Since we live near the United States, snowmobiling in Maine allows us to expand our playground. What’s more, we’re lucky enough to be able to leave straight from home when there’s enough snow.
Unlike Quebec, where trails are patrolled by the Sûreté du Québec Police and FCMQ patrollers, in Maine this task falls to wildlife officers. We’ve had the opportunity to meet some of them on a few occasions, and it’s always a pleasure to discuss things with them.
Maine has over 280 snowmobile clubs and a trail network of some 22,000 km of Interconnected Trail System (ITS). However, areas further south are sometimes not open due to lack of snow.
Americans snowmobiling in groups
It’s common to see groups of more than 12-15 snowmobiles riding together. The majority of Americans ride in a different way to us, and don’t go far on their rides. Generally, all family members have their own snowmobile, and even children as young as 10 are allowed to ride on trails. As a result, touring-style snowmobiles are in the minority, and when you do see one, there’s rarely a passenger on board.
Going through customs
Just as when we cross the border by car, we must have our passport in hand. If you have a criminal record and have been pardoned, you will also need a waiver to cross the border.
American customs officials are generally friendly to us, but sometimes surprised at how far we can travel in a single day. For example, to get to Millinocket ME and back, depending on the route we choose, that’s about 700 km round trip. They find it hard to believe that we can make the trip in just one night.
So far, we haven’t crossed the border with the truck and trailer. We have, however, gone near customs, as the trail conditions did not allow us to leave the house. We unloaded the snowmobiles a few kilometers before the border.
Access fees
The price of access rights is much lower than in Quebec. For Maine residents, the cost for the 2024-2025 season is $55 USD, while for non-residents, the cost is $119 USD for the season, $99 USD for a 10-day pass and $74 USD for a 3-day pass. To this cost we usually add a $1 USD fee for the vendor of the right of access.
Trails
Trails are usually well maintained. Although some clubs still use older machinery, many have modern, high-performance resurfacers.
However, as Americans are more into hiking around their home base for the most part, as you approach the cities, the trails are in poorer condition. The trails are wide and offer superb views. Just like in Quebec, mountains, lakes, rivers and woodlands allow us to enjoy the beauty of nature and superb scenery.
Signage and directions
It’s sometimes difficult to find your way around the trails. Although we’ve seen a big improvement in signage over the past few years, there’s still work to be done. Although some of the main intersections clearly display destinations and distances, there is very little signage between towns, and no relay or hut to warm up or take a break.
Even with a GPS, trail maps, signage and our knowledge of the region, it’s not unusual to have trouble finding your way around. Sometimes trails are closed or detoured, and we’re in for a surprise when we get there. That’s why it’s so important to always have a can of petrol with you, since it’s possible that we’ll have to turn back, but we can’t know that in advance – as they say, it’s the surprise of the day.
Lodging
Although some establishments are more upscale, in general the accommodation is rather rustic.
On weekends, some places won’t let us stay for Saturday only, requiring a minimum of 2 nights. The only way to get around this is to call in the morning to see if they have availability for the evening.
It’s also important to check if there’s an event scheduled during our stays, as this can complicate accommodation options and trail conditions.
Restaurants
True to their reputation, the Americans serve generous plates in most restaurants. Although the food can be a little greasy, there are ways to eat something other than fried food and/or to substitute certain foods with vegetables or salad.
Accommodation and restaurant suggestions
To help you plan your trip, here are a few suggestions for accommodations in various localities
- Jackman: Bishop’s Motel, Montain View Resort, The Northland Hotel.
- Stratton-Eustis: Spillover Motel, Stratton Plaza, Looney Moose, Flagstaff General Store.
- Rangeley: Rangeley Inn, Saddleback Inn.
- Lake: Overlook Motel.
- Skowhegan: Belmont Motel.
- Millinocket: Baxter Park Inn, Katahdin Inn.
- Caratunk: The Sterling Inn.
- Bingham: Bingham Motor Inn.
- Greenville: Moose Montain Inn, Leisure Life Resort, Kokadjo Cabins and Trading Post.
- Rockwood: The Birches Resort, Rockwood Bar and Grill, Historic Pittston Farm.
- The Forks: Hawk’s Nest, Northern Outdoors.
Places to see
The mountains: Bald Moutain (Jackman), Coburn Montain (The Forks), Quill Hill (Rangeley), East Kennebago Mountain (Rangeley) and many others offer magnificent views, well worth taking the short trail to access and linger a while.
Millinocket : Baxter State Park a must-see, the site of a B-52 crash in 1963 (Elephant Mountain) and much more. It’s one of our favorite destinations, with easy access to shops (restaurants, pharmacy, grocery store, gas station, hotels, etc.).
Rangeley : Rangeley Inn, a superb historic building. They also have another building behind it which is more recent and offers nice big rooms. Personally, our choice is always the newer lakeside building.
The Forks: Hawk’s Nest. Certainly one of the most beautiful buildings and well worth a visit in its own right. Many people are familiar with this popular spot on Route 201, since it can be reached by car. It’s also a gathering place for many motorcyclists in summer.
Open Doors Weekend
For a number of years now, the Maine Snowmobile Association (MSA) has been offering an open weekend to allow those who wish to ride the trails to do so without having to pay for access. Not only Canadians, but also Americans from neighboring states can take advantage. It’s important to know that each state has its own access fee, so if you decide to go further afield than New Hampshire and/or Vermont, for example, you’ll need to purchase one.
Conclusion
If you’re planning to go snowmobiling in the USA, ideally you should go with people who already know the area. This may make your first trips easier. Otherwise, I strongly suggest you limit yourself to exploratory outings because, as mentioned earlier, even with a GPS, trail maps and directions, it’s sometimes difficult to find your way around and get to your destination.
Looking forward to seeing you this winter!
