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“As of today, we manage 11,000 miles of trails,� said Jeffrey Lusk, executive director of the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority. “Our next two counties to open will be Kanawha County and Boone County.�

Kanawha will receive an e-bike and off-road motorcycle park in Tornado, at Meadowood Park.

In Boone County, the “Big Coal River Trail System� will open and include a trailhead in Peytona, where riders of ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes and more will be welcomed.

This system will be launching in May, according to officials with the Hatfield-McCoy Trails system.

In October 2000, the Hatfield-McCoy trail system was opened with 300 miles of trail. In 2002, the system added an additional 100 miles of trails in Boone County.

In 2004, another 100 miles was tacked on to bring the total trail system to 500 miles.

In 2015, the Little Coal River and Ivy Branch trails were closed after new owners took possession of the property and agreements could not reached with the trail system.

There is a 60- to 80-mile trail system currently under construction in Peytona.

“Our goal is to open that up in the first couple weeks of May of this year,� added Lusk.

The biggest hurdle in doing this is getting a licensed agreement from a willing landowner. This could range from years to a decade of working with landowners. Once all is agreed upon, the planning for new systems can begin.

Economically, Boone County has had its sights set on a resurgence via tourism dollars that the trails could bring through restaurants, lodging and related businesses like convenience stores.