harlan (Black Mountain) vs Coal Creek (Windrock)

GotLime?

GotLime?

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Location
Mooresville, NC
Our group is starting to discuss a spring 2014 trip. The last 2 years we have gone to Harlan.

But we're considering Coal Creek this year.

has anyone been to both? How would you compare the 2?

It looks like they're similiar as far as size and accomodations. And distance from Lake Norman. Coal Creek is MUCH larger.

This spring we rented a cabin for 4 nights and had 8 or 9 rigs. One of our guys moved to MN and he'll probably come down with some of his MN guys and their rigs.

We have everything from TJs on 35s to trailered rigs and buggies.
 
Subscribed. Just got back from Harlan myself. Told everyone there how much I loved it and plenty of people said I needed to check out Windrock next then. So I'm pulled between going back to Harlan since there's plenty I didn't get to see, or checking out Windrock next.
 
That's where we're at. We've been to Harlan 2x and wheeled for, I think, 9 days and we haven't hit all the trails obstacles.

But Coal Creek sounds interesting. And big.
 
It's a toss up really. They both have really good trails. While Windrock is much larger and has more trails, they are very spread out. It sometimes take 30 minutes or more of driving down crappy gravel road to reach a good trail. Harlan has less trails, but has a higher concentration of good trails in a small area so you don't spend all day just driving between trails. The is no comparison when talking about accommodations. Windrock is much nicer than Harlan by a long shot with better sites and a much nicer bathhouse, but there also isn't currently a gas station nearby the campground (they are changing that though). Harlan is cheaper as far as trail fees are concerned. Windrock charges $17 per person per day or $88 for a year pass per person. Harlan is $25 for a month pass or $40 for a year pass per vehicle (I'm pretty sure that's right, been a while since I checked).

I love both parks equally, those are my objective opinions on the subject.
 
First night in Harlan I tent camped behind the Dairy Hut. I was the only person in a tent, everyone else had these huge campers and toy haulers. About 11pm I started to wonder if they knew something I didn't. There was a lot of traffic in the small town for a late Thursday night. There were sketchy people all around, one group stopped in the road and had a knock down drag out argument that was almost a fight. 95% of the locals seemed like burn outs with drug problems, I felt so uneasy that night I packed up and moved first thing the next morning to a much better location.
Is Windrock a better town to be in? Harlan was beautiful and I met great people but it was really a small coal mining town full of people that didn't wave, didn't speak, didn't look friendly or welcoming and I did not like being in town.
 
I understand there is a significant amount of meth production (and probably useage) in Harlan County.
 
GotLime? said:
I understand there is a significant amount of meth production (and probably useage) in Harlan County.
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Seemed that way. I stopped in Abingdon, VA for groceries and some very nice people there asked where I was from and heading and what for and such. I was warned it was a "rough place" by 3 different people before I could get out of the grocery store. I saw what they meant immediately. I was approached the next day by a sketch ball asking if I could take him to the top of the mountain in my jeep so he could catch timber rattlers and dig up ginseng roots (which were out of season). I told him no and he got mad, luckily the park manager was there to run him off. He was a slow talking droopy eyed fellow that looked to have had some major issues going on.

I suspect he had something else going on somewhere in the hills and just didn't want to walk.
 
We rented a house in Harlan the first time we went and rented a cabin on the Putney side of the mountain last time. People discourage staying on the Putney side, but the cabins were nice and you can stay closer to the trails. Plus the Mexican place in Putney was pretty good. And it's not much further to the grocery store, gas, whatever from the "other" (Putney) side. And we didn't have any issues with methheads. Just friendly campground owners and other wheelers.
 
When you camp at windrock, or Coal Creek as it is officially known now, you're on the ohv property and yes it is much nicer. The town is actually Oak Ridge TN. It probably has its problems, but is far more developed than Harlan and is a high technology area with a much better economy.
 
Windrock has nicer amenities but it costs a lot more. $17/day to ride or $90 for a year (not sure if that annual price is correct). $20/day to tent camp at Windrock. As far as the trails go it's a toss up. Windrock is so spread out you can spend hours just driving connectors. Harlan seems more like Tellico and I like that. Windrock is dusty beyond belief and has a lot of 4wheeler traffic. The biggest drawback for me is the sketchiness of Harlan. Too many mouth breathers and inbreds. Both places have great trails to ride though.
 
