High gas prices fueling a ridership contraction on Hatfield-McCoy Trail

Aug. 18—BLUEFIELD — With high gas prices impacting visitation levels, the Hatfield-McCoy Trail is bracing for its first ever ridership contraction.

Permit sales along the multi-county trail system are measured from November to November, and could be down between 5 to 10 percent this year due to high gas prices.

That would be the first time in the trail system's 21 years of operation where ridership numbers have contracted, according to Jeff Lusk, executive director of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail Authority.

No one is surprised by the development — as raging inflation and still excessively high gas prices are causing many Americans to curtail travel.

"We fully expected it," Lusk said. "Fuel prices have a disproportional impact on our riders. The sport they've chose to participate in actually uses fuel."

Despite the anticipated decrease in permit sales, the trail system is still rolling and ridership levels are still huge.

Each year, for the past 20 years, ridership on the trail has increased. The latest record was recorded during the November 2020 to November 2021 period, when 94,464 permits were sold.

This year, if current trends continue, permit sales will clock in somewhere between 85,000 and 90,000, according to Lusk.

"We won't know until November," he said. "I could be wrong. We are talking about a relatively small number. But it would be our first contraction we've seen in on our overall ridership."

Having 85,000 to 90,000 riders on the trail system in a year when gas prices soared to $5 a gallon is still impressive. Also, when compared to earlier years where about 55,000 permits were sold, it illustrates the continued growth of the Hatfield-McCoy system.

"So we are having a good year in comparison to tourism in general," Lusk said.

The trail system also is rolling into what is historically one of its busiest periods — the months of September and October. However, with ATV lodging facilities across the region already largely booked to capacity for those two months, a last-minute surge in ridership may be offset by a lack of available housing.

Lusk describes it as a case of "demand and supply" not being in tandem.

"September and October — they are really big months for us," he said. "These months really decide how big of a season we are going to have. Historically we've had sell out or near sell out ridership during those months. They are critical to us and to our ridership numbers. But for most of our lodging providers those locations are reserved out. You will see very little vacancy during those months."

That's why additional ATV lodging facilities are still needed in the region, Lusk said.

"Because we know it is basically sold out in September and October, the only growth you can have in these months is if new facilities are brought online," he said.

For now, ATV lodging facilities serving the seven-county southern West Virginia based trail system are already nearing booking capacity for April and May of next year.

"Forward reservations are looking really good right now," Lusk said of 2023. "So it looks really good next year."

Still — after 21 years of growth — the ATV trail system is no longer immune to problems like inflation and soaring gas prices.

"Gas prices, inflation, everything about the economy — the Hatfield-McCoy system has reached a size where we are not unimpacted by what goes on as a nation," Lusk said. "If the economy goes into a recession, we are going to see our permit sales suffer."

While gas prices are typically not the greatest expense for an average vacation, fuel is a big part of a weekend on the Hatfield-McCoy Trail.

"The entire time they are here the biggest input is putting the fuel in their machines," Lusk said of ATV tourists. "Fuel is the second largest expense of taking a vacation on the Hatfield-McCoy Trails. The only other thing you will spend more on is where you will stay. Accommodations, regardless of where you travel, is your largest expense."

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com. Follow him @BDTOwens