All-terrain vehicle riders and off-road motorcycle enthusiasts will have a new 8,000-acre trail-riding playground this summer, when the Burning Rock Off-Road Park opens near Beckley.
All-terrain vehicle riders and off-road motorcycle enthusiasts will have a new 8,000-acre trail-riding playground this summer, when the Burning Rock Off-Road Park opens near Beckley.
A joint venture of the Raleigh County Commission and Beaver Coal Co., Burning Rock will open July 4 with 100 miles of trail - 80 miles double-track to accommodate ATV riders and 20 miles single-track for motorcyclists.
The initial trail map for the park will include terrain suitable for beginner, intermediate and expert riders, according to Bryan Helmer, Burning Rock's director.
Under the public-private partnership, the Raleigh County Commission will lease an 8,000-acre tract of Beaver Coal land near Sophia for the project.
"The idea was to create a safe environment for people to come and ride in," said Helmer. "Our terrain will give riders a challenge, but we'll have comparable safety rules to those used by the Hatfield-McCoy Trail, including no drinking and riding, and mandatory helmets. We'll also have noise limits and require spark arrestors."
A newly formed ATV club that will use the new off-road park as its base of operations "will be kind of a ski patrol for Burning Rock," according to Helmer.
Burning Rock's trailhead is being developed just off W.Va. 16 at Sophia, about one mile off the McKinney Mountain Road exit of the Coalfield Expressway.
"We'll have a 65-acre trailhead facility that will include parking, camping, cabins, restrooms, gas and a general store, ATV rentals and an ATV wash," Helmer said. "And we're only 10 minutes from Beckley. After riding the trails all day, if you want to sit down at a nice restaurant or stay in a good hotel, they're just minutes away."
Annual passes for the new off-road park, which will be open 365 days a year, will sell for $25 for West Virginia residents and $50 for nonresidents.
All-terrain vehicle riders and off-road motorcycle enthusiasts will have a new 8,000-acre trail-riding playground this summer, when the Burning Rock Off-Road Park opens near Beckley.
A joint venture of the Raleigh County Commission and Beaver Coal Co., Burning Rock will open July 4 with 100 miles of trail - 80 miles double-track to accommodate ATV riders and 20 miles single-track for motorcyclists.
The initial trail map for the park will include terrain suitable for beginner, intermediate and expert riders, according to Bryan Helmer, Burning Rock's director.
Under the public-private partnership, the Raleigh County Commission will lease an 8,000-acre tract of Beaver Coal land near Sophia for the project.
"The idea was to create a safe environment for people to come and ride in," said Helmer. "Our terrain will give riders a challenge, but we'll have comparable safety rules to those used by the Hatfield-McCoy Trail, including no drinking and riding, and mandatory helmets. We'll also have noise limits and require spark arrestors."
A newly formed ATV club that will use the new off-road park as its base of operations "will be kind of a ski patrol for Burning Rock," according to Helmer.
Burning Rock's trailhead is being developed just off W.Va. 16 at Sophia, about one mile off the McKinney Mountain Road exit of the Coalfield Expressway.
"We'll have a 65-acre trailhead facility that will include parking, camping, cabins, restrooms, gas and a general store, ATV rentals and an ATV wash," Helmer said. "And we're only 10 minutes from Beckley. After riding the trails all day, if you want to sit down at a nice restaurant or stay in a good hotel, they're just minutes away."
Annual passes for the new off-road park, which will be open 365 days a year, will sell for $25 for West Virginia residents and $50 for nonresidents.
The low trail pass fees and easy access to the park should bring in thousands of riders and millions of dollars, Helmer said. "I don't think there's a trail system in the country quite like it."
Helmer said he doesn't view Burning Rock as being in competition with the Hatfield-McCoy trails.
"They don't look at it that way either," he said. "We complement each other, and I think we'll work well together. Both trails are good for West Virginia, period."
"We know that Burning Rock Off-Road Park will provide a tremendous boost to the economy in the region through the attraction of tourists," said Raleigh County Commission President Pat Reed. "In addition, Burning Rock is an exciting new venue where local families can ride ATVs and motorcycles safely."
"We have been thoroughly pleased with the innovation and cooperation supplied by the leadership and staff of the Raleigh County Commission," said Beaver Coal General Manager Woody Duba. "We had an idea that this might work, and we were happy to provide the land through a long-term lease arrangement. The county leadership took this idea and really brought it to fruition."
County officials and coal company executives have been working on the Burning Rock concept for about three years.
Beaver Coal owns about 50,000 acres of land in Raleigh County, most of it within a 10-mile radius of Beckley.
More information will be on the Web at www.burningrockwv.com.
To contact staff writer Rick Steelhammer, use e-mail or call 348-5169.