I have not been to Coal Creek either . I will definitely go back to Harlan County. Been twice and have not covered it all yet. I have not camped behind the Dairy Hut

yet. I would not have liked it that first night either as Green machine said. After the rest of the group got there it looked more livable. We rented a nice little house

in Evarts. It was very clean and in a quiet neighborhood with the retired owner living next door. This house was the exception to the other rentals I saw in Evarts.

If I was taking my family I would stay on the Putney side in the Cabins. Cannot not help you with Windrock but I will be watching this thread.
 
There is alot of difference in the 2 places. I have been to both several times.
1- Windrock is much much larger that Harlan. Windrock is 72,000 acres. Harlen is 12,000
2- Winrocks trails are much more spread out. Like mentioned above some of the trails are at least 30min ride from the parking lot.
Harlen is much smaller an trails are much closer.
3- The type of people are of course much different in the 2 areas.
4- I have ridden with local people in both places an must say they have all been very nice, never once have I felt in danger. I always go in from the Evarts side an stay in the cabins up on the hill behind the gas/pizza station across the creek from the dairy hut.
5- If you ride more than a day which I always do, an you are not camping, at Windrock you have to load an transport your rig to an from the place you are staying.
Harlen you do not. Yo can drive on the state maintained road to an from where you are staying.
I really like both places, an will be back at both places ASAP. Hope that helps.
 
Can I bump this? I was just at windrock. Stayed in the campground at the Lyons den cabin.... Amazing. Loved it, loved the park, it is HUGE(donald). We logged 75 miles all told over 3 days. The connector trail to the store/trailhead is cool, but the road is faster. The trails are killer. The train is a LONG rride to go see, but cool.

I will say, Have a trail rig that can move out at say 20-30 mph on the road if you go there.



That said, we are debating harlan next year for a big trip.....I would love to hear more info on which side to stay.... we want a house or cabin to stay at.
 
Pennsylvaniaboy said:
we are debating harlan next year for a big trip.....I would love to hear more info on which side to stay.... we want a house or cabin to stay at.
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If the 396 mile commute between trails at Windrock doesn't bother you, then stay in a nice cabin on the Putney side. It's about as far away from the good stuff as the Windrock campground is from the very first trail. Windrock has the very best bath houses and campground I've ever stayed in. Never been in a cabin at windrock to compare to Putneys cabins at Harlan...but those Putney cabins are nice. Some MUCH nicer than others, but even the bunk houses aren't bad.

For convenience Evarts wins hands down. Yeah you may have to wrap your camper in serpentine wire with claymores in order to return to what you had..but you can get back to "camp" in no time flat. Typically we stay at Po White Boy rental on Evarts side. It's a double wide on an 8ft block foundation that sits between the river and the railroad tracks. And yes...it's everything you'd imagine it would be by my description. But it's so damn close to the obstacles you can be back to the house in 5 minutes if you forgot something.

I wish Windrocks campground was at the base of the Evarts side of Harlan.
 
Bebop said:
Putney for Harlan
100% a million times better than Evarts.
Get one of the big new cabins if you got a group, they're awesome !
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This. Been going to Harlan since 2008 and always stayed at putney. Checked out the evarts side once, didn't even unload my crap, said F this and went back to Putney. I'll take a nice drive through the woods to get to the good stuff and grilling my own food over dealing with tweaker ville and an ice cream stand.

As for windrock, people told me to stay at hotels and I assumed it was like most of the other parks where the nearest town was sketch. Drive through Oak ridge on the way into the trails and will stay at a hotel next time. Rack up some Marriott points on a wheeling trip, who would have guessed LOL!!!
 
gslander said:
This. Been going to Harlan since 2008 and always stayed at putney. Checked out the evarts side once, didn't even unload my crap, said F this and went back to Putney. I'll take a nice drive through the woods to get to the good stuff and grilling my own food over dealing with tweaker ville and an ice cream stand.

As for windrock, people told me to stay at hotels and I assumed it was like most of the other parks where the nearest town was sketch. Drive through Oak ridge on the way into the trails and will stay at a hotel next time. Rack up some Marriott points on a wheeling trip, who would have guessed LOL!!!
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Hey now, watch what you say about the Dairy Hut!

