Windrock vs Hatfield-McCoy: Which Should You Ride First?

Windrock Park (Oliver Springs, TN): 73,000 acres of former coal mining land with 300+ miles of trails. The largest privately-owned off-road park in the country. Open 24/7/365. Known for brutal rock crawling, honest difficulty ratings, and the famous "Stairway to Heaven" climb. Blue trails here would be black trails anywhere else.

Hatfield-McCoy Trails (Southern West Virginia): 1,200+ miles across 13 connected trail systems. You can ride your UTV to restaurants, gas stations, and through ATV-legal towns. Well-maintained trails, family-friendly vibes, and the freedom to cover serious ground without a trailer.

One is about conquering terrain. The other is about exploring a region.

Trail Stats Comparison

Windrock / Hatfield-McCoy
Size: 73,000 acres / 300+ miles1,200+ miles / 13 systems
Difficulty Focus: Technical / ExpertAll skill levels
Hours: 24/7/365 / Sunrise to sunset only
Road Riding: Limited / Yes - towns, restaurants, gas
Daily Permits: Yes ($35/person) / No - annual only ($50)
Family-Friendly: Challenging / Yes

What You'll Actually Experience

Windrock: The Proving Ground

Windrock doesn't mess around with difficulty ratings. Their four-tier system (Green, Blue, Black, Double Black) is brutally honest:

• Green (Easy): Gravel roads and hard-packed clay

• Blue (Moderate): Rocks, ruts, and real trail riding

• Black (Difficult): Serious hill climbs, off-cambers, technical lines

• Double Black: Boulders, cliffs, and "Oh my dear Lord, that's a trail?"

Riders consistently warn: "Blue trails at Windrock are BLACK trails at other parks." First-timers who expected easy green trails report being surprised by the challenge.

The famous Trail 5 features "Stairway to Heaven" a rock climb that's become a bucket-list obstacle. You can ride to an abandoned coal train. The Buffalo Mountain Wind Farm puts you next to 18 massive windmills at elevation.

The catch: Windrock allows Jeeps and rock crawlers on the same trails as UTVs. Many riders report rutted, rough conditions from the mix of vehicle types. And rangers won't help with recovery you're on your own with a winch.

Hatfield-McCoy: The Freedom Network

Hatfield-McCoy is a different animal entirely. Thirteen trail systems spread across nine counties, connected by ATV-legal roads that let you ride to towns, restaurants, and gas stations without ever touching a trailer.

The difficulty ratings work differently here. "Black diamond" usually means steep and narrow on a mountainside not technical rock crawling. Experienced riders report handling most black trails in 2WD.

Each trail system has its own personality:

• Rockhouse (100+ miles): The most challenging system, lives up to its rocky name

• Devil Anse (70-80 miles): Central connector with historic Hatfield Cemetery access

• Warrior (40-50 miles): 52% easy trails—best for families and beginners

• Pocahontas (57-60 miles): Historic Bramwell, scenic, family-friendly blacks

The northern group (Rockhouse, Devil Anse, Buffalo Mountain) connects for 300+ miles without trailering. The southern group (Pinnacle Creek, Indian Ridge, Pocahontas, Warrior) connects for 400+ miles.

The freedom factor: You can wake up, ride to breakfast in Gilbert, hit 100 miles of trails, stop for gas in Matewan, and end the day at a BBQ joint all without loading your rig once.

What It Costs

Windrock Permits

Sold per-person, daily or annual:

• Daily: $35 adult / $15 under 16

• Two-Day: $59 adult / $24 under 16

• Three-Day: $79 adult / $30 under 16

• Annual: $128 adult / $51 under 16

Available at the General Store (8 AM–6 PM), campground office, or online.

Hatfield-McCoy Permits

Annual permits only no daily option:

• Non-Resident Annual: $50 (increasing to $65 in late 2025)

• WV Resident Annual: $26.50

• Military: WV resident rate regardless of home state

Important: Every rider AND every passenger needs their own permit. A family of four costs $200 minimum. Stickers must be displayed on helmets.

The math: For a weekend trip with 4 people, Windrock costs ~$140. Hatfield-McCoy costs $200. But if you're making multiple trips per year, the HMT annual permit becomes the better value fast.

