7836-R4_MSA_SnowmobileMaine

Snowmobile Maine

Photo By Jeff Bourassa - 2021 MSA Picture of the Year

Snowmobile Maine

AMaine vacation. For many people it’s filled with lob- sters and lighthouses, summer sun and sandy beaches, campsites and hiking boots, sailboats and seaside picnics. That’s fine, for some. But for thousands and thousands of visitors and stayca- tioners, a real Maine vacation needs snow. Lots of snow - rolled, packed and groomed to fill 14,000+ miles of winter trail leading from town to town, deep into the north woods, downeast, around western lakes, over frozen fields, mean- dering through the wintry countryside across the state. Over 80,000 people toured those Maine snowtrails last winter, exploring every corner of the state, by snowmobile. As soon as the snow thickly blankets the ground and MSA clubs begin grooming the white ribbon, the snowmobilers head out. Some ride to spend quality time outdoors with family and friends - some ride to discover the beautiful, frozen locations found along the trail - and to be honest, some sledheads just enjoy piling up the miles. As they ride, they’ll discover businesses and welcoming communities waiting to serve snowmobilers, MSA clubs maintaining the trails, and a schedule of festivals, public suppers, races, and club events to entertain snowmobilers all winter long. What snowy corner of Maine would you like to explore? Snowmobile Maine. Ride Right. Enjoy. Maine’s Trail System The Maine snowmobile trail system consists of over 14,000 miles of mapped trails, including several thousand miles designated as the Interconnected Trail System (ITS). The ITS trails interconnect to form a snow covered ‘high- way’ which traverses the state. Given statewide snow cov-

er, a rider could head out from nearly any point on the ITS, and ride to any other location in Maine that is reached by the system. Snowmobilers can plan extended trips, sled- ding from region to region, staying in a different location each night - or set up base in one location and use the ITS to day trip to other areas. The ITS is numbered, marked and regularly maintained. The system is inspected annually by the members of the MSA Trails Committee under contract with the Snow- mobile Program of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry (DACF). An updated map of the ITS system is produced jointly by the MSA and DACF, and is available in the fall for the upcoming snowmobile season. Use the ITS map to make your long distance riding plans. Trail junctions are printed on the map - the distance between the trail junctions is noted by numbers printed along the path of the trail. Add- ing up total mileage between junctions along a route will result in an approximation of trip length. 10,000+ miles of local trails can provide a slower paced style of riding and allow sledders to really explore a snow- mobiling region. Many of these trails also connect with the ITS. Some local trails were established decades ago, as snowmobile club members began to design a way for riders in their area to visit their neighbors, or access the gas station or the village store. As these local systems de- veloped and interest in recreational snowmobiling grew, more trails were added to provide ‘loop’ rides or access to scenic destinations. Snowmobile clubs, Chambers of Commerce and tourism

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SNOWMOBILE MAINE 2021-2022