MTP Helps Moosetown Riders Advance Clubhouse and Garage Goals

At the northernmost peak of Maine, near the Canadian border, the town of Allagash epitomizes rural living. With a population of fewer than 250 people, thousands of acres of wilderness accessible nearby, and hundreds of miles of trails and waterways, the region features endless outdoor recreation opportunities. However, for the snowmobilers who maintain the area’s busy winter trails, the rural location of their community presents unique challenges.
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The Moosetown Riders of Allagash are an all-volunteer club serving the rural community. With a smaller local population, each volunteer plays an important role, and it can take longer to achieve the group’s goals. Thanks to member persistence and the Maine Trails Program, the club is now halfway towards one ambitious  goal: constructing a new facility to house a clubhouse and a heated garage to store and maintain their equipment.
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Caring for North Woods trails

The Moosetown Riders maintain roughly 85 miles of snowmobile trails across a rugged landscape. They have been doing so even despite lacking a garage in which to store and service their trail groomer. Grooming equipment is critical to maintaining any safe, functioning winter trail network. The massive machines pack the snow to form level, stable trail surfaces. The equipment also helps clubs respond to changing circumstances in their area, whether natural or due to human activity. In the Allagash, where much of the land is owned by private timber companies, clubs may need to re-route trails midseason due to harvesting, which is only possible with effective equipment. But the machines are huge investments, costing over $100,000, with replacement tracks alone running $10,000 each.
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The Moosetown Riders have been storing their trail groomer outside, which is also where the volunteers service the equipment. In decades past this was common practice, but the equipment has become vastly more high tech and expensive to purchase and maintain. Exposed to all types of weather through the seasons, the equipment suffers accelerated wear and tear. Maintaining and repairing frozen machinery in sub-zero temperatures is grueling for the club's volunteers.

When the Bureau of Parks and Lands launched the Maine Trails Program in 2025, club Treasurer Lynn Kelly attended an informational meeting. Learning about MTP, she realized a grant from the program could be a chance to change the club's future. Lynn led the charge to put together proposals for both the Moosetown Riders and the nearby St. Francis Snowmobile Club, and both applications were among the 44 grants awarded during the first round of the highly competitive program.

Halfway to the Goal

When the MTP awards were announced, the Moosetown Riders learned that the wouldn’t receive the full amount they requested in their application. Initially they applied for a large grant to cover the cost to construct a combined groomer garage and member clubhouse. The $121,500 grant the club secured  will fund the cost of the groomer garage and workshop portion. The club plans to continue fundraising for the remainder through 2027.

As of summer 2026, the Moosetown Riders already have considerable success to celebrate. They have cleared the lot where the future clubhouse and groomer garage will be constructed and have installed a gravel pad and signage. While fundraising for the clubhouse portion of the project continues, construction on the facility is slated to begin in the spring of 2027, with a target completion date by the end of the year.
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More Than a Garage: Community Infrastructure

Once constructed, the garage will meet the club’s most basic needs, keeping the grooming equipment under cover and providing room for maintenance. But the future clubhouse will address critical infrastructure gaps in the Allagash community, demonstrating the importance of clubs like the Moosetown Riders in their local communities. The new facility will include amenities like public restrooms (the first in town) and a publicly accessible foyer with an AED and generator backup. It will serve as an emergency warming and shelter space for the community, and of course will also be a central hub where trail users can convene, socialize, and warm up.
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Strengthening Regional Trails and Tourism

With around 210-240 members annually including individuals and local businesses, the Moosetown Riders hope that adding the new facility will help the club grow. Between offering more amenities and expanding their volunteer base through dedicated safety and grooming operator training spaces, the club ultimately may grow in membership and in trail miles. 
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By connecting to neighboring trail systems and collaborating closely with neighboring clubs like St. Francis, Allagash is positioning itself as a premier northern winter destination. These investments enhance opportunities for local riders and visitors from away, supporting the local hospitality and tourism economy in turn.

Reflecting on the state MTP grant process, Lynn praised the accessibility of the program: "Everyone was really great and provided answers quickly, which helped us understand what the true intentions of the program were." ​

Through state bond funding and local grit, the Moosetown Riders are building more than a shelter for machinery; they are building a durable foundation for community safety, recreation, and rural economic resilience in Maine's furthest reaches.

As we celebrate this progress for the Moosetown Riders, the Maine Trails Coalition wants to extend thanks to the Bureau of Parks and Lands and the taxpayers of Maine. Your votes in 2024 are officially at work on the ground, removing barriers, and helping ensure that Maine’s spectacular outdoors are truly for everyone. 

The Moosetown Riders are still actively fundraising for their project, hoping to begin construction in 2027! One way to help is to participate in their annual Bash in the 'Gash event  (taking place October 10th this year) and join in the celebratory meal, raffles, and more. Follow them on social media to learn more about upcoming events. 

Author Leigh Hallett served as the Director of the Maine Trails Coalition during the 2025–2026 implementation of the Maine Trails Program. This article is part of a special series documenting the local impact of MTP.