Every organization we link to: local tourism offices, the state and federal agencies that manage the land, the nonprofits and clubs that keep access open, and the universities doing the research.
Hatfield-McCoy Riding Weekend
More than a thousand miles of trail across former coal lands, with towns where machines are street-legal so you can ride to dinner. Buy the permit before you leave home.
Day by day
Arrive and short loop
- 2:00 pmArrive Gilbert. Collect permits from a local vendor if you did not buy online.
- 4:00 pmShort shakedown loop on a green trail to check the machine.
- 7:00 pmRide into town for dinner. Local ordinance permits machines on the street.
Full day on the system
- 8:30 amFull day on Rockhouse or Bearwallow, the two largest systems.
- 12:30 pmLunch at a trailside town stop rather than trailering out.
- 5:00 pmBack to base. Fuel and wash down.
Connecting system and out
- 9:00 amHalf day on a connecting system such as Devil Anse or Pinnacle Creek.
- 12:00 pmStop at the overlooks on the way back, then load up.
Before you go
Book ahead
- A trail permit for every rider, online in advance
- Rider-oriented lodging with trailer parking, which books out on summer weekends
- Machine rental locally if you are not bringing your own
What to bring
- Helmet, eye protection and gloves. Helmets are required for riders under 18
- Spare belt, plug kit and a tow strap. Recovery is on you out there
- Trail maps, since cell coverage is unreliable across the systems
Rain turns the clay to grease. The green-rated systems stay rideable when the black trails do not.
Outfitters and lodging on this route
Itinerary pages carry the highest booking intent on the site. Placement is sold per route.
List your business hereWhere you'll be
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.
Twin Falls Resort State Park
A quiet resort park in Wyoming County with a lodge, golf course and two waterfalls on Black Fork and Marsh Fork.
Chief Logan State Park
A 4,000-acre park in Logan County with a wildlife exhibit, trails through reclaimed coal country and an outdoor amphitheatre.
Panther State Forest
Deep in McDowell County, one of the most remote units in the system, with a small campground, a swimming pool and trails through steep hardwood in the heart of the southern coalfields.
What you'll be doing
West Virginia has roughly 1.5 million acres of public land and a handful of places that carry almost all of the attention. The consequence is that a great deal of very good ground sits nearly empty, usually for one of three reasons: nobody has heard of it, the road in is gated or rough, or it is undeveloped and has nothing to advertise. Those are the places below — of them across regions.