Hatfield-McCoy Trails to build connector trails across nine-county system
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The Hatfield-McCoy Trails are looking forward to its next phase of development.
Hatfield-McCoy Trails says it plans to build connector trails across its nine-county system
Robert Fields | WVOW News
LYBURN The trail system now reaches all nine counties included in the original legislation that created the off-road riding system.
After 26 years of building trails, the Hatfield-McCoy Trails are now focused on connecting existing trail systems and creating more access points into coalfield communities.
During its most recent quarterly meeting, the Hatfield-McCoy Trails board approved a new 10-year plan. Executive Director John Fekete says the goal is to give riders more places to ride into and connect as many trail systems as possible.
“These riders are coming here and they are looking for places to ride to,” Fekete said.
The system now has more than a thousand miles of trails spread throughout the coalfields.
Fekete says connecting those trails can be challenging because a connector may cross the property of several landowners. He says the system relies on mayors and county commissioners to help make contact with property owners.
Once landowners sign a contract with the Hatfield-McCoy system, they are generally protected from lawsuits related to trail use.
“That’s always the challenge when going from Point A to Point B. You may have one landowner or you may have ten,” said Fekete.
He says the system is always looking for opportunities to connect trails to another community.
The success of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails has also helped spur additional trail development. Trail systems have been established in Kentucky and Virginia, while private trail systems are also developing throughout West Virginia and the region.
Fekete says the Hatfield-McCoy Trails welcome that growth because additional trail systems bring more riders to the region.
About 80 percent of Hatfield-McCoy riders come from outside West Virginia, while about 20 percent are West Virginia residents. A Marshall University economic impact study found the system averages about 93,000 riders each year, accounting for an estimated 284,000 user days. Ohio is the largest source of out-of-state riders, followed by North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Fekete says many riders return to the trails more than once a year, with some visiting in the spring and returning in the fall to see the changing leaves.
WVOW's Shana Nelson contributed to this story.
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