In Franklin County the High Peaks Alliance and local motorized clubs secured a critical trail easement in Madrid, preserving a short but essential link that connects more than 12 miles of continuous recreation trails from Phillips to Rangeley.
The 600-foot trail was previously at risk, as it crossed land that was neither owned by a club nor conserved.
The easement ensures long-term access for the Northern Franklin Snowmobile and Narrow Gauge Riders ATV clubs in Madrid.
“By bringing together the landowner, local clubs and partners, we were able to preserve a key link in Franklin County’s trail system for future generations,” said Brent West, the alliance’s executive director.
Outdoor recreation
The 600-foot section was essential for the region’s snowmobiling community, said Dana Bowman, Northern Franklin Snowmobile Club’s president.
The High Peaks Alliance works throughout Maine’s High Peaks Region to protect access to trails and traditional outdoor recreation opportunities.
Madrid is en route to Saddleback and Sugarloaf ski resorts.
Eleven years ago, the alliance worked with the North Franklin Snowmobile Club and the landowner to replace a bridge. At that time, the landowner agreed to a 10-year easement, which expired in 2024. When the property was sold, the new owner considered selling it again, putting the trail’s access at risk.
That uncertainty, however, created an opportunity to permanently conserve the trail connector and the bridge, the alliance said.
The trail system connects to a Bureau of Parks and Lands easement that helps protect more than 12 miles of continuous ATV and snowmobile trail extending toward Saddleback Mountain. The easement, although small, safeguarded the larger network of recreation opportunities for the region.
Risks to access
According to West, risks to trails that cross private land are becoming more common across Maine.
“The majority of our state’s extensive trail network exists on private land,” he said.
Maine has a landowner liability law that protects property owners who allow recreational use, he said. “
Still, as ownership changes and parcels are divided or sold, we’re seeing more instances where even small pieces of land can make or break major trail connections,” West said.
Deals take a willing landowner, trust, negotiation, surveys, fundraising and sometimes a little luck, he said.
“Our ability to protect trails like this depends entirely on the generosity of donors who support our work,” West said. “This small easement has an outsized impact and serves as an example of how strategic conservation can strengthen the state’s entire trail system.”
West credited Bowman for his persistence in bringing the partners together.
