The first flakes of snow have fallen across most of New York State, so what does that mean? It means grab your snowsuits, your gloves, and your helmet, we are going riding! Have you ever been on a snowmobile? If operated correctly, they can be safe and a great deal of fun.

If you are thinking about joining a local snowmobiling club, that is a great idea, but there are also a few New York State Parks that have snowmobile trails, depending on the weather, along with cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

Are there license requirements to snowmobile at a New York State Park?

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This is New York State, come on! Of course, there is a requirement to be able to ride those snowmobiles off your own property. You will need to have insurance on the snowmobile and have it registered with New York State (do this at the DMV) to ride on one of these State trails. 

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So, where are these official New York State Parks Trails?

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According to the New York State Parks website, there are 37 parks that have snowmobile trails across the state. Here are the ones in the Hudson Valley, Taconic and Catskill Regions.

  • Grafton Lakes State Park, 254 Grafton Lakes State Park Way, Grafton, NY 12082. Ok so this is more in the "Capital Region" it is only a "short drive" from the Hudson Valley. According to their website, the trails are groomed for snowmobilers, and visitors may also snowshoe, cross-country ski, ice skate or ice fish when conditions permit, call for details.
  • Lake Taghkanic State Park, 1528 Route 82, Ancram, NY 12502. This is another great NYS Park that you can spend time at all four-seasons. Here you can go snowmobiling, along with cross-country skiing, as well as, when the weather allows ice skating and ice fishing.
  • Lake Welch Beach - Harriman State Park, 800 Kanawaukee Road,
    Stony Point, NY 10980. Lake Welch was closed for a bit over the summer, so you might want to check in advance that the winter programs are available. Their site lists snowmobiling and ice fishing, but also explains the temporary road closures around the area, as well as where the only open bathroom facility is during winter.
  • Taconic State Park - Copake Falls Area, 253 Route 344, Copake Falls, NY 12517. This location has snowmobiling trails, along with snow shoeing and cross-country skiing.

So, it snowed, does that automatically mean you should pack up the car and head to the snowmobile trails?

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No, it doesn't. You should contact the park that you would like to go to, in advance to make sure that the conditions are set for snowmobiling and when the park will be open, before you head there. Have fun, and don't forget your gear.

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