Hatfield-McCoy State of the Trails 2008

Since Hatfield-McCoy's eighth birthday is only a few days away (Editor's Note: That means TrailFest is only a few days away too, so make your plans already!) we thought we'd post a little retrospective on the year that was, and the year that will be. So please give a warm welcome to our guest blogger, Hatfield-McCoy's Executive Director Jeff Lusk.


"This past year was one of growth for us, in terms of trail miles, and in the number of towns and municipalities we’re connected with. In 2008, we’ve added new mileage to almost every system, including four new miles of trail from the Browning Fork system into Gilbert, which I’m sure you’ll see often during Trailfest.

We’re currently building new single track at Buffalo Mountain for all you bikers, and Pinnacle Creek is halfway through a new 20-mile stretch. We’ve also built municipality connectors from Pinnacle Creek into the town of Mullens, and connected the Indian Ridge system to the town of Northfork.

Not everything we’ve done in 2008 has been geared towards the trail however. As I’m sure all you riders from the north will notice on your way into Hatfield-McCoy country, we recently held the grand opening of our new Welcome Center. The Center will also serve as our retail merchandise headquarters in addition to daily duties as the trailhead for the Little Coal River system.

The trail system also played host to the first annual Fisher’s ATV Reunion, which brought country music artists like Daryle Singletary, Michael Scott, Craig Morgan, and former American Idol contestant Bucky Covington to Gilbert this past summer for a weekend of music and riding. Be sure to check our website for the announcement on when that will be happening next year.

Our future plans don’t allow us much time to relax however, as we’re working on quite a few projects that are going to change the very face of Hatfield-McCoy. We’re in the early stages of connecting the Indian Ridge and Pinnacle Creek systems, which sounds good enough even before I mention that we’re also planning to connect it all to Twin Falls State Park, one of the most beautiful parks in West Virginia.

We’re also in the very early stages of building a connector from the Dingess Rum system to the Fountain Place Mall outside of Logan, which is the first phase of connecting into Chief Logan State Park. The big news for all you Rhino and Mule lovers out there is that the Little Coal River trail system as we all know it is coming to an end. Starting this winter, it will be converted into a UTV park, with all the trails being open to those machines.

For news a little further down the road, we’ve secured mapping agreements with landowners for our Lincoln County trail system, and we’re currently in negotiations with the Army Corps of Engineers, which is the first phase of development for our Wayne County trail system. Be sure to check www.trailsheaven.com regularly for updates on those situations."

Fisher's ATV World Visits Hatfield-McCoy's Pinnacle Creek Trail System

Our YouTube Video of the Week this week comes from the fine folks at Fisher's ATV World. Brian and the boys stopped by the Pinnacle Creek System a while back and now we've got the footage. So check out this video and be sure watch the Outdoor Channel for more great Fisher's Hatfield-McCoy coverage.

Make Your Plans Now for TrailFest '08

Preparations are in full swing for Hatfield-McCoy’s 8th Birthday Party, better known to the masses as TrailFest. October 9 - 13 promises to be a weekend filled with scavenger hunts, poker runs, casino nights, mud pits, parades, local culture, and of course, trail riding on the world famous Browning Fork Trail System. If you’ve been before, you know what I’m talking about. If you’ve never experienced it, check out this video for a taste of what you’ve been missing:



Head over to the TrailFest Event Page for more information, including a Full Schedule, Registration Information, and Vendor Info. See you on the trails!

Trailfest is Proof of Hatfield-McCoy's Impact on Southern WV

Trailfest 2008 is coming up fast, and now is as good a time as any to take a look at the benefits it reaps for the Hatfield-McCoy project area. So, check out the article below for some great information on Trailfest's economic impact and a look back at the history of the event. Also, be sure to check back later this week, when we'll be serving up a preview of Trailfest 08, as well as hooking you up with some registration info.

"For four days in October, the tiny town of Gilbert, WV, swells to almost 10 times its normal size as off-road enthusiasts travel from all over the country to TrailFest, the nation’s premier off-road trail riding event.

Not bad for a town of fewer than 400 folks located some 30 winding, mountain miles from the nearest four-lane highway.

The story of TrailFest and the hundreds of thousands of dollars it pumps into Gilbert each Columbus Day Weekend is testament to the economic impact the Hatfield~McCoy Trails System has had in Southern West Virginia.

“Hatfield~McCoy Trails is first and foremost an economic development engine,” says Jeffrey Lusk, executive director of the Hatfield~McCoy Recreational Trail Authority. “That doesn’t mean we can’t have fun while doing it, though.”

This year’s TrailFest, from Oct. 9-13 features four full days of riding the Hatfield~McCoy Trails and a variety of evening entertainment: Fisher’s Mud Run sponsored by Fisher’s ATV World, drag racing and other events. Brian Fisher will also be gathering film for later use on his two off-road shows on the Versus and Outdoor Channel cable networks.