Putney is way nicer but we stayed on Evarts side many years for our annual trip with no issues. Sometimes rented a house, sometimes in the campground behind the dairy hut. Putney works better for our event these days, but we still grab lunch at the hut the day we run lower rock garden and surrounding trails.
 
I guess I got just enough white trash in me to love Evarts in Harlan. I always hear that argument about how folks won’t stay there. But I’ve stayed in Evarts 10 out of 12 trips to Harlan and NEVER had an issue.

My tools, coolers, spare tires, and all have been out and never been messed with. I very much prefer Evarts to Putney. Easy access to all the best trails, easy access to get a truck and trailer in if you explode your junk, gas, food, shopping, hardware store and more just minutes away.

Putney has really nice bathhouses and cabins. IMO the bathhouses are even nicer than Windrock. It’s not a bad place to stay by any means, but that longggggg trail in and out each time kills it for me. There’s so much stuff that’s easy to get to from the Evarts side.


And before anyone says they close the gate in Evarts at 10pm, not true. Last couple times I asked as I went into the park at 8:30pm if they’d close it and ol boy smiled and said “nah, gates broken”
 
77GreenMachine said:
I guess I got just enough white trash in me to love Evarts in Harlan. I always hear that argument about how folks won’t stay there. But I’ve stayed in Evarts 10 out of 12 trips to Harlan and NEVER had an issue.

My tools, coolers, spare tires, and all have been out and never been messed with. I very much prefer Evarts to Putney. Easy access to all the best trails, easy access to get a truck and trailer in if you explode your junk, gas, food, shopping, hardware store and more just minutes away.

Putney has really nice bathhouses and cabins. IMO the bathhouses are even nicer than Windrock. It’s not a bad place to stay by any means, but that longggggg trail in and out each time kills it for me. There’s so much stuff that’s easy to get to from the Evarts side.


And before anyone says they close the gate in Evarts at 10pm, not true. Last couple times I asked as I went into the park at 8:30pm if they’d close it and ol boy smiled and said “nah, gates broken”
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IDK why people say it's a long ride to the trails from Putney. I've left Lower Damnation and been sitting at my camp site in 30 min. And that is in my pile of crap. I'd think ole KOH Phil could be even faster... Also go have pizza at the Portal in town. It's well worth it IMHO!
 
ghost said:
IDK why people say it's a long ride to the trails from Putney. I've left Lower Damnation and been sitting at my camp site in 30 min.
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You clearly aren't a fan of the tasty cold snack if "30 minutes away" from a :beer::beer::beer: isn't "too far" :laughing:
 
ghost said:
IDK why people say it's a long ride to the trails from Putney. I've left Lower Damnation and been sitting at my camp site in 30 min. And that is in my pile of crap. I'd think ole KOH Phil could be even faster... Also go have pizza at the Portal in town. It's well worth it IMHO!
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Yeah but that same long trail in and out is a big problem if you are broke, and/or needing to be towed out.

I can be at Lower Damnation (which has been paved now and is lame) in 10 minutes at a snails pace from Evarts. I can be at Mason Jar or anywhere else in the park in 20 minutes from Evarts at KOH pace :rockon:

It’s all a matter of personal opinion but the main point I’m making as far as Evarts is people see that dumpy little town and assume they’re gonna get robbed and I just haven’t experienced that or anything shady, and haven’t even heard of it happening in years of going there.
 
I've not stayed on the Putney side but I've rented a house on the Evarts side that's ~10mins from the trails and that's about my max. 30 mins? Hell no. I'm not saying I wouldn't but if I had a choice I'm getting up with the Po White Boy and staying in the double wide. Too many great memories have been had to poo poo it now.
 
77GreenMachine said:
It’s all a matter of personal opinion but the main point I’m making as far as Evarts is people see that dumpy little town and assume they’re gonna get robbed and I just haven’t experienced that or anything shady, and haven’t even heard of it happening in years of going there.
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We've had some ladies of the night wandering through camp, and we've traded dairy hut funnel cake fries for a jar of moonshine, but never robbed...
 
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