By Mark Scott
Mayville, NY – Hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails have opened in Chautauqua County. Tourism officials county say people from as far away as Michigan and Canada come to enjoy Chautauqua's extensive trail system.
Now that a couple of lake effect storms have brought some much needed snow, officials at the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau are bracing for visitors during the holiday break from school and work. Bureau Director Andrew Nixon said there are no specific figures on how much snowmobiling generates but that the impact is significant.
"I know there's 500 to 750 snowmobilers from out of town who fill our hotels and motels on weekends," Nixon said. "In talking with the Department of Motor Vehicles, they have thousands of out-of-state registrations in Chautauqua County."
Nixon credits a vast network of volunteers for making sure Chautauqua County maintains its reputation for snowmobiling. They put in thousands of hours each year removing debris, grooming trails and patrolling them. He said the volunteers are also sensitive to the impact snowmobiling has on nearby residents.
"It's probably not a perfect relationship," Nixon continued. "But I do know the snowmobile clubs are very conscientious about the landowners because most of the trail system's mileage does cross private land."
State law requires all snowmobiles to be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles. A satellite DMV office is located in Mayville and is open Saturdays to issue temporary registrations.