Hundreds of snowmobilers hit the New York trails this weekend after Gov. Kathy Hochul waived registration fees for out-of-state riders.

You don’t have to give David Kiely many reasons to pull out the snowmobile.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov.Hochul waived registration fees for out of state snowmobile riders over the weekend

  • Hochul also announced $4.2 million will go towards grooming and maintaining trails

  • New York has over 10,500 miles of snowmobile trails

“All you need is snow, that’s really what it’s all about,” Kiely said. “That’s what everybody lives for in this sport."

Throw in a mid-March snowstorm, and conditions were perfect for a ride.

“I’m not a hiker, but this sport gives me an opportunity to get to the mountains tops and see views I would never have that accessibility to,” Kiely said. “It’s a feeling of getting outside and being free and just relaxing.”

This weekend was an especially good opportunity to ride.

Hundreds of visitors took on the more than 10,000 miles of snowmobile trails in New York, including at Grafton Lakes State Park.

“It’s definitely loud,” Grafton Lake State Park manager Melissa Miller said. “It’s just exciting."

Kiely and Miller say the two registration-free weekends brought in both new and returning out-of-state riders to take on the miles of fresh snow.

“As long as it snows, snowmobilers will go snowmobiling, the question is how often will they go,” the director of the New York State Snowmobiling Association, Dominic Jacangelo, said.

Jacangelo says the growing costs at the gas pumps has trickled down to riders this season, as many take long trips to explore their favorite trails across the state.

“If the price of fuel changes behavior, people ride less and go less,” Jacangelo said. “It will have a direct impact on the number of jobs we support have supported.”

But Jacangelo says everything is speculative right now, and that riders and clubs are going to continue to support each other.

“Maybe it keeps more of our riders in New York, riding locally, it’s always a good thing,” Jacangelo said. “As long as nature cooperates, and gives us snow, we will have some good riding around the state.”

Fellow riders have that same sentiment, as they hope to grow their sport.

“It opens up experiences to try new places, see new things,” Matt Morrow, a local snowmobile rider said. “People don’t realize there’s a whole trail system. As long as there is snow, you can ride anywhere in the country you want.”