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ATV & UTV Riding

Q: Where is the best atv & utv riding in West Virginia?

Pinnacle Creek or Buffalo Mountain: Solid intermediate systems with a good spread of green and blue trail, and enough mileage to fill two days without repeating yourself. Rockhouse: One of the largest systems in the network, with terrain from easy doubletrack to difficult, and Gilbert right there. Gilbert or Matewan: Base in a trail town, ride to the restaurant, park the machine outside. The whole model of the system in one weekend.

The Hatfield-McCoy Trails are the reason people trailer machines to West Virginia from a dozen states. Managed by the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority across former coal land in the southern counties, the system runs well over a thousand miles and connects directly into trail towns where street-legal riding is permitted.

ATV & Off-Road Season · Year-round All 3 places

The Hatfield-McCoy system was built on former coal lands beginning in 2000 and now exceeds 1,000 miles. Several connected towns permit off-highway vehicles on public streets, so riders can reach lodging, fuel and restaurants without trailering.

Well over a thousand miles across former coal land, split into named systems, with connected trail towns where street riding is legal.

Our recommendations

Where we'd send you

First trip

Pinnacle Creek or Buffalo Mountain

Solid intermediate systems with a good spread of green and blue trail, and enough mileage to fill two days without repeating yourself.

Full guide to Hatfield-McCoy Trails →

The biggest day

Rockhouse

One of the largest systems in the network, with terrain from easy doubletrack to difficult, and Gilbert right there.

Full guide to Hatfield-McCoy Trails →

For the town experience

Gilbert or Matewan

Base in a trail town, ride to the restaurant, park the machine outside. The whole model of the system in one weekend.

Full guide to Hatfield-McCoy Trails →

Practical note

Every rider needs a permit and they're less expensive and simpler to buy online in advance. The difficulty ratings are accurate, and black-rated trails are demanding on underpowered machines.

What to know before you go

A Hatfield-McCoy permit is required and available online or from local vendors
Several trail towns allow riding directly on city streets to lodging and restaurants
Helmets are required for riders under 18 statewide

Regions that do it best

Off-road trail towns and reclaimed mine country

Southern Coalfields

The five southernmost counties, where deep mining shaped the settlement pattern and, more recently, the recreation economy.

Every place we cover for atv & utv riding

Motorized Trail · Southern Coalfields

Hatfield-McCoy Trails

The largest off-highway trail system in the eastern United States — more than a thousand miles across former coal lands in southern West Virginia, split into named systems including Rockhouse, Bearwallow, Buffalo Mountain, Pinnacle Creek, Devil Anse, Pocahontas, Indian Ridge, Ivy Branch and Warrior.

1,000+ mi trail9+ trail systems

State Park · Southern Coalfields