WV RidersHatfield-McCoy Trails · Williamson, West Virginia
Aerial view of Williamson, West Virginia, with the Tug Fork valley and town buildings.

The Hatfield-McCoy Trails from Williamson, WV

Aerial view of Williamson, West Virginia, with the Tug Fork valley and town buildings. Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown. Public domain · Source

An independent guide to all 13 Hatfield-McCoy trail systems and the towns along them, with permits, rules and trip planning. It is written from Williamson, home of Buffalo Mountain, one of the three original systems. First-time visitors can start with an overview of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails.

Buffalo Mountain guide 2026 permits & rules

Why Williamson

Street access

Williamson is an ATV-friendly town with connectors to Buffalo Mountain. Machines may use approved streets from daylight to dark, so fuel, food and lodging are a short trip from the trail.

300+ connected miles

Buffalo Mountain links with Devil Anse, Rockhouse and Braveheart. A group can spend several days on the network without loading the trailer.

Feud country

The Hatfield Cemetery and Matewan are close by, along the Tug Fork. WV Tourism places the feud sites within about 15 miles of town. Feud sites guide

Williamson guide →

The trail systems

Trailheads, connected groups, difficulty mix and the towns each system reaches.

Mingo CountyBuffalo MountainBuffalo Mountain rises above Williamson in Mingo County and carries more single track than any other system. It opened in October 2000, one of the three original Hatfield-McCoy systems, and its trails cross the country of the Hatfield-McCoy feud and the Matewan Massacre.Read guide →Mingo CountyDevil AnseNamed for the Hatfield patriarch, Devil Anse is the Matewan system. It ties Buffalo Mountain, Rockhouse and Braveheart into a connected network of over 300 miles.Read guide →Logan and Mingo countiesRockhouseWith over 100 miles, Rockhouse is one of the largest systems and one of the three originals. Its reputation rests on steep, extreme riding, and it connects to Braveheart, Devil Anse and Buffalo Mountain.Read guide →Logan CountyBraveheartOpened in 2025 at Man, in Logan County, Braveheart is a scenic system of mostly green and blue trails for ATVs, UTVs and dirt bikes. It adds another way into the connected Rockhouse, Devil Anse and Buffalo Mountain group.Read guide →Logan CountyBearwallowOne of the three original systems, Bearwallow lies near Logan and is best known for its Most Difficult trails. Full-size ORVs are allowed alongside ATVs, UTVs and motorcycles. It does not connect to other systems.Read guide →Wyoming CountyPinnacle CreekPinnacle Creek serves Pineville and Mullens in Wyoming County and forms part of the southern group with Warrior, Indian Ridge and Pocahontas.Read guide →Mercer CountyPocahontasBramwell, once home to coal millionaires, is the base for Pocahontas, which connects to Indian Ridge, Pinnacle Creek and Warrior. A connector on Trail 34 continues into Virginia's Spearhead Trails.Read guide →McDowell CountyIndian RidgeThe Indian Ridge trailhead at Ashland, in McDowell County, is not staffed, so buy your permit before you arrive. Connectors run from the system to Northfork and Keystone.Read guide →McDowell CountyWarriorOver half of Warrior's trails are rated Easiest, which makes it a good pick for newer riders. The system rides from War, West Virginia's southernmost city, and reaches Gary.Read guide →Boone CountyIvy BranchAbout twenty minutes from Charleston, Ivy Branch in Julian is open to Jeeps and other full-size ORVs as well as ATVs, UTVs and dirt bikes. Julian is also home to the Hatfield-McCoy Welcome Center.Read guide →Wayne CountyCabwaylingoSet inside Cabwaylingo State Forest, about 8,300 acres, the Cabwaylingo system is open to ATVs, UTVs, ORVs and dirt bikes. Over half its trails are rated Easiest.Read guide →Boone CountyBig Coal RiverBig Coal River opened in 2025 at Peytona in Boone County, replacing the Little Coal River trails, which closed in 2015. It has roughly 50 miles for ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes and Jeeps.Read guide →Kanawha CountyTornado Single TraxTornado Single Trax, near St. Albans, is the first Hatfield-McCoy system given over entirely to single track: about 35 miles, for dirt bikes and e-bikes only.Read guide →

Towns along the trails

Street access, local stops and the system each town serves.

