From the USA TODAY:
Wednesday, December 24
Beckley - All-terrain vehicle enthusiasts, bikers and hikers can soon enjoy more of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System. Wyoming County's 100 to 120-mile loop is expected to open in March and include 400 miles of trails in several counties. The trail is named for the legendary feud between the Hatfields and McCoys in West Virginia and Kentucky.

 

WOW!! That is great. We are making USA Today.

The Wyoming County Trail is actually supposed to be opened sometime after the first of the year according to the HM site. Everything is being kept pretty hush, hush.

 

I don't think the USA Today is pretty "hush hush". There were press releases in the Williamson Paper that said March and in the Beckley Paper that said March. I don't think if the Authority is putting out press releases it would be "hush hush". I mean I'm just saying, that doesn't make sense. Why would they? They want people to come and ride don't they?

On another note: Yee haw for more trails. That is really going to make HM more fun for those who have ridden all of it already, present company included!

I love HM. It RULES. LONG LIVE HM TRAILS!

 

BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) — Whether by all-terrain vehicle, bike, horse or foot, outdoor enthusiasts will have more ground to cover in the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System early next year, as Wyoming County’s loop is expected to open in March.
Construction on the Wyoming County loop, which is estimated at 100 to 120 miles, should begin in January, said Matt Ballard, executive director of the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority. The loop will be located in the Pinnacle Creek area, adding to trails already established in Logan, Boone and Mingo counties.
The final signature required to open the corporate lands to the public has been obtained, Ballard said.
Once construction is complete, a weekend event will be scheduled to showcase the new trailhead center and trail system.
Four trail areas have already opened, including the 100-mile Dingus Rum Trail near Logan, the 100-mile Browning Fork Trail near Man and Gilbert, the 65-mile Buffalo Mountain Trail between Williamson and Matewan, and the Little Coal River Trail near Danville and Madison in Boone County.
In October, 3,700 permits were issued to trail users, Ballard said.
Each visitor spends between $250 and $500 during an average three-day stay. The more conservative $250 figure translates into nearly $1 million in tourist dollars pumped into the local economy in a month.
‘‘We are quickly growing as a tourist attraction,’’ Ballard said of the eight- county trail system.
The trail is named for the legendary feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families on either side of the Tug Fork River, which divides West Virginia and Kentucky.

 

I visit the HM site daily. According to what the HM site has posted, the new trail should be opening in January. Since January is upon us and nothing has been offficially said, I think it is being kept hush, hush. I talk to many people at the HM office regularly since I am an HM vendor. No one will answer questions. Where exactly is the trailhead going to be? Show us a proposed map. Give us more information on the new trail. Since there has been a little trouble with the area ATV riders and homeowners, I think that is why everything is being kept quiet. Of course, that is just my opinion. I could be wrong.

 

Just caught this in the Morgantown Paper where I'm from too.



New Hatfield-McCoy trail loop opens in March
Associated Press

BECKLEY -- Whether by all-terrain vehicle, bike, horse or foot, outdoor enthusiasts will have more ground to cover in the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System early next year. Wyoming County's loop is expected to open in March.

Construction on the loop, which is estimated at 100 to 120 miles, should begin in January, said Matt Ballard, executive director of the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority. The loop will be located in the Pinnacle Creek area, adding to trails already established in Logan, Boone and Mingo counties.

The final signature required to open the corporate lands to the public has been obtained, Ballard said.

Once construction is complete, a weekend event will be scheduled to showcase the new trailhead center and trail system.

Four trail areas have already opened, including the 100-mile Dingus Rum Trail near Logan, the 100-mile Browning Fork Trail near Man and Gilbert, the 65-mile Buffalo Mountain Trail between Williamson and Matewan, and the Little Coal River Trail near Danville and Madison in Boone County.

In October, 3,700 permits were issued to trail users, Ballard said.

Each visitor spends between $250 and $500 during an average three-day stay. The more conservative $250 figure translates into nearly $1 million in tourist dollars pumped into the local economy in a month.

''We are quickly growing as a tourist attraction,'' Ballard said of the eight-county trail system.

The trail is named for the legendary feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families on either side of the Tug Fork River, which divides West Virginia and Kentucky.

 

Dear Mr. MartyBuck58:


I hear ya man. I just am seeing so much press about it, it just seems to be very very out in the open. Altough I could understand not being extremely specific because I image when they are constructing things change. If they promised certain things and then they changed people would probably get mad. Being a WV's I know what this system means to our state and especially to us WVa's. I watch this project closely being an ATV and OHV enthuisits and also because it's good for WV and further because of all the riding area closing which is why HM is important. I can totally understand why HM would not say EXACTLY where it would be, I think if you think about it from their perspective that makes sense.

I have watched this project, I have seen the good and the bads, I have been going there since it opened, I have talked with the staff when I've been there each time and on the phone, I've talk with the BOard members and director's, and our legislature, heck I want it in N. WVa, this project is awesome. But again, being a WV, we can't let this turn into a typical so. WV politics thing, BUT we also as WV's can't always mistrust. Overall I think HM has been a positive effect for everyone. I'm sure we'll all know in do time where EXACTLY it will be.


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KiethATV,

Glad to see you have followed the project so closely. It is a very interesting project to follow and study. I just hope that the initial intention of the project is not forgotten by the curent administrators. That would be to bring economic developement to the areas that NEED it and to the private local busniessmen, not just one or two people with their hands where they should'nt be. Just my two cents.