ROXBURY — With several inches of snow already on the ground and another 10 to 14 inches coming Tuesday into Wednesday, all-terrain vehicle trails in Roxbury are now closed.

Roxbury ATV Riders Club President Michael Worthley said Tuesday morning that he decided to close a week earlier than normal.

“As of today, Dec. 8, I would like to remind everyone that it’s illegal to operate an ATV on snowmobile trails in Maine, unless it is equipped with tracks (or skis and tracks), and it’s registered as a snowmobile,” he said.

“So all of Roxbury ATV riders’ trails will remain closed until June 1. We were going to wait until Dec. 15, after black powder hunting season or the groomers go out, but I think I will call it now. Thank you all for another great, safe year.”

The ATV club maintains more than 100 miles of trails, but some of those miles include access and gravel roads which require little maintenance.

A few years back, Worthley said he didn’t close the club’s trails until after Christmas due to the lack of snow. But he usually keeps them open until Dec. 15.

Worthley said he was riding Monday on his snow machine, checking for downed trees for the Slippery Sliders Snowmobile Club, and noticed that the Rumford Polar Bears Snowmobile Club had already rolled or groomed trail from Rumford to Horseshoe Valley in Roxbury. 

The Slippery Sliders Club maintains snowmobile trails in Andover, Byron and Roxbury.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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