Governor Officially Opens Final Segment of Phase 1 of Ride the Wilds Trails

Governor Maggie Hassan officially opened the final segment to complete Phase 1 of the Ride the Wilds network of 1,000+ miles of interconnected All-Terrain-Vehicle (ATV) trails spanning New Hampshire’s Coos County at a special ribbon cutting ceremony. Among the largest networks of Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle (OHRV) trail systems in the country, Ride the Wilds is a fun destination for ATV riders and those wishing to learn. It is recognized as a “Grand Adventure” by NH Grand, the official visitor information source for Coos County.

At the event, Hassan also signed into law several pieces of trails-related legislation dealing with safety and speed. The speed limit for ATVs on public roads was raised from 10 to 20 miles per hour. The speed limit on logging roads was dropped from 45 to 35 mph.

“All-Terrain and Off-Highway Recreational Vehicles are an important part of our travel and tourism economy, especially in the North Country, and Ride the Wilds is a top destination for experienced and aspiring riders alike. I was honored to help open this segment of Ride the Wilds and ceremonially sign these bills to help support this critical economic engine,” said the Governor.

The final two sections of trail that complete Phase 1 of Ride the Wilds are located in the town of Columbia: a short segment on Meridan Hill Road in Columbia that was recently approved by the Columbia selectboard and a private landowner. OHRV riders can now travel from Lancaster to Pittsburg without having to trailer as one of two north-south Ride the Wilds corridors. The other corridor spans from Gorham to Pittsburg and both corridors allow riders to access businesses and lodging along the way by utilizing designated state and town roads.

“Ride the Wilds is such an exciting initiative on many levels. It’s opening, and making accessible to people of all ages, hundreds of miles of wild and scenic lands that are synonymous with the North Country. It’s also providing an important economic driver for northern New Hampshire through tourism and other local businesses,” said Jeff Rose, NH commissioner of the Department of Resources and Economic Development.

“This is yet another step in the revival of the North Country economy around mixed use of our great outdoors,” said SenatorJeff Woodburn (D-Dalton). “This is a great economic initiative, and a project that is held together by numerous organizations putting a lot of time and energy into something we all feel extremely passionate about.” 

NH Assistant Commissioner of Safety Earl Sweeney said, “The Department of Safety has enjoyed working with the Department of Transportation, the Department of Resources and Economic Development’s Bureau of Trails, local officials and Chiefs of Police in reviewing the local requests to open portions of state-maintained roads for the Ride the Wilds program, and urges enthusiasts to follow the rules, which are there for everyone’s safety and make this program an economic success and a win-win for all.”