Beyond the wet muddy springs are warm, breezy summers, and crisp, fresh autumns – making Lewis County a great place to ride! Hundreds of miles of trails and off-season roads offer a different terrain for every preference. Many businesses located along the trails cater to the OHV enthusiast. You can take short afternoon rides or, better yet, plan a weekend. One of our local guides can help you plan the perfect trip.
Although Lewis County contains a high percentage of state public land (about 175,000 acres), ATV’s and UTV’s are not allowed access on any of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation land. This hurdle has not stopped Lewis County and its residents from putting together spectacular OHV riding areas and an extensive county-wide trail system.
As you can imagine, private landowners play an instrumental role in the development of the trail system. Public lands in the trail system include the Lewis County Reforestation lands. The System is mostly made up of open roads. As OHV enthusiasts, it is very important that we respect the lands, laws, wildlife and nature as we enjoy the trails and scenery.
The Lewis County Trail System is categorized into three types. Town and county roads provide easy access to the off-road trails. The off-road trails, consisting of county reforestation areas and private landowners’ trails, offer Trail riders a sense of adventure as they explore the many miles of wilderness.
As an area with naturally beautiful places, Lewis County is home to many State Forests and Wilderness areas. There are many beautiful local parks and state parks with trails for hiking.
These areas offer plenty of opportunities to hike with beautiful scenery year-round.
Looking for a new trail to explore in Lewis County?
Our trail guides for eight of the many available trails in the area are linked in the buttons below. Simply click on the name to get to the trail guide.
These guides include icons on other available activities on the trails and information on handicap accessibility and whether pets are allowed on the trails.
Averaging about 200 inches of snow annually, Tug Hill is known for some of the best snowmobiling in the Northeast. Lake-effect snowstorms cover this area in a canvas of white, perfect for you and your winter adventure. There are approximately 500 miles of groomed trails. Snowmobile trails are free with no permit required.
For trail or trail map information you can also contact the local snowmobile clubs.