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want to come in. It’s just a matter of getting those entrepreneurs excited about coming here.” The Hatfield-McCoy Trail system was created by the West Virginia Legislature more than a decade ago to generate economic development and tourism in southern West Virginia. The trail system now extends more than 600 miles through five counties. The seven existing Hatfield-McCoy Trails are the Pocahontas, Rockhouse, Buffalo Mountain, Bearwallow, Indian Ridge, Little Coal and Pinnacle Creek systems. The various trails range from the easiest to most difficult. Tazewell County officials hope to begin construction soon on the first phase of the new Spearhead Trail system in Southwest Virginia, according to Tazewell County Administrator Jim Spencer. The Virginia General Assembly created the Southwest Virginia Regional Recreation Authority in 2009 for the purpose of overseeing the development and management of the sevencounty Spearhead Trail system. The project is intended to create a new economic development and tourism engine for Southwest Virginia through the development of new trails for ATV riders, bikers, hikers, horseback riders, naturalists and others. “We’ve got 53 miles of trails mapped,” Spencer said. “We’ve got $100,000 in grant money to start building trails. And we are waiting on agreements with two land owners so we can start building the
trails.” On the Hatfield-McCoy Trail system, Lusk said officials are now gearing up for the annual Hatfield-McCoy National Trailfest. This year’s celebration will be held Oct. 4 through 8 in Gilbert. Lusk said the National Trailfest gathering is considered the premier ATV, UTV and dirt bike trail-riding event of the year. The National Trailfest will include the Fishers ATV World Zone; a mud run for cash and prizes; live music; factory demonstration rides; drawings for cash and prizes; a poker run and dice run for cash; an ATV, UTV and dirt bike costume parade; nightly drag racing and mud pit events; a youth motor track; a “Dirt Trax TV’s Pimp my Ride” contest; film crews with Fishers ATV World and Dirt Trax; fireworks; a casino night and live auction; catered meals on Friday and Saturday; and other activities. “We’ve already booked out all of our camping for Trailfest,” Lusk said. “This year I think is going to be a banner year for us at Trailfest. We have some additional camping this year that we haven’t had in year’s past. I think that’s going to help a lot. That’s one of the biggest problems I’ve run into at Trailfest is we just don’t have enough places for (visitors) to stay.” To register for this year’s trailfest, riders can call 1-800-592-2217 or email at lhicks@trailsheaven.com
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