Want Some Trails?
Currently, there are over 6,830 miles of snowmobile trails in the state of New Hampshire. Broken down, the overall figure includes 6,030 miles of trail on private land, 500 miles on state property and 300 miles on federal property.

Of the 6,830 miles of snowmobile trails, nearly 3,100 miles are available for ATV use except in areas where operation is posted against this use at the landowner's request. When snowcover disappears, the permission for ATV operation also disappears.

Over 2.1 million $ for MOTORIZED Trails. . . .The Bureau administers a Grant In Aid Program that assists OHRV (both snowmobile and wheeled motorized recreational vehicles) organizations in the development and maintenance of trails. The grant program's funds are derived solely from OHRV registrations along with un-refunded gas taxes and are channeled back into New Hampshire's trail network.

For example, just for this upcoming winter, over $1,010,014.68 was allocated for grooming of snowmobile trails. This spring nearly $495,974.28 was earmarked for snowmobile and OHRV trail construction or maintenance and $661,993.49 was allotted for assistance in the purchase of snowmobile and OHRV trail maintenance equipment.

In addition to Grant In Aid funding, the Bureau of Trails also administers funds derived from the federal Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21) the funding source for the National Trails Program. Incidentally, the acronym TEA21 is the successor to the former ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act).

New Hampshire, the trend setter. . . .
New Hampshire has always been a trendsetter in the sport of snowmobiling. In 1985, one of the many people who recognized the significance of the sport was Paul T. Doherty (the Bureau's first Chief Supervisor and founder). Through the machines used in the sport and its memorabilia, he believed that people from all walks of life could come to feel the excitement of the sport and understand the important role the sport plays in the state's economic and recreational mix.

Through his persistent efforts, a Snowmobile Museum was created in 1985 and a non-profit organization, the "New Hampshire Snowmobile Museum Association", was formed that same year to manage the museum. This public-private partnership has proven to be extremely successful, resulting in the first one-of-a-kind museum in the United States. The museum now boasts over 50 antique sleds of all shapes and sizes and has a large and varied collection of memorabilia.