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Hatfield-McCoy Trails
Hosting 2009 Off-Road TrailFest Oct 8-12th
New Miles of Track & New Connections for
Rider Community
Gilbert, WV - (10/6/2009) -Along
with beautiful fall foliage, crisp air, and sparkling
streams, October brings thousands of off-road
riding enthusiasts back to southern West Virginia
for TrailFest.
From October 8-12, 2009, Hatfield-McCoy Trails
is proud to host the premium off-road event of
the year which includes riding the safest and
largest trail system on the East Coast. Factory
demo rides, manufacturer and equipment expos,
mud bogging, drag racing, poker runs, kids' track,
entertainment and special guests - not to mention
thousands of dollars in give-aways - are all part
of the fun for the whole family. Saturday evening
includes a new event this year with Fisher's ATV
World "Mud Run for Prizes" and a fireworks
show in the town of Gilbert.
As in previous years, the Larry Joe Harless Community
Center will serve as the event headquarters for
the weekend, and campsites throughout the area
are expected to be at capacity. "The whole
event has really developed a reunion-like atmosphere,"
said Jeffrey Lusk, executive director of the Hatfield-McCoy
Recreational Trail Authority. "Our new online-community
of riders has a large number of folks that identify
themselves as 'family adventurers' or people who
just like to 'hang with friends.'" The Trails
marketing director Mike Pinkerton agrees. "I
think a lot of people who meet in person this
year are going to feel like they already know
each other, thanks to the online community."
A 2006 economic impact study estimated the Hatfield-McCoy
Trails added 146 new jobs to southern West Virginia's
economy, as well as $2.7 million in income and
$7.7 million in output. Lusk says updated numbers
would certainly show continued growth, as money
is spent by a growing number of visitors each
year in restaurants, at gas stations, and on equipment
rentals and repairs. "TrailFest started in
Logan in back in 2000 and then moved to Gilbert
the following year. Attendance at TrailFest has
grown steadily to nearly10 times that of the original
event," he said.
Hatfield-McCoy Trails made a special push this
summer to open new single track trails for dirt
biking; the miles of single track trails on Buffalo
Mountain have increased from 4 to 17 - Buffalo
now has more miles of single track than any other
Hatfield-McCoy trail, representing almost 40%
of all of its single track trails on all six systems
combined.
"We have something for everyone," said
Pinkerton "TrailFest 2009 is revving up to
be incredible fun." Register online at www.trailsheaven.com,
or call 1-800-592-2217.
The Hatfield-McCoy Trial System was created
by the West Virginia Legislature to generate economic
development through tourism in nine southern West
Virginia counties. It currently operates six systems
with more than 500 miles of trails. Each system
is open 365 days a year to ATVs, dirt bikes, select
utility vehicles (UTVs), mountain bikes, horses,
and hikers. Many of the trail systems also offer
community connecting trails that allow visitors
to access "ATV-friendly towns" to experience
the charm of southern West Virginia.
www.trailsheaven.com
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