noise from atv and snowmobile trails (Stow: purchase, to live, airplanes)

[francis_key]

i've been looking at a lot of rural maine properties on line. many of them advertise proximity to ATV trails. what is the deal with noise close to these trails? how far away do you have to be so that noise won't be an issue?

[island mermaid]

I'd have to say there are too many variables to answer this question accurately. Depends upon the town, how rural is it?
Is it a snowmobiling community?
The location of your house, will it be in a valley?
As well, some people make custom adjustments to their ATV's and snowmobiles, adding different exhaust pipes which will make them a bit more loud.

Pretty much, hard telling not knowing.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

"how far away do you have to be so that noise won't be an issue?"

That depends entirely on the person hearing it. There are people in Maine who don't want to hear the sound of a chain saw, ski lift, skidder, windmill or outboard motor. There are people who want to close all roads in the woods, tear out the bridges and culverts and replant the area where the road was. Their long term goal is "no human use". Their short term goal is rural cleansing.

[shadowfax1997]

Noise is a tough issue cause it is so subjective. What bothers one person doesn't another. I can hear motorcycles taking off from the stop sign a mile away, and when they roar past my driveway all conversation needs to stop. I can also hear airplanes overhead and jet-skis from the lake a couple or three miles away. Not bothersome to me except for the motorcycles - and that is simply cause we can't chat while they go by. The others are just background noise that becomes not noticed after awhile.

The big question is how close these trails are to you. I ride a snowmobile, and some trails go literally through someones driveway and within 20 feet of a house. That must be annoying, but the owner deals since they have sleds and use the trails. I couldn't deal with that. I have town trails going across the back of my 10 acres roughly 600' from the house. I rarely hear them since it is a wooded trail and land with dense evergreens. Open fields or a lake will allow the sound to carry better.

As posted earlier, there are many people who are limiting trails on their lands and it has severely cut into the public access for sleds and atv's. Too bad. Maine has always been open use, and that is changing.

[bgrasser]

I passed on a purchase in Stow some years ago because of the trail cutting through the lot.
While negotiating we snowshoed through the lot and smelled a lot of exhaust and found the sleds too noisy for our liking.....oh, and a lot of yellow snow.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by bgrasser

I passed on a purchase in Stow some years ago because of the trail cutting through the lot.
While negotiating we snowshoed through the lot and smelled a lot of exhaust and found the sleds too noisy for our liking.....oh, and a lot of yellow snow.

Animals make yellow snow too and use the snowmobile trails to get around on in the winter. It isn't always "evil man" destroying the world. You'll smell far more smoke from woodstoves in the winter than you ever will smell snow machine exhaust!!
Atv's are more annoying in summer (moderatly so) when windows are open for fresh air. We have snow machines operating in our field most of the winter and I seldom if ever hear them. They too are about 500-600 feet from the house.
If you have a problem with ATV's and Snow Machines I'd look to live somewhere other than Maine. ATV's and Snow Machines along with dirtbikes, chainsaws, and outboards, are very much a part of the way of life in this state especially up north and will remain a part of it for the forseeable future.

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by francis_key

i've been looking at a lot of rural maine properties on line. many of them advertise proximity to ATV trails. what is the deal with noise close to these trails? how far away do you have to be so that noise won't be an issue?

Obviously the ATVs are a bigger issue (windows are closed in winter!). I would say a hundred yards or closer would be a problem. That's just me. I always like to hear folks having a good time, but I wouldn't want a trail too close.

[FNolan]

If you're concerned about noise from recreation vehicles your best and only bet is to make sure you find a place away from everyone else that's not on one of the public trails. There are such places, not every piece of property has a trail on it. Where we live there is a snowmobile trail across the street from us which is groomed and well maintained in the winter so it gets pretty good use. In non-snow season it's used by ATVers and dirt bikers. We really don't mind it because they are going by fairly quick and the noise is gone. Can be a pain when you're talking or watching tv and can't hear it for that burst. You just learn to deal with it. We repeat what was said when one went by or hit the rewind on the cable/DVR to catch what we missed.

[bgrasser]

Here's an interesting read:
Keep ATVs Off Vermont's Roads

[doegirl]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Animals make yellow snow too and use the snowmobile trails to get around on in the winter. It isn't always "evil man" destroying the world. You'll smell far more smoke from woodstoves in the winter than you ever will smell snow machine exhaust!!
Atv's are more annoying in summer (moderatly so) when windows are open for fresh air. We have snow machines operating in our field most of the winter and I seldom if ever hear them. They too are about 500-600 feet from the house.
If you have a problem with ATV's and Snow Machines I'd look to live somewhere other than Maine. ATV's and Snow Machines along with dirtbikes, chainsaws, and outboards, are very much a part of the way of life in this state especially up north and will remain a part of it for the forseeable future.