Mingo CountyWilliamsonWilliamson is the Mingo County seat, on the Tug Fork, and the trail town for Buffalo Mountain, one of the three original Hatfield-McCoy systems. Approved streets connect the trails with shops and restaurants. WV Tourism describes the town as a gateway with over 350 miles of direct trail access.Read guide →Mingo CountyMatewanMatewan lies on the Tug Fork below Williamson. The Devil Anse trailhead is in town, and its history takes in the 1920 Matewan Massacre and the Hatfield-McCoy feud.Read guide →Mingo CountyDelbartonDelbarton has a community connector to the Buffalo Mountain system, and WV Tourism counts this Mingo County town among its five ATV-friendly communities.Read guide →Mingo CountyGilbertGilbert is in eastern Mingo County, on a connector to Rockhouse. Its streets stay open to riders until 11pm, later than in other towns, and it hosts National TrailFest each October.Read guide →Logan CountyManThe Rockhouse and Braveheart systems share a trailhead in Man, an ATV-friendly town in Logan County.Read guide →Logan CountyLoganLogan, the county seat, reaches the Bearwallow system through the City of Logan connector, which starts at the Country Roads Byways Visitor Center.Read guide →Mercer CountyBramwellBramwell, the former town of coal millionaires, is the town access point for the Pocahontas system and the new Trail 34 connector into Virginia's Spearhead Trails.Read guide →Wyoming CountyPinevilleThe Pinnacle Creek trailhead is in Pineville, the Wyoming County seat, which also has a town connector.Read guide →Wyoming CountyMullensA Pinnacle Creek connector town in Wyoming County, Mullens has restaurants, groceries and fuel.Read guide →McDowell CountyNorthforkNorthfork and nearby Keystone are the Indian Ridge connector towns. The trailhead, which is unstaffed, is at Ashland, where Ashland Resort sells permits.Read guide →McDowell CountyWarWest Virginia's southernmost city, War has the Warrior trailhead at 84 Silcox Lane.Read guide →McDowell CountyGaryOn the Warrior system in McDowell County, Gary is an ATV-friendly town whose connector links town services with the southern trail network.Read guide →Boone CountyJulianJulian has the Ivy Branch trailhead and the Hatfield-McCoy Trails Welcome Center, which sells permits, at 28 Big Pinnacle Branch Road. It is about twenty minutes from Charleston.Read guide →

Before you ride

  • Every rider and passenger needs a permit: $65 non-resident or $26.50 WV resident for 2026. Permit guide
  • DOT or Snell helmet and eye protection for everyone. Trails are open half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.
  • No alcohol, no glass, no camping, no overnight trailhead parking.
  • Download the official maps in advance. Our map and navigation guide explains how to read them.

First ride and family guide → · Trail safety → · Plan your trip →

Large groups should read the group-trip checklist, which covers permits, beds and trailer parking. The planning guides and the FAQ cover the rest.

Questions riders ask

How much is a Hatfield-McCoy trail permit in 2026?

$65 for non-residents and $26.50 for West Virginia residents, tax included. Current or former U.S. military pay the resident rate. See the 2026 permit guide.

Is there a day pass?

No. Permits are annual and run from purchase through December 31. See the permit guide.

Do passengers need a permit?

Yes. Every driver and every passenger needs their own permit. Read the permit and passenger rules.

Where to stay in Williamson

Most visitors spend the day on the trail and the night in town. Williamson sits on Buffalo Mountain's connectors, a few minutes from food, fuel and feud country.

These two houses are ours.

Williamson, WV · sleeps 16

Buffalo Mountain Retreat

Four bedrooms and two baths, sleeping 16, on Mulberry Street in Williamson. The house has a private pool and a locking garage and carport for machines, and Williamson's town connector routes lead to Buffalo Mountain.

4 bedrooms · 2 baths · 3-night minimum · no pets

View house & availability

Williamson, WV · sleeps 22

Linkous House

An 1896 house in downtown Williamson with 11 bedrooms and 7 baths, sleeping up to 22. Restaurants are within walking distance, riders can use the town connector routes, and events are allowed.

11 bedrooms · 7 baths · 3-night minimum · no pets

View house & availability