Ball of Steel, a motorbike stunt show, will also be performing three days.

TrailFest “is by far the biggest weekend we have all year,” says Tim McCoy, executive director of the Larry Joe Harless Community Center, site of most of the activities. “We look forward to it because of the reunion type atmosphere that has developed in the last several years.

An economic impact study done in 2006 estimated that the Hatfield~McCoy Trails added 146 new jobs to the struggling southern West Virginia economy, as well as $2.7 million in income and $7.7 million in output.

An important contributor to that impact is TrailFest, begun in Logan in 2000. The event moved to Gilbert the next year and hasn’t left. In 2001, about 300 people attended. This year, organizers expect upwards of 3,000 visitors from Oct. 9-13.

“The money is spent in the restaurants it’s spent in the gas stations, it’s spent on the ATV rentals, it’s spent on the repairs,” Lusk said.

“A lot is spent on repairs.”

Not only does TrailFest fill to capacity the 25 or so Gilbert businesses that offer lodging – from a motel, to guest rooms, the 140 campsites at the Larry Joe Harless Community Center had sold out by July 1 and organizers have been scouring the area securing any vacant 25-by-35-foot plot of land they could find for the influx of ATV- and bike-riders.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is even re-opening the R.D. Bailey Lake campground for the weekend to accommodate visitors.

Vendors such as Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Polaris, Can-Am and Arctic Cat will be on hand.
“Those are the major off-road machine companies and several of them will be giving demonstration rides,” Lusk said. “Folks can come in and ride their next year’s product today.”

In addition to meals and entertainment, participants will receive a permit to ride the Trails. Most will take to the Browning Fork Trails, a 125-mile system accessible at the Rockhouse Trailhead on U.S. Highway 52 in Gilbert, but the permit they receive as part of their registration is good on any of the nearly 500-mile Hatfield~McCoy system.

Gilbert is one of four ATV Friendly Towns throughout the Hatfield~McCoy system, meaning off-road vehicle riders can ride their machines on the streets.

Perhaps more than any other of the towns, Gilbert has opened its arms to four-wheelers, McCoy said. “We’ve pretty much opened up our doors and welcome people in. We want them to know they are not an inconvenience, that they are not a nuisance. They are welcome here, we’re glad they’re here and we want them to continue to come.”

“You really get to see that ATV-friendly attitude during TrailFest,” Lusk said. “The lines of ATVs, dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles at the McDonald’s drive in window will just astound you.”

Even the fire department gets into the act, offering an “ATV Wash” during the weekend. And the mayor is out putting up signs.

“The whole community gets involved. It’s a great experience for everybody,” Lusk said. “It’s a good experience for the trail rider, the townspeople and us.”For more information, go to

http://www.NationalTrailFest.com or http://www.TrailsHeaven.com."

Hatfield-McCoy Trail Construction Update

While most of you reading this already know that Hatfield-McCoy is the biggest and baddest trail system on the East Coast, we wanted to remind you of just how hard we work to keep the title. While some people may think that 500 miles of trails are plenty, take a look below at just some of the projects that Hatfield-McCoy’s trail techs have going on right now:

Current Trail Systems:

Bearwallow – Just opened an additional 15 miles of trail, with more on the way. Also planning a connector trail to the Fountain Place Mall in Logan.

Browning Fork – A new 4 mile access trail into Gilbert has been completed.

Buffalo Mountain – Currently constructing 12 to 20 miles of new single track on Buffalo Mountain. Should be ready to ride by the end of the year.

Indian Ridge – Currently working on a route to connect Indian Ridge to Pinnacle Creek.

Little Coal – During winter of ‘08/’09, Little Coal will be converted into a UTV Park – All trails will be open to UTV’s.

Pinnacle Creek – 10 new miles have opened recently, with 10 more on the way in the near future. Also working out the logistics of a connector to Twin Falls State Park.


Future Plans:

Lincoln County Trail System – Mapping agreements have been secured. Mapping will begin this winter.

Wayne County Trail System - Currently negotiating with the Army Corp of Engineers.

Hatfield-McCoy's got BALLS

BALL OF STEEL AT UK DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL - Awesome video clips here


What do you get when you combine a a 14 ft, 5500 pound ball with motorbikes and British accents? You get the above video of the Ball of Steel Stunt crew riding at the UK Download Festival. What's this have to do with ATV trails in Southern West Virginia? The B.O.S.S. boys are headed to Trailfest 2008 to perform, that's what. Choose wisely before you answer the Trailfest poll on your right.

A Hatfield-McCoy History Lesson

ATV: Hatfield-McCoy, WV

This week's video is brought to us by the Speed Channel, courtesy of the fine folks at Streetfire.net. Some of the information is a tad outdated (Only 400 miles? Please.) But it does give a great history lesson, both on how the trails were created, the area they're located in, and the feud that gives them their name. Enjoy!