Hatfield MCcoy

[the87hyper]

Hi all. I'm looking to goto Hatfield Mccoy trails here in the next month or two. I'm looking for information on where to stay and the what to do and not to do's. Probably going to stay in the cabins in Gilbert or Man. I've Heard somthing about a tunnel and other places to visit. This will be my first time there and i want to get the most out of it. I'm told we can ride in the towns as well, what are the rules and regs for this. I have a rappy 660 and my buddy a yfz450. What spares should we bring.. ect. ALL ADIVCE IS NEEDED! Anything anyone can give me for information would be great.... Thanks!

[squadie]

We usually stay in Man. You can ride in town -- but do the speed limit or you may get a ticket. We find the lodging rates best there. It's pretty close to our favorite trails. Favorite trails in order:

1. Bear Wallow
2. Pinnacle Creek
3. Rockhouse

Rockhouse is rocky and wet in some sections. The trailhead is there in Man, and you can ride it to Gilbert and back easily. You can trailer to Bear Wallow in about 20 or 25 minutes. Pinnacle Creek is about 45 minutes away. We tried Indian Ridge and liked it, but like Buffalo Mtn it's off by itself a ways. Waterways is basically for kids -- no challenges.

Swingarm skids are good to have, and a few tire plugs for the trail. There's a shop in Gilbert with basic stuff, and a dealer in Logan - about 30 minutes from Man.

The riding is pretty awesome.

[Thumpin440ex]

Awsome info man, I ma looking to do this trip also, have read great reviews on it.. Hope more people post up about it.. :)


John

[Grimzella]

Originally posted by squadie
We usually stay in Man. You can ride in town -- but do the speed limit or you may get a ticket. We find the lodging rates best there. It's pretty close to our favorite trails. Favorite trails in order:

1. Bear Wallow
2. Pinnacle Creek
3. Rockhouse

Rockhouse is rocky and wet in some sections. The trailhead is there in Man, and you can ride it to Gilbert and back easily. You can trailer to Bear Wallow in about 20 or 25 minutes. Pinnacle Creek is about 45 minutes away. We tried Indian Ridge and liked it, but like Buffalo Mtn it's off by itself a ways. Waterways is basically for kids -- no challenges.

Swingarm skids are good to have, and a few tire plugs for the trail. There's a shop in Gilbert with basic stuff, and a dealer in Logan - about 30 minutes from Man.

The riding is pretty awesome.

pretty much everything i need to know .
But what about being LEGAL. I am from Pennsylvania, so i am unclear on what i would need as an out of state visitor. Do I need a license plate? (what if your state does not require a plate or registration like Kentucky) I don't feel like driving all the way back home, just because a Game Warden or Forrest Ranger got a wild hair up his ***** and wants to bust balls.

Thank you
Dave

[Growler]

All you'll need is the H-M Trails permit sticker on your helmet. It's an annual permit and tons of places sell them. We stay at a campground right by the Bear Wallow trailhead and the fella that has the campground is an authorized permit dealer. My LTR doesn't have a spark arrestor and I doubt it would pass the sound (Db) check, but as long as you ease through the trailheads and wait until you are out on the trails to open it up you'll be fine. Make sure you run a skid on your swingarm and a bellypan if you have one, lots of rocks in southern WV! We meet a bunch of people on the green and blue trails, but as soon as we hit the black trails, we never see anyone, the trail is all ours! LOL And like was previously mentioned, when driving through towns, keep your speed down. Keeps you from getting a ticket, and keeps the locals from becoming anti-ATV.

[squadie]

You can also buy the permit sticker in advance from the HM website if you want. Got mine in less than a week. Like Growler said, you can get them anywhere down there including the trailhead offices when they're open in the morning. $50 for the pass, good all calendar year. Once you go down you'll want to go back!

[the87hyper]

What is the deal with riding on public roads? Legal or not? Also what kind of spares would you all recommend to take along?

[Growler]

Most (not all) of the roads around the trailheads are open for bikes and quads, to include the streets in many of the towns. Makes it real nice to just run into town, gas up, grab a bite to eat, and head back to the trail. Just check the official website and when you get your permit, everyone down there can tell you where you can and can't ride. As far as spares, I always carry a plug kit and CO2 inflator and we have at least 1 tow strap per 2 vehicles.

[Grimzella]

hey thanks guys, thats all great news, as i will bring a few riders with me from out of state. they will be glad to hear that. Thanks for the advice. WE will all def respect the laws. thats the reason for this post in the first place : ) So how are them black trails?? sounds fun.

[the87hyper]

Thank-you all for your replys! I hope to have a great time. Grimzella when are you looking at going down? There is only two of us and i think were going down in apr / may.... If your going around that time and want to ride, give me a shout!


ALSO, KEEP THE INFO COMMING!!! THE MORE I KNOW THE MORE FUN TO BE HAD!!! :)

Are there any bars in Gilbert or Man to have a burger and a beer after a day of riding?

[Growler]

You won't have a hard time finding a good burger and beer most places. And the place (and the patrons) may look rough, LOL, but a really pretty laid back, great hospitality! If you like a challenge, hit up the black trails. I run an LTR and my buddy has a KFX so we run the trails pretty fast. Only a couple places we couldn't go without 4 wheel drive or a winch. My girlfriend has a RZR (HOT PINK!) and his wife has a Suz Vinson and they stick to the green and blue trails.