Hatfield-McCoy Almost Ready to Expand Into Mercer County

In addition to linking up the Pinnacle Creek and Indian Ridge trail systems and plotting a trail connector into Twin Falls State Park, the Hatfield-McCoy Trail Authority should be up and running in Mercer County by the end of 2010, according to an article in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.

"[HMT Executive Director Jeff] Lusk said the authority has big plans for Mercer County, including connecting trails around the Matoaka, Montcalm and Bramwell communities. A trailhead site is planned just outside of the town limits of Bramwell on U.S. Route 52."

Once the Mercer County is up and running, it will be the sixth of the nine HMT project counties to have a trail system. Once the system is completed, future plans include linking the Mercer system to the existing Pinnacle Creek and Indian Ridge systems and building a new Hatfield-McCoy visitors center in the county sometime in 2011 or 2012.

Hatfield-McCoy - Inside the Numbers

With all the mud pits, hill climbs, single track and rock steps on the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, it's easy to forget that behind the 500 miles of winding trails there's a business responsible for helping to spur economic development throughout southern West Virginia.

A recent article by Mary Catherine Brooks of the Beckley Register-Herald offers a look at the numbers of the trail system, and gives an inside view of the business end of the largest trail system on the East Coast. Check it out HERE.

On the (Hatfield-McCoy) Trail TV

Just in case you're not one of the 35 million homes worldwide that have access to On the Trail TV with Stephen Anderson, we here at the McBlog want to make sure you don't miss out on some of the best Hatfield-McCoy Trail video available anywhere. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and check out this four part video collection of On the Trail's visit to the Little Coal River Trail System. If you have seen it on TV already, do the ol' McBlog's web stats a favor and watch it again. Enjoy!

Family Fun Weekend at Thunder Blast Park July 30th

If you’ve spent the summer looking for something fun to do as a family, head on down to Thunder Blast Park at 3 Mile Curve in Logan on Friday and Saturday, July 30th and 31st for their last Kids Weekend of 2010.

Friday evening features a movie night beginning at 7pm, which is free for kids 17 and under. Saturday will feature a kids fishing tournament from 8am – 8pm, ATV and dirtbike drag racing from 7pm – 9pm, followed by a fireworks display after dark.

Thunder Blast also has an onsite playground, inflatable jumper and game room. For an additional charge, Thunder Blast offers a mini golf course, paint ball gallery and arena, as well as a snack bar. This is one event that’s sure to have something for the whole family. With numerous full hook-up campsites for overnight guests, it’s the perfect way to spend a summer weekend.

For a full schedule of events or for more information, call Thunder Blast at (304) 752-0102.

Random Post of the Day

This has absolutely nothing to do with Hatfield-McCoy, except that we're continually amazed and proud of what off-road riders can do. In this case, a man and his Polaris RZR decided to take on the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Take it away, Jalopnik.

Hatfield-McCoy Website Facelift

Ladies and Gentlemen, step right up. The McBlog is proud to announce: The new Hatfield-McCoy Trails website is up and running!

Aside from the obvious fresh coat of paint and new layout, the big debut feature for the site is an interactive map you can get to from the homepage. Once they're viewing the map users can view all the trail systems at once, click right in to the trail system of their choice with access to trail maps, directions, descriptions, and full listing of lodging, ATV rentals, dining and entertainment in the area. The site has also been streamlined to allow users easier access to HMT's web 2.0 features, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

We would tell you more about it, but take it from us: You just need to head over there and check it our for yourself.

One Night Only: The Outdoor Channel becomes HMT TV

If you've got the Outdoor Channel in your TV lineup, tonight's the night to hide the remote. Not one, not two, but three of the channel's off-road programs are featuring your favorite place to ride tonight.

The night starts with the season premiere of Dirt Trax, where brothers Luke & AJ Lester take a test ride the Rockhouse trail system and then float down some West Virginia whitewater. You can check out the teaser for the episode here. The premiere episode airs at 5:00 p.m. EST and again at 8:00 p.m.

In case you've never been to TrailFest and wonder what it's all about, Fisher's ATV World is on the case for you. At 5:30 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. EST, Brian and the gang will be showing the highlights of their trip to the 2009 edition of the Premier Off-Road Event in the United States. You can check out what's in store for TrailFest 2010 here.

Destination Polaris is up at 6:30 p.m & 9:30 p.m. with "Hatfield-McCoy Journey." Hosts Jared Christie and Laura Schara pride themselves on riding remote trails and America's best off-road destinations, and we're sure you'll want to go along with them as they try and tame Hatfield-McCoy Country. Click here for a full look at the Outdoor Channel's Monday night schedule.