N.H. developing land for a state ATV park: Closest similar park is West Virginia's Hatfield-McCoy trail

BERLIN, N.H. - Almost from the moment the state approved buyingland for a state park for all-terrain vehicles, the phones beganringing in City Hall.

Some callers wanted to know if the trails were open, others wantto know if they could buy land nearby, said town planner PamLaflamme.

State parks Director Allison McLean found herself peppered withquestions at a regional meeting of state park directors - many ofwhom are struggling with growing demand for ATV trails in their ownstates.

As city and state officials are learning, you don't even have tobuild it before they come.

The purchase, which should be final in mid-January, would create a7,500-acre state park with the potential for 350 miles of trails forATVs. The first trails, on existing logging roads, could open asearly as this spring, officials say.

The park will be the first of its kind in New England.

The closest similar park is the Hatfield-McCoy trail system inWest Virginia, though one is planned for a former strip mine inCambria County in western Pennsylvania.

New Hampshire riders have long complained they have few places toride, and conflicts between riders and private landowners have risenas ATV popularity has soared.

When the state last raised registrations fees, it promised some ofthe money would go toward trail development. But resistance to addingATV trails to existing state parks like Bear Brook stymied thoseefforts.

Then a logging company offered land in Berlin, and state saw anopportunity to meet the demand in an area that welcomes ATVs. Evengroups that have long opposed ATVs figure they're better off in anisolated area of Berlin than elsewhere in the state.

The city is donating 300 acres around Jericho Lake that will comeequipped with bathrooms and parking. The state plans to improve thearea this spring and open it to swimmers, boaters and other usersthis summer, according to McLean.

The park will be slightly larger than Crawford Notch State Parkand more than twice the size of Monadnock State Park, but smallerthan Bear Brook, in Allenstown.

Logging has removed most of the old growth, but many smaller treesremain and the hilly layout gives a sense of privacy as the roadrises and falls. Most of the park is west of Route 110, but there are1,610 acres on the east side, near Head Pond.

Steve Dayton operates a multimillion-dollar business renting ATVsat Pismo Beach, Calif. When he heard from family about the plannedpark, he saw a business opportunity and flew east to learn more.

That's music to the ears of Mayor Bob Danderson, to whom the parkrepresents a chance to turn his blue-collar city into a touristdestination and to reduce its historic reliance on a single industry,pulp and paper.

"This is the start of the next big recreational sport in NewHampshire," he predicted.

Jim Bird, who is active in the New Hampshire Off-Highway VehicleAssociation, agrees.

"I think it's going to be huge," said Bird, whose group representsATV clubs statewide.

Bird also predicts the sport will grow as the population ages andmore people need motorized help to get around.

"Anything that gets people out in the woods is good," he argued."It's so much cheaper than therapy."