Hatfield-McCoy Trails
Distinct systems offer signed ATV, UTV, motorcycle, and selected 4x4 routes across steep southern West Virginia terrain, with difficulty ratings and town access.
Artwork inspired by New Deal mural tradition
Hatfield-McCoy is best understood as a collection of distinct trail systems rather than a single continuous outing. Buffalo Mountain, Bearwallow, Pocahontas, Rockhouse, and the other networks translate southern West Virginia’s steep, road-cut landscape into markedly different experiences, with vehicle permissions, technical demands, crowd patterns, and connections to nearby towns varying from one system to another.
Choose the system before reserving lodging or a machine, then confirm that its published rules match both vehicle class and rider ability. Former mining and timber roads can become more consequential with Appalachian grades, mud, dust, weather, and shared traffic, so the permit, current map, protective gear, and a realistic recovery plan are integral to the day—not administrative afterthoughts.
- Network
- 1,000+ miles
- Use
- Motorized off-road
- Access
- Permit required
Quick guide
- First decision
- Select the system before lodging or machine rental.
- Safety baseline
- Helmet, permit, map, recovery plan, and weather check.
Explore further
- Choose one system
- Match vehicle class and skill to published route rules.
- Buy the permit
- Display it exactly as current regulations require.
- Read difficulty
- Steep Appalachian grades amplify weather and machine weight.
- Enter trail towns carefully
- Road legality varies outside designated connectors.
Good to know
The headquarters address is not a universal trailhead. Use the operator’s current maps for the chosen system, vehicle restrictions, legal connectors, closures, and emergency planning.