HomeTrailsFind The Best ATV Trails In Maine

Find The Best ATV Trails In Maine


Maine ATV Trails

#1 – Franklin County

  • Location: Western Maine
  • Length: 520+ miles
  • Skill Level: Varied
  • Open: late May – December (depending on mud/snow)
  • Type: Multi-use
  • Surface: Dirt, gravel, railroad beds
  • Towns: Stratton, Carrabasset, Kingfield, Phillips, Strong, Rangeley
  • Services Available: Yes

With over 520 miles of off roading, Franklin County is a trail riding paradise. This ATV trail systems combines the trail systems of 8 clubs who make all this off roading possible.

The centerpiece of this region is the Moose ATV Trail which is a 138 mile loop that circles that county and connects 16 small towns.

If you’re looking for some challenging riding, the Moose Trail has some of the most challenging and varied terrain in all of Maine.

The Moose trail has lots off shoot trails and spurs that give you plenty of additional options for exploration.

Ride the trails south and you’ll find many more miles of trails that travel into the neighboring counties of Oxford and Androscoggin.

Expect to see moose, eagles and other wildlife.

If doing the large loop around Franklin County, be sure to plan a stop at Mt. Blue State Park which can be reached from the loop. This park has 18 miles of trails available for ATVing as well as a small lake for boating and fishing.

The campground at Mt. Blue State Park is lakeside and has comfortable shaded sites with lots of trees.


Offroading in Maine
Franklin County Maine Philip Bouchard | Flickr

Wild ATV
  • In some regions in Maine, the ATV trails are closed in spring and after rains to minimize damage to the trails.
  • Maine has lots of ATV clubs!
  • Most ATV trails in Maine are on private land.
  • ATV clubs in Maine work hard to build relationships with private land owners in order to build and maintain ATV trail systems.
  • When off roaders cut trails, ride illegally or disrespect land owners, they end up closing off their land to off roading which hurts us all.
  • A very small segment of ATV trails in Maine require that you belong to a local ATV club. Most of these sections are in NW Aroostook County.
  • Maine is not ideal for dirt biking. A lot of land owners don’t permit bikes.
  • Maine has an advocacy group promoting safe and responsible ATV use: ATV Maine

#2 – The Highlands / The Forks (Including Moosehead Lake)

  • Location: Central Maine
  • Length: 1,000+ miles
  • Skill Level: Varied
  • Open: late May – December (depending on mud/snow)
  • Type: Multi-use
  • Surface: Dirt, gravel, railroad beds
  • Towns: Greenville, Rockwood, Lily Bay, Beaver Cove
  • Services Available: Yes

Combined, The Highlands/Moosehead Lake and The Forks have some of the best ATV Trails in Maine. It’s called The Forks because it’s where the Dead River and the Kennebec River meet. This merging of two powerful rivers also makes it an excellent area for whitewater rafting.  

This isn’t so much a trail as it is an entire region with 1,000+ miles of interconnected ATV trails. In fact, it may be the best area in all of Maine for ATV riding.

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Most tourists explore the cute coastal towns in Maine and never travel much further than the beach, but Maine has a lot more to offer than beaches and lobster shacks.

The region surrounding Moosehead Lake is wild, beautiful, full of wildlife and has plenty to offer in the way of recreation. Moosehead Lake is part of what is locally called The Maine Highlands.

The big draw to the area is the 40 mile long Moosehead Lake, but there are also several other good sized lakes as well as numerous ponds, bogs and wetlands making it an ideal place for moose spotting.

If you’re interesting in seeing some moose, this is the place!

The local ATV riding club, the Moosehead ATV Riders, worked with private land owners and local governments to co-ordinate access to a lot of these trails. Riding is free, but it’s much appreciated if you support local businesses while you’re enjoying the area.

Moosehead Lake ATV Trails Overview Map


Looking for more great ATV Trails in Maine?

6 Best Maine ATV Trails


#3 – Aroostook County ATV Trails

  • Location: Aroostook County, Northern Maine
  • Length: 1,200 miles
  • Skill Level: Varied
  • Open: Year round except spring (mud season)
  • Type: Multi-use
  • Surface: Dirt, gravel
  • Towns: Caribou, Presque Isle, Houlton
  • Services Available: Yes

With 1,200 miles of contiguous ATV trails, you could spend a couple days or a couple weeks exploring all the trails.

Aroostook County is wild Maine at it’s best. But off roading isn’t all they have to offer in the north country. It’s also home to two lake chains – the Grand Lake chain and the Fish River lake chain. This makes it an excellent destination for boating and fishing. Plus, with hundreds of acres of undeveloped forest, it’s also popular for hunting.

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A very small segment of ATV trails in NW Aroostook County require that you belong to a local ATV club in order to use the trails. But, even if you don’t belong to a club, you will still have plenty of riding options.

Aroostook County is also home of Maine’s first state park – Aroostook State Park. Established in 1938 with a donation of 100 acres, today the park boast 800 acres with shore frontage on Echo Lake.

Northern Maine is remote and wild, but the two largest towns of the county, Presque Isle and Caribou, have hotels, restaurants, shopping and other tourist amenities.

Aroostook County also features “Four Corners Park” – a sort of pilgrimage location for long distance motorcycle riders who are circumnavigating the US. Located in Madawaska Maine, the park is a check point for the True -X- Tour and the S.C.M.A Tour.

Aroostook County ATV Trails Overview Map


#4 – Downeast & Acadia

  • Location: South East Maine next to the Canadian border
  • Length: 520+ miles
  • Skill Level: Varied, Mostly easy
  • Open: late May – December (depending on mud/snow)
  • Type: Multi-use
  • Surface: Dirt, gravel, railroad beds
  • Towns: Ellsworth, Waltham, Springfield, Topsfield, Beddington
  • Services Available: Yes

The trails in this area start less than 20 miles from the coast.They’re located just NE of Acadia National Park in Washington and Hancock counties.

The 87 mile Down East Sunrise ATV Trail is the premier trail in this area. Slightly inland and running parallel to the coast, the Down East Sunrise Trail is a converted railroad trail. This is an easy family friendly trail that would make a nice day trip if you were in the Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park area.

Off roading In Maine
Down East Sunrise Trail BrotherM | Flickr

The trails in this region are fairly connected and allow for miles of uninterrupted riding. There are many short and larger loops that can be strung together for a variety of fun rides.

Maine has a lot of water which is why it’s such an ideal habitat for moose. But even by Maine standards this region has a lot of water including several larger lakes, dozens of smaller lakes/ponds, marshes and streams. West Grand Lake, Big Lake and Meddybemps Lake.

Grand Falls Flowage, a popular fishing area, is also in this region. Grand Falls Flowage is a shallow backwater that formed as a result of the Grand Falls Dam. The shallow water habitat is perfect for warm water fish like smallmouth bass and perch.

Some of the trails run through some remote regions without a lot of services, so plan accordingly.

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