American Snowmobiler Enjoys Maine Snowmobiling at Northern Outdoors

We know Maine has great snowmobiling, and so do the many sledders who visit the state to ride every year. We suspect, however, that there are still a lot of people who don’t fully realize just what riding in Maine, and especially here in The Forks, is all about. Think big mountains, endless terrain, an Interconnected Trail System (ITS) of 14,000 miles of trails, ideal midway lunch spots at sports camps, lodges, and town pubs, and consistent annual snowfall and you can begin to see what its all about. Being here, though, is really the only way to REALLY understand. Rider and writer Mike Carr, from American Snowmobiler, took a detour to Maine to ride with us, when the snowfall in Oregon was lacking and The Forks had plenty. “This was my first visit to Maine and I’m already hoping to return.” That’s Mike’s assessment after spending a weekend riding the trails in The Forks area last March. In his November 11, 2014 article Maine backup, he describes getting into the deep woods surrounding Northern Outdoors on a Ski-Doo Grand Touring 550, a rental sled available at Northern Outdoors through our partnership with Backcountry Expeditions (BCE).

People tend to forget how much snow we get in northern and central Maine and our vast abundance of snowmobile trails–more than 14,000 miles of them! So we figured Mike’s article is a great way to remind everyone about the wonders of Maine snowmobiling. It’s part of what lured our very own Russell Walters into staying in Maine many moons ago and moving his whole family from England. Russell shared his love of Maine’s winter pastime and spent the day with Mike, showing him all the cool trails and highlights around The Forks. From Northern Outdoors, you can ride to the frozen icescape of Grand Falls on the Dead River and then continue on to climb up Mount Coburn (3,750′) for a panoramic view of the entire area. It’s the highest groomed ITS trail in Maine. Follow that up with a visit to Parlin Pond and the Lake Parlin Lodge, a popular lunch stop for sledders. You can explore miles and miles of trails without ever backtracking or looping over your own tracks. In fact, covering over 100 miles in one day is no problem! And, as Mike wrote, “In the central and northern portion of the state, the snow comes early and often, making Maine a prime snowmobiling venue from December through March.”

So there you have it. A bona fide review from an serious snowmobiler who understands what makes a great day of sledding, and what sledders want in a resort that caters to them. How about after a long, adventurous day of snowmobiling, returning to the lodge to enjoy a soak in a giant outdoor hot tub or sip a freshly made, handcrafted beer beside a floor to ceiling, fieldstone fireplace? Sit back and recount the day’s adventures knowing that tomorrow you’ll be back out there again. When you stay with us, you get all that and a whole lot more!