The late John Denver used to sing, “Almost Heaven, West Virginia is…” And for ATV, side-by-side and dirt bike riders, he’s exactly right, thanks to the Hatfield-McCoy Trails.
The Hatfield-McCoy Trails are run by the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority, which was set up in 2000 to help create an interconnected network of off-road trails in various economically challenged parts of the state. Coal mining and logging interests have left whole areas of West Virginia undeveloped and unused. Many of these areas are mountainous and hilly, and have existing tracks and trails. The Authority cleverly contracts with the land owners to lease the fallow land to open it up for public use, developing trail heads and taking over trail marking, maintenance and administration. Since there’s little profit in continuing to mine or log in these areas, the owners are happy to participate and get some passive income out of their holdings. The Authority takes on all of the liability and responsibility, and the communities that are near the trailheads benefit from a big increase in tourism.
There are now seven trailheads for the trail system: Rockhouse, Bearwallow, Pinnacle Creek, Little Coal River, Indian Ridge, Pocahantas, and Buffalo Mountain. An eighth trailhead, Ivy Branch, is set to re-open later this year. In total, the Hatfield-McCoy Trail system stretches across six of the nine counties in West Virginia, and has over 600 miles of trails. That makes it the second-largest OHV trail system in the U.S., behind only Paiute in Utah. Considering that West Virginia covers 24,000 square miles versus Utah’s 85,000 square miles, that’s pretty impressive.
Trail riding is open to anyone over the age of 6. An annual permit costs $50.00 for out of state riders; $26.50 for West Virginia residents.
Businesses have sprung up around each of the trailheads to support the off-road riding sport. Everything from ATV, side-by-side and dirt bike sale, rental and repair centers to lodging, restaurants and grocery stores have flourished with the influx of riders.
I spent a couple of days riding a new side-by-side in the hills near the Rockhouse trailhead, between the towns of Gilbert and Man recently. It was an amazing experience, riding in and around hills and forests that I never could have seen on any other form of transportation. I rode over 60 miles one day, a big grin plastered on my face the whole time.
The BEST WESTERN Logan Inn in Chapmanville is close enough that you can park at the hotel and ride your side-by-side to the Rockhouse trailhead on the public streets to get to the off-roading – it’s legal in West Virginia, for up to 10 miles.