Hatfield McCoy Trails for full-sized vehicles?

gallamine

Active Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2015
Location
Raleigh
I've being searching out what info I can find on the HMT / Outlaw trails for 4x4's/OHVs. As best as I can tell, the only official MHT trail for Jeeps and such is the Bearwallow trail. Has anyone been up there recently? Do any of the trails a little closer to Raleigh allow OHVs? And for those that have been recently, any advice for first-time visitors? We'd be traveling with 2 built jeeps.
 
If you're looking for alternative venues, looks out for events at The Cove campground in Gore, VA. Big Dogs Offroad has 4-5 things there annually. There are tons of great, tight trails for almost anything.
I've heard many diferent things about full-size vehicle at Hatfield & McCoy but no first hand knowledge or definitive info
 
Bear wallow is good, we were up there earlier this year.

It’s good, needs as many visitors as possible to get the trails broken in well.

Some have been bulldozed so you will find some double black trails that are gravel roads now.

Awesome trail called Long crawl, it’s like a 2 mile creek bed.

Several awesome trails there. I can’t speak for total difficulty, as we just pick the hardest stuff there and run those first. Definitely worth the trip there, and the cabins are great to stay in.

If you are traveling from the raleigh area, drive all the way to Charleston WV, then head back south down 119 past ivy branch into Logan.

Mileage is further but way easier drive that way than cutting across the mtns on switchback coal roads. It takes same amount of time either way.

There are some other great spots within an hour from bear wallow, but you want to take a decent group with you.

I’ve gotten more body damage from ivy branch than any other trail system, that’s in my jeep trying to follow buggies around.

@moldman05 and I fit his full size cab truck up and down most of bearwallow so anything smaller should fit fine.

Definitely worth the trip. The park is way larger than Harlan but not quite windrock sized, and needs to have visitors to keep breaking in the current trails and look at ways to open more.
 
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We ended up taking 2 Jeeps up there last weekend. We camped in Chief Logan State Park which was right outside Logan. $30/night. We were the only ones there. Cold at night beautiful in the day. We spent 2 days on the trails - mostly exploring and see what was around. We didn't see anyone except for a lone ATV rider (worked at the park I think) who came to check on us as we were going down Trail 75. He pointed us to a turn off point that we could use. That particular trail was *very* narrow and it going further was guaranteed body/top damage. In fact, most of the hardest trails were extremely narrow gullies. @DSM Turbos is correct about needing more tires on the trails - past the main dirt road it looked like most hadn't been touched.

It's also pretty clear that they are very focused on ATVs and Dirt Bikes. They also have some extreme rules (no kids < 8 years, and no carseats/boosters) which would make it hard for a family to go. It's not at all clear to me how much they're enforced in the peak season or not.

The last day we ended up at the bottom of the Long Crawl Trail (pictures above I think). It was fantastic - wide and beautiful. We only made it up a fraction of that trail before it got dark and we figured we should head back.

Definitely want to go back to try the Long Crawl again and see the place with the leaves on the trees.
 
Long crawl was a fun trail, nice and easy but fun.

Our group could care less about body damage, most of us that still have a body left don't have a single straight panel left on it, so I could see how you would be worried in various spots. This trail is actually the only Hatfield trail that doesn't concentrate on dirt and atv, they want the four wheel guys, but they do overall have some strict rules in the hatfields.
 
shawn said:
Wha..???
Click to expand...

Yeah, its a rule on the entire trail system, not just Bearwallow. No idea how strict they are though

Hatfield & McCoy ATV & UTV Trails - ATV Trail Riding Trails Heaven

ORV-Specific Rules

  • ORVs are ONLY permitted on the Bearwallow trail system.

  • Driver and passengers are required to wear helmets.

  • Driver and passengers must have valid trail permits.

  • A valid driver’s license is required to operate an ORV.

  • All passengers must be over 8 years of age, or 4’9” tall. No booster or car seats are allowed.

  • Seat belts must be worn at all times. the number of passengers is limited to the number of factory installed seat belts.

  • ORVs are required to have a roll cage on all most difficult (black and black/red) trails.

 
Bumping an old thread. Anyone been back to here lately? Thinking of going at the end of next month. Is it even worth going in my XJ on 35s? I'm locked f/r, 8.8 out back. Chromos up front in the D30, 4:88 gears and w winch. I have lots of spare parts. I ain't skeered of body damage and wheel very hard. I don't have a straight panel on the jeep at all.

Also, my buddy was planning to take his 6 year old son till I saw this thread. Anyone know if that's changed?
 
77GreenMachine said:
Bumping an old thread. Anyone been back to here lately? Thinking of going at the end of next month. Is it even worth going in my XJ on 35s? I'm locked f/r, 8.8 out back. Chromos up front in the D30, 4:88 gears and w winch. I have lots of spare parts. I ain't skeered of body damage and wheel very hard. I don't have a straight panel on the jeep at all.

