Hatfield-McCoy Trail celebrates 11th year in Mercer County this Memorial Day Weekend
May 28—BRAMWELL — More than a decade of ATV riding and ATV tourism is being celebrated this Memorial Day Weekend as visitors come to Mercer County and ride along the Pocahontas Trail, the local branch of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail.
Ever since the Hatfield-McCoy Trail came to Mercer County 11 years ago, lodging providers, restaurants and other new businesses have opened as thousands of visitors arrive to ride the ATV trails. The anniversary was celebrated Friday when a media day ride departed from the Town of Bramwell.
Executive Director Jeffrey Lusk of the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority said that the trail system had about 95,000 visitors last year. Eighty percent of them were from out of state. The Hatfield-McCoy Trail has seen growth in ridership numbers every year despite a global pandemic.
On March 20, 2020, Gov. Jim Justice closed the Hatfield-McCoy Trail to help stem the spread of COVID-19. The trails reopened May 21, 2020 after being closed for 62 days. A surge of riders quickly returned to southern West Virginia.
"We went through the pandemic. We were closed two months but we reopened and actually ended up growing over 12 percent in 2020," Lusk said. "In 2021 it was the largest single year in numbers and percentage growth in the history of the trail system. We grew 44 percent, and things are looking really bright moving forward."
Rising gas prices and inflation are new challenges, but riders continue to arrive at the trails.
"We are absolutely deeply concerned about gasoline and inflation. We've never had to experience that with the trail authority," Lusk stated. "This is something we've really not went through before and haven't experienced before, but we're hoping people will still carve out their vacation dollars and be able to come here, because this is an affordable vacation."
New businesses have opened and continue to grow since the Pocahontas Trail opened, and more lodging and other investments are still needed to help meet demand as the numbers of ATV tourists continue to go up, Lusk said. He recalled how one downtown Bramwell business, the Corner Shop, shares its anniversary with the Pocahontas Trail.
"Their first day was our first day. One of the things we did that day, we had them bring big 2 gallons, 3 gallons of ice cream up and we served ice cream out our opening," Lusk recalled. "One of the things I remember is we had blackberry ice cream. It was so popular. They literally opened up their restaurant the day we opened the trail. It was all our first day of being open."
Bramwell Mayor Louise Stoker said the town has seen plenty of traffic since the Pocahontas Trail opened for riders. It's benefited the town and the surrounding communities.
"We have seen many changes in this whole area in these years since the trail opened," she said. "Well, the biggest change, of course, is would be so much more traffic through the town; however, if we have had changes in the economy, and this was an economic move, it was to latch onto this opportunity that was offered to us to better our economy. What I see here is how it has helped every community around us on both sides of the state line. It's helped Montcalm, Bluewell. The river road between here and Montcalm is just full of life. Businesses have opened up. That's what I've seen. The boom in the economy."
Members of the Bramwell Volunteer Fire Department drove ATV carrying Bluefield Daily Telegraph staff and members of other local media during Friday's tour. Member Lucas Brewster pointed out locations such as the Belcher Family Cemetery and other sights, then took the guests through some mud holes. When the tour departed, other ATV riders were taking their turn to get wet and dirty while having fun.
The media day tour paused at the Coaldale trail head facility off U.S. Route 52. Out-of-state riders were getting ready to get back on the trail.
"We've been coming for, like, 15 years," said Lisa Wilkinson of Lincolnton, NC. "We come here about twice a year. We just enjoy getting away and getting outside." She smiled. "Just playing in the dirt. We are going to ride some more of the Pocahontas, then we're going to Bramwell to the Corner Shop and get some ice cream and then ride some more, and then we're heading out tomorrow to go back home."
— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