Getting There

Windrock

Address: 921 Windrock Road, Oliver Springs, TN 37840

• Knoxville: 30 minutes

• Nashville: 2.5 hours

• Atlanta: 3 hours

• Nearest airport: McGhee Tyson (TYS), 40 minutes

Easy highway access from I-75 and I-40. Straightforward drive with a trailer.

Hatfield-McCoy

Spread across southern West Virginia. Charleston is 45 minutes to the closest trailhead.

• Columbus, OH: 3 hours

• Pittsburgh: 4-5 hours

• Charlotte, NC: 4-5 hours

Critical GPS warning: When coming from I-77, exit at Princeton FIRST, then enter your destination. If you GPS from the highway, you'll end up on narrow mountain roads that are brutal with a trailer. Multiple forum posts describe this as "an absolute nightmare."

Where to Stay

Windrock

The 259-acre campground offers:

• Deluxe cabins with full kitchen/bath

• Primitive cabins

• RV sites (30/50/110 amp hookups)

• Yurts

• Tent sites

Adjacent private campgrounds include Windrock Gap ($20-40/night) with cabins and wash stations. Oak Ridge hotels are 10-15 minutes away.

Hatfield-McCoy

This is where HMT shines. Multiple resort-style campgrounds sit directly on trails:

• Twin Hollow Campground (Gilbert): Named #1 ATV resort by ATV Rider Magazine. Trail entrance inside the campground—park your truck and don't touch it until you leave.

• Devil's Backbone Adventure Resort: Cabins with hot tubs, pools, restaurant, gas station—directly on Devil Anse Trail 59

• Ashland Resort: Centrally located for southern trails with on-site fuel

Many lodges offer true ride-in/ride-out access. Gilbert allows ATVs on streets to reach grocery stores and restaurants.

What Riders Actually Say

We dug through hundreds of forum posts on RZR Forums, Teryx Forums, and Can-Am Talk. Here's the unfiltered community take:

On Windrock

The good:

"You could spend a week at Windrock and never ride all the trails."

"If the hard stuff is your forte, go to Windrock and you can get all you want!"

The reality check:

"I'm a very new rider... I did not find the green, easy trails to be very easy."

"Rangers and park officials will NOT help winch you out. That's on you."

On Hatfield-McCoy

The good:

"You can't beat West Va for the freedom you have of road riding and going into towns."

"HM is the place to go if you're taking young riders 18 and under."

"A stock machine will handle every trail here without difficulty, even the blacks."

The reality check:

"Didn't ride any trails that I thought were even remotely difficult, including the double blacks."

"The trails there were all pretty novice, even the black trails weren't all that."

The Verdict

Choose Windrock if:

• You want serious technical challenge and rock crawling

• Your rig is built for extreme terrain

• You want 24/7 access with no closing times

• You're traveling with experienced riders only

• You prefer one integrated park over a network

Choose Hatfield-McCoy if:

• You're riding with family or mixed skill levels

• You want to ride to restaurants, gas stations, and towns

• You prefer well-maintained, cruiser-friendly trails

• You want connected systems spanning 300-400+ miles

• Historic sites and cultural experiences interest you

First-Timer Recommendation

The forum consensus is clear: Hatfield-McCoy for your first destination trip.

"For a first time group with children, I think H&M is a great way to get your feet wet and for everyone to have a good time."

You can always graduate to Windrock when you're ready for the next level.

Why Not Both?

They're 4-5 hours apart. If you've got a week, split it:

• Days 1-3: Hatfield-McCoy for the freedom riding, town hopping, and family-friendly exploration

• Days 4-6: Windrock for the technical challenge and bucket-list obstacles

You'll experience the best of East Coast off-roading in a single trip.

Know These Trails? Get Paid to Share Them.

If you've spent years learning Windrock's lines or know every connector trail at Hatfield-McCoy, that knowledge has real value. Out-of-towners will pay for a local guide who knows where the views are, where the trouble spots hide, and how to make the most of a weekend trip.

Apply to become a guide →

Set your own rates. Set your own schedule. Keep 90% of every booking.

Your trail time could pay for your next build.