Skip to main content

Course Outline

Operating on Public and Private Lands

You may operate your OHRV or snowmobile:

  • On approved trails that are open and designated for your type of vehicle.
  • On other public land or on private land if you have the landowner’s written permission and carry the written permission with you while you are operating.
  • On state-owned or state-maintained trails, or on state-owned roads, from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. If you ride after dark, you are riding without the landowner’s permission and may be fined.

Public Land

OHRVs: An OHRV trail map is available from the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails website. You may not operate on state-owned or leased land from the end of snowmobile season until May 23 each year (“mud season”). For specific dates, contact local clubs.

  • The Ammonoosuc, Rockingham, and Sugar River trails are open all year long.
  • The following width restrictions apply to UTVs and OHRVs.
    • OHRVs over 50 inches wide are prohibited on state-owned trails in southern New Hampshire.
    • OHRVs, including UTVs, up to 65 inches wide may be operated on approved state-owned trails in Coos and Grafton counties.

Snowmobiles: An interactive online snowmobile trail map is available on the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails website or the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association website.

  • This map is designed to help you find local trail systems and is not a trail riding map.
  • For regional maps, contact local snowmobile clubs.

Private Land

You may operate an OHRV or a snowmobile on private lands only if you have written permission from the landowner.

  • Over 80% of the snowmobile trails in New Hampshire are on private property.
  • Landowners are not required to post their land to keep out OHRV and snowmobile operators.
  • Landowners are not required to keep their land safe for use by OHRV or snowmobile operators or other outdoor recreational users.
  • Landowners are allowed to set the operating hours for OHRVs and snowmobiles using their private land.

Thank a Landowner

Riding on private land is a privilege. Always thank landowners who allow you to operate an OHRV or snowmobile on their property. Some ways to thank them are:

  • Visiting them at the end of the season to thank them personally
  • Sending a personal thank-you note
  • Giving them a photograph you took while you were riding on their property
  • Sending a small gift or a gift card
  • Offering to help with repairs or other tasks around the property

For more information, visit the New Hampshire Thank the Landowner website.

  • Unit 9 of 9
  • Topic 5 of 6
  • Page 2 of 8
Back to the Study Guide Index