BRAMWELL, W.Va. — Mercer County leaders recently celebrated the 13th anniversary of the Pocahontas Trail System of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails.
The Pocahontas trails have helped muster in a slow rebirth in the western part of Mercer County after years of decline in the coal industry.
“It’s been amazing because if you look at the amount of effort, it’s come over time. None of it happened all at once,” said Mercer County Commissioner Gary Puckett. “There was some skepticism early on, but over the course of time people started to adapt and started to say, ‘You know what, this is a great opportunity.'”
What’s happened in 13-years with the Pocahontas Trail System has mirrored the growth of the entire Hatfield-McCoy System since its inception in 2000. The HMT has continued to grow each year. The system was formed to be an incubator for local business. Slowly, it has worked and every year picks up a little more steam as more and more discover the trails or take up riding.
“Typically we’d have folks open up a cabin here or a cabin there or expand their existing business. Now, we’re starting to see some larger investments like resorts which are four to six Million dollar investments. Those are great for our area creating jobs and other opportunities for our local communities,” said Chris Zeto with the Hatfield-McCoy Trails.
A ride from Bluefield to Bramwell on U.S. Route 52 will confirm the assertion. Every mile or two reveals signs catering to trail riders with lodging, ATV repairs, dealerships, restaurants or other services oriented directly to off-road enthusiasts.
“That’s the entrepreneurial spirit. This is the Gold Rush in Appalachia in 2024. If you go into a little town like Bluewell and sit on the corner you’ll watch a million dollars come in here on a Friday and a million dollars going out on a Sunday, ” said Puckett.
The trails have attracted riders from all 50 states and 15 different countries according to Zeto. The leading state for riders is Ohio, followed by Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. Those last two typically land at the Pocahontas Trail system rolling into Mercer County via I-77. The access makes the Pocahontas System one of the most used trail systems in southern West Virginia. It also ties into two other trails and according to Zeto may eventually tie into another an entirely different trail system in neighboring Virginia.
Awesome day on the #hatfieldmccoytrails in Mercer County, WV! #tourism is booming in @visitmercerwv and we are excited to welcome visitors to the Pocahontas trail system for the 13th straight year! @countycommisswv @Counties_of_WV @NACoTweets pic.twitter.com/GWWGw3dP3s
— Greg Puckett (@gregpuckettwv) May 17, 2024
“As the industry grows, no matter where it is, the number of visitors grows and the number of ATV riders grows,” Zeto explained. “Of course we want you to come and visit the Hatfield-McCoy Trails in southern West Virginia, but the growth of the industry benefits everyone.”
Puckett said there is a delicate balance to handling future growth.
“Zoning is something you have to do when you have a growing industry. You have to be able to regulate just enough, but you don’t want to over regulate. That’s the kind of government that is bad,” said Puckett.
As a member of the Mercer County Commission, Puckett would like to see some adjustments to help improve the equipment, location, and accessibility of emergency services in the county to provide adequate protection and quicker responses to emergencies on the trail. He also said adjustments can be made to allow the machines to travel more roads to access towns, but to do so in a safe manner.
“I think ten years from now if the county does good things to regulate just a little more and do things like get emergency services where they need to be and all of the other stuff for safety and security, we can draw more people here and they could have an amazing experience,” Puckett said.