Riding the newest trail In the Hatfield-McCoy Trails system in West Virginia

By Nick Haris

Sitting on my ATV atop a mountain ridge in the Hatfield-McCoy Trails system in West Virginia, I look out over the forest and down at a stream.

I'm thinking: This really is almost heaven.

The friendly staff at Hatfield-McCoy had invited motojournalists, government officials and others on a trail ride to get to know the area and all it has to offer. I jumped at the chance when I got the invite.

 The Hatfield-McCoy Trails system is actually a series of trail systems spread across nine West Virginia counties. The Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority, a legislatively created agency that is governed by a board of directors, manages the trails. The system originally opened to the public in October 2000, and has been adding new trails and riding opportunities ever since.

Recently Hatfield-McCoy officials embarked on a strong push to market the system to riders on a national and even a worldwide basis, and that's why the motojournalists and others are here.

I arrived at the Little Coal River Trailhead, one of the six individual systems to make up the entire Hatfield-McCoy system, early on the morning of the ride. The newly constructed visitor’s center, about 20 miles south of Charleston, W.Va., just off of Highway 119, is open to the public seven days a week. It provides ample parking as well as lots of great information regarding the trail system and surrounding services, including camping areas, rental cabins, and restaurants.

In the parking lot we're greeted by a large selection of ATVs and UTVs to choose from, and after a quick round of introductions involving the event participants, we were given a general overview of what we would see during the day's ride.

We also got a history lesson on how the recreation area was developed and how it evolved over the years. And we learned about current projects, as well as plans for the future.

Much of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails system is, in fact, on private property, and is available to ride as result of cooperative agreements between the various landowners and the trail systems' managers. Currently more than 500 miles of trails are open year-round to ATVs, dirt bikes, select utility vehicles and mountain bikes, horses and hikers.

Many of the systems also have connecting trails that allow visitors to access local towns for meals, lodging and supplies.

What impressed me most, though, are the positive economic impacts the Hatfield-McCoy Trails system has brought to the surrounding communities. Examples included an extensive number of private ventures that have recently opened as a result of the steady stream of out-of-state visitors who come to enjoy the trails.

Numerous hotels, rental cabins, restaurants, and ATV rental and guide services have begun operating in recent years, providing income for those businesses and tax revenue for local government.

Despite recent flooding in the area, the Little Coal section of the trails was in excellent shape. We left the visitor's center and set out on the ride with a number of guides who were Hatfield-McCoy employees and local volunteers.

Our group had a lot of novice riders, so the trail ranking system was of great interest to them. The entire system is very well mapped and signed, giving first-time visitors an excellent overview of the trails length and difficulty prior to setting out.

Trails are ranked and signed according to their difficulty level at the specific system, similar to a ski area, and a first-time visitor would be well advised to start slowly and work their way up to the more difficult sections as their skill and experience allows.

We generally rode the easier trails, but still found some good technical sections that challenged the capability of the machines and the riders. Breaks were frequent and allowed our hosts to explain specific natural features as well as to point out newly established trail segments, past maintenance projects and repairs.

The terrain was quite varied and we were often riding in the trees, unable to see much beyond the trail and our fellow riders. Other times we rode next to a stream or along a ridge top and were able to enjoy the great views and natural beauty of the area.

The trails also proved to be quite varied, often changing from wide-open, faster sections to muddy or loose soil within just a few hundred yards. Other sections were quite steep, and required the rider to pick a line carefully to avoid potentially getting stuck or having to back down and take another run.

Likewise, the downhill descents required some concentration because some were quite steep, especially in the eyes of the newer riders.

Fortunately, we had no accidents or serious issues during our ride, but I saw a few concerned looks prior to setting out on a particular stretch on a few occasions. Riders accustomed to flat, open terrain and higher speeds may be in for a bit of a surprise riding the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, and should study the trail maps with care prior to heading out.

I never did ride on a trail that was rated as "difficult," but I have no doubt that when they say a trail is difficult, they mean it.

Returning to the trailhead, we had time to grab a quick lunch and speak with the staff. Clearly this is a dedicated bunch that loves what they do, and they want the world to come enjoy the beauty and fun that this great part of West Virginia has to offer.

I can think of no better way to spend a few days with friends and family.

For more information, go to TrailsHeaven.com, e-mail info@trailsheaven.com, or call (800) 592-2217.