Should I Take My Kid to Hatfield?
Quick answer is yes. Being a youth ATV safety instructor we tell kids all the time to practice riding regularly. What better place to do that than the world famous Hatfield McCoy Trail systems?
Which Trail System is Best for Kids?
Our favorite by far was Little Coal River, but that has been closed for some time now and we aren’t sure if there are any plans to reopen it. We absolutely LOVE Pinnacle Creek for youth riders as well as Indian Ridge. Stay on the greens for new riders and venture out to some blues for those that are building their confidence and have some seat-time
Family Friendly Accommodations?
By all means you can’t go wrong with Crumpler Mountain Resort we just love it here. So much so we call it our home. Chris and Shana are some of the nicest people you will meet in the area. Their love for riding is only surpassed by their love for kids. When you call let them know you are riding with kids and they will make sure you have a great time!
The Trail Riding Experience
This is all great info, but the actual trail riding… What is it like? Well We would be lying if we said they won’t come across some idiots on the trail. I mean we do all the time as adults right? A couple things to remember when riding with children.
- Always nest them in with adult riders (don’t let the kids lead or follow)
- Make sure they understand hand signals
- Keep stops to a minimum and make sure they clear the trail when they do.
- Never assume right of way. Keep a blocker at intersections for kids to cross.
- Make sure they can properly operate the machine. We can help with training…
- Put your camera on them! You will never get these years back!
Developing a Child Rider
People ask me all the time how my son became such a good woods rider. He started riding very young but the real key was putting him on the trails. Hands down the single best investment I EVER made was a bluetooth communicator. I can talk with him in real time, one on one or in a group and watching his confidence and ability grow from that point was leaps and bounds compared to before the communicator.
Personally, I prefer the Sena line, and have owned most of them. My son is currently running the SMH-20S and I use the SMH-10C. Both are great setups. The 10C has a camera built in which I love, but the 20S is actually a more powerful unit.
Rent a Machine
One of the big hurdles is, Hatfield McCoy Trails is pretty far away, the expense, the travel. Sure you want to ride with your kids, but you want to have some fun also. Well remember riding an ATV that wasn’t FACTORY DESIGNED for two up riders is not only illegal but unsafe. Why not rent a machine from us and take your kids out for the day or more in one of our very capable side by sides?
do you enforce the manufacter recommendations of age on the machine size? my 13 year old daughter rides my 570 but i dont want to plan a trip and drive 400 miles and be told she cant ride.
Kids ride the Hatfield – McCoy Trail systems all the time. There is plenty of child friendly riding in the area! Remember even if she gets tired of riding, or you want to change things up we offer rental SXS machines as well. Check out http://www.cmresort.com to book your trip and you will have a great time.
The manufacturer sticker is just their recommended age for selling the machine purpose. While Hatfield-McCoy Trails use this as their rules also, we have never heard of an instance where a properly matched machine was an issue. Every state has different laws about ages of the rider / machine use. We hope she’s matched with the machine for her skill set as well as physical size, and if you have any questions we offer ATV Youth Training, so she will be Certified by the DCNR to operate that vehicle. (although this isn’t a requirement in WV)
Thanks for this timely article! We are planning our first trip there, and will be bringing our 21 yr old son, who has Downe Syndrome. He loves his ATV riding and drives his Kingquad 450 4×4 well, but we are always careful to research trail systems ahead of time! It does sound like Pinnacle is best, had not about Indian Ridge though. Great info for any parent to have ahead of time, along with trail color codes too! Thanks!
We hope you have a great time on the trail! Be sure to check us out when you come down. Keep in mind we do rent SXS machines if he decides he wants to ride along instead of pilot his own machine!
Just curious. Has anyone ever been thrown out for riding with kids in car seats in a side by side. My wife and I have been down there multiple times with our 3 and 4 yr old in the back seat of our teryx4. Never knew there was a no car seat rule until a friend said he saw it on their website… no one has ever said a word to us. Granted we are just cruising at low speeds on easy trails, but I see other kids in car seats all the time.