATV riding is a fun
sport and we all want to see everyone come home safe at the end
of each day. For those of us who
are lucky enough to live in the
New England region, there is no
shortage of great places to ride and
there are some great ATV events
upcoming that are fun for the entire family. The ATV community
has not quite grabbed the internet
for advertising and marketing as
other sport communities so it can
sometimes be a challenge to find
information about family friendly
ATV events. Wherever you intend
to ride, check in with the local ATV
club to see if there are any special
events being held while you are in
the area. Having specific events to
participate in can really make a trip
extra special.
Another great way to learn
about an area you intend to visit
is through Youtube.com videos.
When I intend to visit a new area, I
like to check out videos that others
have uploaded about riding in that
area. As of the writing of this column, there are over 37,000 videos
on Youtube about ATV riding in
Maine, 12,000 about ATV riding
in New Hampshire, 12,000 ATV
videos about Vermont and 8,000
about Massachusetts.
Anyone who has ridden in
New Hampshire knows that one
of the top ATV destinations is
July 2015
ATV Events for the Family
the Jericho ATV Festival which,
this year, is scheduled for July
31 through August second. The
festival is three days of fun trail
riding, mud runs and socializing
with other ATV enthusiasts. The
nearby town of Berlin, one of the
festival sponsors, really puts out
the welcome mat allowing ATVs
to ride into town and closing
Main Street to other vehicles for
the ATV “Downtown Main Street
Block Party.” You can learn more
at www.jerichoatvfestival.com For
more information on riding the
Granite State visit www.nhatv.com
Presque Isle then they will leave
to go on a 70 mile long poker run.
There will be a lunch stop serving
hotdogs and hamburgers and at the
end of the day, everyone is invited
back to the clubhouse for a chicken
bar-b-que, raffle and bon fire. ATV
Maine will provide some small
ATVs for the kids to ride. This
ous miles of ATV trails. Many of
the trails in the county are club
membership trails which means
you must become a member of
one of the 18 clubs that maintain
these trails in order to ride on them.
Check with local ATV clubs where
you plan to ride in the county for
more information. Have fun out
event brings people from all over
New England and Dick said the
state gave the club special permits
so visitors from out of state and
Canada can ride the event without
registering their ATVs in Maine.
That is a great benefit for any ATV
riders from away who want a great
opportunity to ride the Presque
Isle area. Dick’s recommendation
is “you should come.” Aroostook
county is a great place to visit and
ride boasting over 1200 contigu-
on the trails!
Anyone who has ridden in
New Hampshire knows that one of the top
ATV destinations is the Jericho Mountain
State Park…
the Jericho Mountain State Park
located near the town of Berlin,
New Hampshire and part of the
Coös County “Ride the Wilds”
trail system. The park and trail
system is divided into two sections
known as the Head Pond Tract
and the Jericho Mountain Tract.
Designed with ATV riding in mind,
the park is a “must see” and boasts
many scenic outlooks as well as
presenting camping, swimming,
fishing, canoeing and boating to
round out your visit.
Each year, the park hosts
or www.nhstateparks.org and look
under the “experience” tab.
Up in “The County” of
Maine (Aroostook County) the
10th Annual “Ultimate ATV
Event” will be held July 10 th
through the 12th at Arnold Brook
Lake in Presque Isle, sponsored
by the Star City ATV Club. Star
City Club President Dick Howlett
says they expect any where from
80 to 100 ATV’s and about 200
people to attend the main event
on Saturday. ATV riders will have
a police escorted parade through
Rod Fraser is an avid outdoorsman and twenty year Navy
veteran. Originally from Maine
and living in Massachusetts, Rod
has written extensively about
snowmobiling and just published
his first book “Confessions of a
Snowmobile Enthusiast” available
at www.snowmobileenthusiast.
com
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