Also, my buddy was planning to take his 6 year old son till I saw this thread. Anyone know if that's changed?
Click to expand...

It's still on their website so I'd assume yes, that basically rules the club out from going there for awhile unless we leave the little ones at home.
 
Yeah that kinda blows. Throws a wrench in my buddy’s plans. His son was very excited. I don’t even know if we will still go.
 
After YouTubing videos of this place all day, I mean “working” cough cough, I’m pretty pumped to go. My friend had already promised his son he could go and he wouldn’t take anymore trips without him. Now we are kind of wondering, like who’s checking on this? 8 year olds don’t have ID, do they expect us to bring a birth certificate? Kind of thinking of just going and if anything is said, he’s 8...

@Mac5005 I saw you said go all the way to Charleston and come back down 119. Glad I saw that. I’ve wound up on some awful roads going to Harlan before I knew the best way.
So is what my maps showing me ok, or is this route (thin arrow in 2nd pic) also a small winding coal road?
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If so, are you saying to go even further up, actually into Charleston like I’ve crudley marked on this screenshot?
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I think we went through actual charleston on the way back when we did it. On the way up we used google maps and a couple of the roads were intense, but fine with my diesel. Mac is wheeling this weekend in Windrock so he might not reply quickly. I can't remember though the exact way we went.
 
I’m towing with a 6.0 gassser, and my buddy would be pulling a long goosneck with a camper on the front. Or possibly we take one truck and pull doubles. So we need the easiest path, even if it’s takes just a little longer. Although he has a Cummins, so you know he makes fuel when towing and cannot be stopped :driver::D
 
Yeah, don't go the quickest way then, the long goose won't like some of the switch backs. Going through Charleston only aded maybe like 20 mins to the drive.
 
Very much worth it. Going to Harlan now I always run 81 down past where GPS says to go and catch 26 vs cutting thru on 11. In a car that may be quicker, but towing a load thru those narrow roads and little towns is awful.
 
77GreenMachine said:
Very much worth it. Going to Harlan now I always run 81 down past where GPS says to go and catch 26 vs cutting thru on 11. In a car that may be quicker, but towing a load thru those narrow roads and little towns is awful.
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X2 on that one!

Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk
 
77GreenMachine said:
Bumping an old thread. Anyone been back to here lately? Thinking of going at the end of next month. Is it even worth going in my XJ on 35s? I'm locked f/r, 8.8 out back. Chromos up front in the D30, 4:88 gears and w winch. I have lots of spare parts. I ain't skeered of body damage and wheel very hard. I don't have a straight panel on the jeep at all.

Also, my buddy was planning to take his 6 year old son till I saw this thread. Anyone know if that's changed?
Click to expand...

Yes bear wallow is still open and we were there in March. Tons better than the previous year, and plenty to do there.

Ivy branch is great riding, but isn’t back open as Hatfield McCoy yet, but I know people are currently riding it as an outlaw trail which is illegal.
 
Definitely go all the way up to Charleston.

That cut off that is blue in you image is terrible also.

We have tried 3 different ways going/coming from bear wallow, easiest by far is going all the way up to Charleston and coming back down 119. Plus you will go right past ivy branch on that route.

It takes the exact same time to do any of the routes, it just depends on if you like 15-25 mph and switch backs or 45-65 mph and 4 lane and hwy.

Between my suburban and 16’ trailer vs a 250 and gn, we all preferred going through Charleston instead. Plus on 119 just outside Charleston there are parts stores, restaurants, Walmart’s etc, if you need anything before getting to Logan.
 
77GreenMachine said:
After YouTubing videos of this place all day, I mean “working” cough cough, I’m pretty pumped to go. My friend had already promised his son he could go and he wouldn’t take anymore trips without him. Now we are kind of wondering, like who’s checking on this? 8 year olds don’t have ID, do they expect us to bring a birth certificate? Kind of thinking of just going and if anything is said, he’s 8...

@Mac5005 I saw you said go all the way to Charleston and come back down 119. Glad I saw that. I’ve wound up on some awful roads going to Harlan before I knew the best way.
So is what my maps showing me ok, or is this route (thin arrow in 2nd pic) also a small winding coal road?
View attachment 267098

If so, are you saying to go even further up, actually into Charleston like I’ve crudley marked on this screenshot?
View attachment 267099
Click to expand...



You can cut off on 52 from blue field, and run that from thru Welch and all, that’s the only way we haven’t tried yet, a buddy did it with a 24’ GN and said it’s not bad, 35 mph stuff, but not as bad as the other two routes on gps.

All the way up 64 to Charleston then down 119 is just too easy to even deal with switch backs. Just have 3 tolls at $1.50ea for car with trailer.
 
Nothing useful to add but the map @77GreenMachine posted shows south charleston to the north west of charleston. Must be those country roads john denver was talking about.
 
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