Hatfield-McCoy Mountains West Virginia

West Virginia / Hatfield-McCoy Mountains WV


HATFIELD-MCCOY MOUNTAINS

Rooted in history and coal mining heritage, the Hatfield-McCoy Mountains will bring you a little closer to Appalachian culture through beautiful craggy mountains, outdoor adventure and true West Virginia strength.

 The rugged Hatfield & McCoy Region of southwestern West Virginia ascends the valleys of slow moving rivers south along the border of Kentucky and into the sharp-peaked Cumberland Mountains. The Hatfield & McCoy Region includes some of the most fantastic scenery in West Virginia — lush forests, dramatic terrain, and coal-era ghost towns.

History

In the late 1800s, the region was infamously the domain of the Hatfield clan, members of which feuded with the McCoys of Kentucky. By the early 1900s, the remote landscape had grown into one of the world’s busiest coal mining regions, and countless ghost towns raised during that stormy period remain to be explored on foot or by ATV. ATV touring on the Hatfield-McCoy Trails network is one of the region’s biggest tourist draws. Tourism, logging, and coal mining are primary industries here.

Location

The US-119 expressway travels through the central region from Williamson, in the southwest, to Charleston, to the northeast. Along the way it courses through Logan, Madison, and Chapmanville. Highways US-52, WV-10, and WV-3 travel southeast to northwest through the region. As result of the extreme ruggedness of large areas, many areas of highway are winding.